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Impact of Pedagogical Interventions on Student Learning

Brian Rio

Hunter College

IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING 1

Impact of Pedagogical Interventions on Student Learning

The following is an analysis of three student case studies from my student teaching

experience at a medium-sized high school in Manhattan. The information was collected from

ninth grade students during the spring semester (January - May 2013). Each case study includes a

description of the student, results of a pre-assessment, specific pedagogical strategies used with

that student, applicable corresponding theoretical research, post-assessments, and reflection on

student learning.

Student Characteristics

Student A is a Hispanic female who received a 70 in English for the first semester. This

student is polite and participates consistently in class. She retains a positive attitude despite her

academic struggles and difficulty interacting socially with some classmates. Student A has an

Individualized Education Program (IEP) that allows for extra time on tests, but has not been

diagnosed with a specific learning disorder. I chose this student because my cooperating teacher

mentioned her as an example of a student who consistently fails tests despite her in-class

demeanor and willingness to participate. My cooperating teacher has even provided a detailed

report of this student’s academic struggles to the school principal. My goal with this student is to

assist with reading comprehension and improve her test-taking skills.

Student B is an Asian male who received a 75 in English for the first semester. This

student is funny and engaging, even if his answers to questions in class often lack depth. He is an

average student who has steadily improved. Being one of few Asian students in the school, he

was initially shy to participate in class according to my cooperating teacher. At this point in the

year, however, he has found his place and voice in the class and is not hesitant to contribute. He


also asks very good questions. I chose this student because he came to after-school tutoring to

ask specifically for help with his writing. It is clear he wants to do well, but needs help

organizing his thoughts. My goal with this student is to help refine his writing as he goes

through the process of creating a structured essay.

Student C is a Hispanic male who received a 90 in English for the first semester. This

student rarely participates in class and sometimes struggles to find the right words when he is

called on to answer questions. However, he is an above average student and an example of

someone who might “fly under the radar” until he hands in written work or takes a test. I chose

this student because of that disparity, and also because when I read his pre-assessment essay, it

was clearly advanced for his grade level. The word selection, insight and organization gave it a

style that most freshman are not close to developing yet. We incorporated examples of previous

student work into the writing process, and used his work for most of it. He also received the

highest grade on the first multiple choice test. My goal with this student is to help him improve

his writing by using higher standards and more advanced concepts (e.g. passive voice) that match

his ability level and potential.

Pre-Assessments

The pre-assessment for each student case study is a standard 5-paragraph essay on The

Perks of Being a Wallflower. The assignment asked students to “discuss how unresolved

conflicts lead to self-destruction, dysfunctional relationships, and cycles of abuse.” Students

spent over a week of class time on the essay writing process, with mini lessons on each section

(introduction, incorporating evidence, and conclusion). Students wrote multiple drafts and

received feedback from their peers during in-class review sessions. The essay assignment, rubric


and full student responses are included in the appendix. Below are details on each student’s pre-

assessment.

Student A received a 70 (14/20) on her Perks essay. While the essay is solid

grammatically, it demonstrates her challenges in organizing her thoughts and sticking to the

assignment. For instance, the comments on her rubric were that the first body paragraph does not

address the essay question and that the second and third paragraphs basically repeat each other.

In the conclusion this student says that “mistreatment” in the novel “portrays emotional and

physical neglect”; however, most of the examples she cites in the essay center around actual

confrontations as opposed to neglect. The bulk of the essay is plot summary with little analysis

(which is a common problem among beginner writers). The inconsistencies in her writing point

to a need for development in reading comprehension. She must first understand what she is

reading in order to write cohesive and coherent analytical statements. She must also be clear on

what the assignment is asking, which speaks to the same basic issue.

Student B received an 80 (16/20) on his Perks essay. He received 3/4 on all rubric

sections with the exception of a 4/4 on organization. This essay is well organized, but there are

some tense and pronoun inconsistencies that make some of the sentences sound awkward. For

example, “She hurt herself and eventually hurting her young nephew” and “If you do not love

self no one will.” There is a logic evident in how he explains different examples he uses to

support his thesis statement. In the paragraph about Charlie, he discusses that character’s

relationship with his aunt, how he abuses drugs and alcohol before coming to terms with what

happened to him, and then finally how he turned it around when he chose to forgive his aunt. I

am going to focus on “cleaning up” this student’s writing and determining whether his word


selection in those tricky sentences is a matter of not understanding grammar rules or just lack of

attention to revision. My inclination is that it is the latter.

