The C and E in R.A.C.E.S.

Obj: Students will engage in a whole group discussion, think-pair share evaluation, and

individual evaluation of R.A.C.E.S. using L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.

Learning to Use and Explain Textual Evidence

Let’s talk Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones is a professor of archeology and

an adventurer. He goes out looking for artifacts (objects

from the past) that do two important things:1. To tell us about how a past civilization lived2. To show us that universal themes are woven throughout history (the stories of humanity).

What’s the point of studying Literature?

I’m so glad you asked.

When we study books that have been published in the past, we become historians or archeologists.

Essentially, we are digging through the pages to discover two important things:

1. Explore the world in which the author lived and wrote.

2. To unearth universal truths and themes given to us by the author.

Mrs. Ferchland, What does Indiana Jones have to do with English class?

A Wrinkle in Time was first published in 1963.

L’Engle’s style of writing, setting, and plot reflect the nature of life in 1960s.

Example: Calvin thinks Meg has “dream boat” eyes. He also references the word “dame.”

Example: Mr. Murray spends time studying in New Mexico, a place popular in the 1960s for extraterrestrial activity.

However, Meg Murray’s feelings of awkwardness and being an outsider are universal.

For Example

Oh, so much my young Padiwan.

All great histories begin with a question that needs to be answered. It is simply a matter of knowing how to answer it.

The R & A in the acronym are obvious: You need a thesis that answers the question.

The C means citation. You need to pull a QUOTE from the text to prove your point. Not a page number.

We’ll right back with a word from our sponsors…

So What Does R.A.C.E.S. Have to Do With It?

Today’s Lecture is brought to you by the Association for the Removal of Quote Bombs.

Don’t Let A Good Essay Blow Up On YOU!

A Word From Our Sponsors…

You need to explain your quote.

This is called interacting with the quote.

You must explain why you used the quote that you did, and why it pertains to the question you have been asked.

An Easy Trick: Always start the next sentence after your quote with, “ This quote suggests that….” Then, explain what the quote is implying.

The E in R.A. C. E. S.

The E in R.A.C.E. S. is often the hardest part. Let’s break it down.

Question: Describe How Meg Murray feels about herself in chapter one of A Wrinkle in Time.

Answer: Within A Wrinkle in Time, Meg Murray often feels she is unlike any of her family. On page 6 she says to her kitten, “Just be glad you’re a kitten and not a monster like me” (L’Engle). This quote from Meg suggests that she sees herself as disliked, inhuman creature, rather than a high school girl.

An Example of Explaining a Quote

Now, let’s look at two answers using the same question as the previous slide.

Worksheet

Question: Describe How Meg Murray feels about herself in chapter one of A Wrinkle in Time.

How About Them Apples…

Meg Murray feels different than her family. She gets in trouble in school, and her teachers don’t like her. She also gets into fights because of her baby brother, Charles-Wallace. Pg. 6

Okay. What did you think of this response?Did it tell us anything about:1. The culture in which the author built their

story?2. Any universal themes that may relate to us

today?

Answer One

Within A Wrinkle in Time, Meg Murray often feels she is the odd member of her family. One example of this would be the difference between herself and the twins, Sandy and Dennis (R/A). On pages 4-7 , Meg notes that she had been “dropped down to the lowest section in her grade,” while the twins, “weren’t great students, but they weren’t bad ones, either. They were perfectly content with a succession of B’s and the occasional A or C” (C). This quote suggests that Meg constantly compares herself to her family members, labeling them as normal while she finds herself an outsider (E). Additionally, on page 6, Meg says to her kitten, “Just be glad you’re a kitten and not a monster like me” (L’Engle) (C). This quote from Meg suggests that she sees herself as a disliked, inhuman creature, rather than a high school girl (E). It is from these examples that we see that Meg Murray views herself as very different from her family (S).

Answer Two

A lot of work, you say? Tough cookies; this is what I expect from you.

Which response is better or worse? Why?

What was better about it?

What stood out (other than my color coding)?

If you were grading these two responses, what would you score them from 1 to 4? (1 is the lowest) Why did you score each answer the way you did?

Think-Pair -Share

On your own, I would like you to complete question ONE in your chapter four discussion questions.

Question: Why does Mrs. Who like to quote? Do you think it is an effective way to communicate with the children? Why or why not?

I would like you to highlight, each part of R.A.C.E.S. with a different color.

Then, we will get back into pairs and evaluate our answer, using the 1-4 scale.

Practice

Harry’s life with the Dursleys is pretty bad. They are mean to him and say a lot of bad things. Dudley gets a lot more things than Harry does. Harry sleeps in a hole under the stairs. They are not very nice people and don’t like Harry.

Okay. What did you think of this response?Did it tell us anything about:1. The culture in which the author built

their story?2. Any universal themes that may relate to

us today?

Example Answer One

Harry’s life with the Dursleys is pretty miserable (R/A). One example of this would be Harry’s haircut. In the text it says, “Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn’t been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left to ‘hide that horrible scar (C).” Two things stand out in this quote. The first is that Aunt Petunia cares so little for Harry that she doesn’t even find a proper barber for him, and secondly, she uses kitchen scissors to cut his hair. Obviously, kitchen scissors are big and often clumsy. It is probably a fair assumption that Harry’s haircut is uneven and looks a lot like a child cut it (E). Another important point is Harry’s clothing. (continued on the next slide)

Example Answer Two

Not only is Harry humiliated by his hair, but he is also forced to wear Dudley’s clothes, which are “about four times bigger than he [is] (C).” Again, this shows that the Dursleys care so little that they give Harry large, worn out hand-me-downs despite the fact that he is (E), “small and skinny for his age.” Harry’s physical appearance aside, the Dursleys also blame him for situations that Harry cannot control, such as Mrs. Figg’s broken leg: “Bad news, Vernon,’ [ Aunt Petunia] said. ‘Mrs. Figg’s broken her leg. She can’t take [Harry].’ [Aunt Petunia] jerked her head in Harry’s direction (C).” Though it is not Harry’s fault for the broken leg, Aunt Petunia’s “jerk” response clearly suggests that Harry is somehow responsible (E). Ultimately, Harry is treated as though he is a random burden in the Dursley’s lives instead of a blood relative. These are just some of the reasons that Harry’s life at the Dursley’s is miserable (S).

Example Two Continued