Student C received a perfect score (20/20) on his Perks essay. His thesis statement is

clear and well-written: “Unresolved conflicts inevitably propel us to self-destruction,

dysfunctional relationships, and cycles of abuse as shown in Chobsky’s astounding novel The

Perks of Being a Wallflower.” This is a level of clarity and conciseness that other freshman

students are struggling to achieve, and his vocabulary (e.g. “propel” “astounding”) is also well

developed. He includes transitions between ideas and paragraphs as well, something even

college writers can struggle with. We used one of his body paragraphs in class as an exemplar for

students during the next essay writing process. This student needs help in polishing his writing

(e.g. one more review and reading it aloud to catch minor errors or sentences that sound strange).

He also should be exposed to higher level writing strategies like improving transitions and issues

like passive voice.

Pedagogical Strategies

For Student A, the pedagogical strategies revolved around improving her reading

comprehension skills by breaking down what we are reading into smaller, more digestible parts.

There were two parts to my work with this student: 1) worksheets to help her understand what

she is reading; 2) close reading of nonfiction passages. Both of these formative assessments

involved group work with her peers and whole class instruction. McMillan (2003) stresses the

importance of these types of checks for understanding: “Formative ongoing assessments such as

daily checks and informal observation, were most informative in relation to instructional

decisions.” I developed a worksheet to keep track of character analysis and development. This


graphic organizer has a “sunshine” for each main character - inside the sun, students list conflicts

and goals and in the “sunrays” the student includes inferences and important character traits. As

we continue reading, the students update their worksheet to note how characters develop over

time and what they symbolize in the context of the story and time period of the play. This

worksheet is designed to help struggling readers keep track and make sense of what they have

read, and becomes a study guide for the tests and a starting point for an essay.

The second part of this intervention involved several close readings, with small groups

working to analyze and understand each passage after they were read aloud to the whole class.

Lent (2009) explains the rationale for this: “Read interesting and challenging texts aloud to

students, if only a few pages a day, and pepper your reading with thoughtful questions for them

to consider.” Before beginning a new unit on Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, for

example, we read aloud a nonfiction article about Chicago in the 1950’s1. Here is the opening

line of the article for an example of the text’s complexity: “The black population in Chicago

significantly increased in the early to mid-1900’s, due to the Great Migration out of the South.”

Below are three sample questions that the students worked together to answer in differentiated

groups:

• What is the main idea of this paragraph? What idea/concept does the text introduce?

• Why did many African-Americans move to Chicago in the early to mid-1900’s? Cite two-

three details from the text to support your answer.

• What do you think disfranchised means? Use context clues to figure out the word meaning.

Creating differentiated questions has been a point of emphasis in discussions with my

cooperating teacher. As a beginner, I was often anxious to get to the “home run” question without


1 From “A Raisin in the Sun: Study Guide for Teachers.” http://chsenglishap4.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/5/7/2257880/raisinteachersguide.pdf

http://chsenglishap4.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/5/7/2257880/raisinteachersguide.pdf

http://chsenglishap4.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/5/7/2257880/raisinteachersguide.pdf

introducing more basic questions that can engage a broader audience in class. Once we began

reading the play, also out loud in class, I continued this same strategy of developing several

levels of questions with students like this in mind. They would move from basic understanding

to inferences, to bigger opinion or thematic questions for students to free write about once we

had read a section.

For Student B, the pedagogical strategies involved 1:1 writing conferences and review of

student work samples. I reviewed this student’s writing in closer detail than would have been

possible during whole class instruction. This student came to after-school tutoring twice to work

on building and revising his essay, and this extra work helped complement what we were doing

in the full class setting. This student did not initially have specific questions on his draft, so we

broke it down in the component parts, beginning with the introduction. We reviewed what the

rubric called for and analyzed his thesis statement. It was clear that he had good ideas, but

needed help with word choice and analyzing supporting details. I gave him some suggestions

about word choice and also recommended that he develop some type of “text-to-world”

connection to hook his reader in the introduction.

My cooperating teacher noticed that tutoring and in-class check ins were sometimes

inefficient because students did not have specific questions, so we agreed to stress that more

going forward. This way, students develop more control over their writing and learning, and it

becomes a collaborative effort. Bergmann (2008) states, “In the past three decades of

composition studies, collaboration has been repeatedly embraced as a method of learning that

makes students active learners and as a method of tutoring that balances working together to

produce writing with respecting students’ role as authors of their own writing.” I charged this


student with developing specific questions or areas to focus on for the next tutoring session,

when he would come with a new draft. We worked in similar fashion to tweak his body

paragraphs, with a focus on analyzing specific details and less plot summary.

This tutoring work was supported by in-class writing workshops. My cooperating

teacher and I met to review past student work and identify examples to show in class.

Christensen (2009) says, “Students need to have models that demonstrate what the essay looks

like ... In order to teach students how to write, I get them to take model essays apart, tinker with

them, and learn how the parts work together.” We identified samples that met the rubric

requirements for full credit and put them on a worksheet with lines below for students to write in

their notes. I asked for student volunteers to read each sample, then we took time for them to

identify what made this section “good,” whether it was a clear thesis, solid evidence, a powerful

conclusion, or just an interesting turn of phrase. I also gave students sentence starters to help

them introduce author’s craft examples into their writing (e.g. The author demonstrates this idea

by using....”). We spent six full class periods on the writing process, in part because these are

freshman who need the practice, but also because the material became more challenging (from

The Perks of Being a Wallflower to Oedipus the King).

For Student C, the pedagogical strategies centered on detailed feedback on his writing

throughout the process. The comments went beyond what was specified in the assignment

rubric, because this student is ready for more advanced techniques. For example, I mentioned

reviewing student work in class above for Student B, and it was Student C’s work that we used. I

noticed after peer review that his classmate had made only a few superficial notes on his work.

Hattie (2007) notes that writing feedback is important to writers of all skill levels: “Feedback has


no effect in a vacuum; to be powerful in its effect, there must be a learning context to which

feedback is addressed. It is but part of the teaching process and is that which happens second-

after a student has responded to initial instruction- when information is provided regarding some

aspect(s) of the student's task performance. It is most powerful when it addresses faulty

interpretations, not a total lack of understanding.” I felt that the best help I could offer would be

providing very detailed feedback on his first draft. There was much work left for him to do to

bring this first draft to the quality level I saw in his previous essay.

My comments ranged from basic formatting (something I notice many students struggle

with) to more structural issues like deeper analysis of his examples and finishing the essay with

more emphasis. I made notes in the margin and the text, and wrote this note at the bottom: “The

makings of a solid essay are here, you just need to build it up and refine the next draft. Focus on

making your thesis more specific, and choose the most powerful examples from the story for

your main body paragraphs. Try to analyze the examples further to demonstrate what they show

about Oedipus on his path to ruin. Also, double check the assignment to ensure you meet all the

guidelines (e.g. 1 more quote, author’s craft). You have a good vocabulary and strong command

of your writing. Use that to help “hook” your reader in the intro and finish on a strong point in

your conclusion. Great work!” This student was appreciative of me taking the time to review his

essay and agreed to review the comments and work them into the next draft.

Post-Assessment

For Student A, I chose a uniform mid-term test as her post-assessment (see Appendix).

This test included 20 multiple choice questions based on a nonfiction article and a poem, along

with an essay that asked students to include references to both texts. It was a prime opportunity


to gauge whether the reading strategies we had been working on a whole class - using graphic

organizers and close reading passages - had been effective. Unfortunately, this student only

answered 6 of 20 questions correctly, well below the class average (72%) and scored a 0/10 on

her essay. Her essay did not reference the specific points from either passage, and she included a

seemingly out out of place mention of war. It is clear she is struggling with reading

comprehension even though she has no difficulty reading plays and other material aloud in class.

My cooperating teacher said she had discussed this student with a Global Studies teacher and he

had concluded that “it makes sense coming out but not going in” - meaning something is being

jumbled in her brain when she tries to process information.

For Students B and C, the post-assessment I chose was their final essay on Oedipus the

King. In both cases, I had already reviewed their rough drafts in detail, and would be in position

to note whether they have improved in the areas I had highlighted for them. Thankfully, the

results with these two students were more promising than the case study results above with

Student A. Student B made some incremental progress on his Oedipus essay as compared to

Perks. For example, he included some analysis of Oedipus’ character development: “Oedipus

started from the top and ended up not having anything. Oedipus lost everything he had in his life

he lost his power, his sight, his wife, and his children.” While this is technically a run-on

sentence, it shows that he is looking at how the main character evolves through the course of the

story, and connecting that analysis to his thesis. There are still opportunities for further

development in this essay. For example, he ends one paragraph with a quote that does not

smoothly transition to the next paragraph. We had discussed in class the importance of

explaining quotes and not just inserting them to meet the requirement. Also, this student still


needs additional help with word choice. In the conclusion, he says, “Oedipus abused his power

so it ended up coming back and biting him in his own butt.” This is funny and true, and speaks to

this student’s personality, but it does not belong in this type of essay.

Student C was able to refine his writing from the first draft. The points of emphasis were

to refine his thesis, dig deeper with analyzing examples, and to end with more punch. I think he

was able to accomplish these goals on the final product. He made the thesis more direct and

concise: “In the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, the characters find themselves in

uncontrollable circumstances and act with their free will.” He provides a solid interpretation of

the critical lens quote and connects it to the story. For deeper analysis, he provides a relevant

quote (which was not included in the rough draft) and then provides commentary on what this

quote shows about Oedipus: “…which reveals how cowardly, pathetic, and foolish Oedipus is.”

He also ends the essay with a thought-provoking “text-to-world” connection: “His story shows

that in the grand scheme we are fully responsible for our outcome, and even the slightest

decision could have a life-changing effect.”

Conclusion

Next steps: For Student A, the IEP offering extra time is not enough. The school had

made some efforts to contact her parents and will hopefully get her the help she urgently needs.

In the meantime, I have made an effort to be very encouraging when we talk before class. She

always comes up to me and my cooperating teacher to ask how our day is going, and she will

often say that she is trying to take her time and really study for tests in other subjects. I always

encourage her and remind her to try her best. We have also continued to focus on reading

comprehension strategies in class (close reading, annotation, graphic organizers, etc.), some of


which will hopefully benefit this student. For Student B and C, the next steps are similar. We are

currently working on a new essay and I will try to work individually with these students again if

possible. After reviewing their writing from start to finish, I now have some specific areas that I

can focus on with them. For instance, Student B needs to proofread and work on word selection.

Student C needs to just refine his writing and take his analysis to the next level. Despite some

incremental progress on the last essay, they can both continue to improve and grow as writers.

We are again taking students through the writing process in class, albeit with less class time than

the previous essay. This time students will create an outline that asks them to provide examples

and analysis. This should help both of these writers.

Reflection: This experience has been helpful in growing as a teacher, as I have learned

several important lessons about effective pedagogical strategies. First, I learned that individual

attention is probably the most beneficial way to ensure students are making progress and to find

gaps in their learning process. My experience in working 1:1 with Student B, and reviewing

Student C’s draft provided a level of detail and connection that I would not have achieved

through whole class instruction. However, I am responsible for almost 70 students and there is

just not enough time to provide individual attention to each one. Also, some students are

unwilling to come to tutoring after school and some might just ignore comments on an essay

draft. That is the reality of being a teacher with large class sizes and diverse student backgrounds

and proficiency levels. Second, this experience was encouraging because it reinforced that most

students want to do well, even if some are reluctant to show it. These three students all wanted to

succeed. Even Student A, who might have some kind of serious learning disability, retained a

positive attitude and will always give it a shot. She will not give up, and that makes me hopeful


about other students who are struggling even though they do not face the same type of

challenges. Third, this exercise taught me the value of collaboration with other teachers. For

example, I may have overlooked a student like Student C who was shy in class, but my

cooperating teacher gave me a heads up. Also, discussing the challenges our students face in

reading comprehension with other teachers on the 9th grade English team was a good experience.

The discussion helped me realize it is a widespread problem and I came away with tips on how

to address that issue going forward. It was the impetus for creating the graphic organizer we used

to analyze characters in A Raisin in the Sun. Finally, it was an opportunity to put theory into

practice. We have read much about effective teaching strategies in graduate school classes, so it

is interesting to have the chance to try them out and see what works and why.


References

Bergmann, L. (2008). Writing centers and cross-curricular literacy programs as models for

faculty development. Pedagogy, 8 (3).3, 525.

Christensen, L. (2009). Teaching for joy and justice. Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools. 122.

Hattie, J. et al. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77 (1), 82.

Lent, R. (2009). Literacy for real. New York: Teachers College Press, 81.

McMillan, J. (2003). Understanding and improving teachers’ classroom assessment decision

making. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, Winter, 38.


Appendix AEssay Assignments

1. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

The Task: Using the characters from The Perks of Being a Wallflower to build your argument,discuss how unresolved conflicts lead to self-destruction, dysfunctional relationships, and cyclesof abuse.

Guidelines:• Begin with a strong introduction that has a clear thesis and includes the title & author of

the book you will refer to.● Develop three body paragraphs with specific and relevant textual evidence.● Incorporate two quotes from the text as supporting evidence and cite them properly● End with a conclusion that re-states your thesis and summarizes your thoughts.● Follow the rules of grammar discussed in class.

Format:● Your essay must be typed. Your font must be size 12, times new roman.● Staple your essay pages with only your name and class period at the top.

2. OEDIPUS THE KING

The Task: Write an essay in which you prove your thoughts on the statement below and use the protagonist from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King to build your argument.

“Circumstances are beyond the control of man; but his conduct is in his own power.”

— Benjamin DisraeliGuidelines:• Begin with an introduction that includes a strong thesis. Include the title & author of the

text you will refer to in your essay.

• Prove your thesis by developing three body paragraphs with relevant and specific details.

• Include two quotes from the story and cite them properly.

• Include and explain one example of author’s craft. It should build on your ideas within that particular paragraph.

• End with a conclusion that re-states your thesis and summarizes your key points.

Format:


Your essay must be typed – Size 12, Times New Roman Font.

Double-space your essay.

1” Margins all around.

No Title Page – just your name & class period in the corner.


Appendix B Essay Rubric

4 3 2 1INTRODUCTION The introduction is at

least 4 sentences and is engaging. The thesis is clear. Writer includes title and author.

The introduction is at least 4 sentences. The thesis is clear. Writer includes title and author.

The introduction is too short or the thesis is not clear. The title and author may be missing.

There is no introduction.

DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EVIDENCE

ESSAY MUST HAVE 3 BODY PARAGRAPHS

Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that supports the thesis. All the details are specific and relevant. This includes author’s craft and quotes.

Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that supports the thesis. The majority of details are specific and relevant. This includes the author’s craft and quotes.

The topic sentences are not clear. Only some of the details are specific and relevant. This includes author’s craft and quotes.

There are not enough body paragraphs OR topic sentences do not support the thesis and not enough relevant details, including (author’s craft and/or quotes.)

ORGANIZATION

The body paragraphs are in logical/chronological order AND the details in each paragraph are in order. Writer does not repeat him/her self.

The body paragraphs are in logical/chronological order AND the majority of details in each paragraph are in order. Writer does not repeat him/herself.

The body paragraphs are not in logical or chronological order. Many of the details in the paragraphs are not in order and the writer repeats him/herself frequently.

The body paragraphs and the details in them are not in any order.

CONCLUSION Conclusion restates key points and ends with thought provoking statement.

Conclusion restates key points.

Conclusion does not restate key points.

There is no conclusion.

GRAMMAR Essay has no fragments, no run-on sentences, no contractions, and does not use colloquial language.

Essay has very few fragments/run-on sentences, contractions, and very little colloquial language.

Essay has a significant amount of fragments/run-on sentences, contractions, and much colloquial language.

Essay is full of fragments, run-on sentences, contractions, and colloquial language.

_____ = _______ ->>> YOUR GRADE 20 100


Appendix CPre-Assessment Student Work Samples








Appendix D Post-Assessment Student Work Samples





Appendix E Student A Post-Assessment Test

(QUESTIONS MARKED CORRECTLY ARE BOLDED)

Directions: Read each passage and answer the multiple choice questions. Select the best answer and record it on the scantron. Then, answer the writing prompt on loose-leaf paper.

Read “New York City and the Genius of Immigrant Assimilation” and answer questions 1-10.

1) What does the word, renowned, in line 13 most likely mean?(a) Well known for (b) Considered for (c) Excluded for (d) Honored for

2) What does 12% in line 24 refer to?(a) The number of different cultures in New York City.(b) The number of diverse neighborhoods in New York City.(c) The maximum percent of any immigrant group in New York City.(d) The growth rate of different immigrant groups in New York City.

3) What does the word, homogenized, in line 35 most likely mean?(a) Diverse (b) Uniform (c) Unique (d) Different

4) According to lines 5-10, what might one infer about the city of Atlanta?(a) It is home to many prejudiced Americans.(b) The majority of its residents speak English at home.(c) It is on its way to becoming a very diverse city.(d) The immigrant experience in Atlanta is like that of New York City.

5) Author’s Craft: What purpose does line 11 serve in this article?(a) It sends a subtle message to John Rocker.(b) It introduces the focus of the next six paragraphs.(c) It transitions the writer from the first part of the article to the second part.(d) Both B and C.

6) According to lines 20-21, what percentage of recently arrived foreign-born children speak English if they are currently living outside of New York City?(a) 40% (b) 60% (c) 45% (d) 36%

7) According to lines 22-30, what makes it easier for immigrants to assimilate in NYC?(a) Limited job opportunities force them to attempt various professions where they learn the language.(b) People must share experiences as they head out to work or shop.(c) There are many cultural groups in this city so New Yorkers are less judgmental.(d) There are so many cultural groups that there is a competitive spirit when it comes to assimilation.

8) What might one infer from lines 31-37 about the experiences of immigrants outside New York City?(a) They are strongly disliked.(b) They refuse to assimilate.


(c) They are too isolated to assimilate.(d) They simply fear assimilation.

9) According to lines 38-43, how do official policies play a role in assimilation?(a) They often discriminate, making it more difficult for some groups of immigrants than others.(b) They provide legal advocates who are highly knowledgeable in these processes.(c) They make obtaining citizenship a more difficult and complex process.(d) They limit immigrants’ power if they live in New York City because the city already has many immigrants.

10) What is the main idea of this article?(a) The immigrant population in Atlanta is growing.(b) There are many immigrants in New York City.(c) The many immigrants in New York City are quicker to assimilate.(d) The residents of New York City celebrate diversity.

Read “All-American Girl” and answer questions 11-17.

11) What did the speaker attempt to do in lines 1-4?(a) Change her outside appearance to look more American.(b) Conceal her accent to sound more American.(c) To look and sound more American.(d) None of the above; she was determined to preserve her culture.

12) According to lines 4-10, what did the speaker fear she would not be able to do?(a) Pronounce words that deal with emotion.(b) Express her true feelings using English words.(c) Preserve the beauty of her native language.(d) Hide her true feelings when she looked at people.

13) What does the word, genuine, in line 11 most likely mean?(a) Sincere (b) Strong (c) Angry (d) Grateful

14) What can we infer about the speaker based on lines 19-20?(a) She disliked the English language.(b) She was resistant to assimilate into American culture.(c) Expressing herself in two languages was a challenge.(d) She wished to return to her life before she became an American.

15) What literary device is the writer using in line 21?(a) Symbolism (b) Metaphor (c) Motif (d) Simile

16) What is the main idea of the third stanza?(a) The speaker learned the English language but remained connected to her native language.(b) The speaker refused to be an American after so many years.(c) The speaker knew she was an American when she finally lost her accent.(d) The speaker takes pride in being a very emotional person.

17) What does the phrase, all-American, refer to?(a) The speaker’s battle between two cultures.(b) The speaker’s acceptance of the two cultures.


(c) The speaker’s need to choose between two cultures.(d) The speaker’s decision to assimilate all of herself into American culture.

Refer to both passages for questions 18-20.

18) What idea do both passages support?(a) People often try to change their appearance in order to assimilate.(b) Assimilation can be challenging.(c) Assimilation is easier in certain cities.(d) Assimilation does not mean giving up one’s entire culture.

19) How do the two passages support one another’s message?(a) The article tells a personal story while the poem provides general information and data.(b) They both speak to individual experiences faced by immigrants.(c) They are both filled with general information and data about immigrant experiences.(d) The article explores the general information and data about immigrant experiences, while the poem tells a personal story of assimilation.

20) Which of the statements below can be supported with evidence from both passages?(a) It is not possible to assimilate into a new culture and still preserve your own culture.(b) It is possible to assimilate into a new culture and still preserve your own culture.(c) Only large cities allow one to truly assimilate.(d) The most difficult part of assimilation is learning a new language.


Appendix FCharacter Diagram
