1. “They Say I
Say”
Writing Workshop

2. Quickwrite
Are good people good because they
choose to be, or are they good because
they don’t want to get caught doing bad
things? In other words, are good people
(like you) good because they have to be or
are they good because they want to be?

3. Reading Task
1. Read from The Republic by Plato.
2. Number each paragraph.
3. Underline claims—the sentences where
Plato states his position on good and
evil.

4. Purposeful Rereading
What is Plato doing in paragraphs 2 and 3?
Starting with a verb, write a brief statement
in the right-hand margin that explains what
Plato is doing in these paragraphs.
Begin with a verb like…
explaining… using…
describing… illustrating…
showing… arguing…

5. Argument Statement Exercise
Template
In the text_______________, (title of text)
___________________(author’s name)
__________(claims, argues, states, or some
other verb) that______________
_________________________________.

6. Add Evidence Analysis
In the text__________________, (title of text)
______________(author’s name)________
(claims, argues, states, or some other verb)
that_________________________________.
He (shares, illustrates, describes, or
some other verb) ______________________
in order to __________________. Plato’s
decision to use _______________________
is / (is not) effective because ______________.

7. Academic Performances
 At your tables, retrace the activities and
exercises that we did while reading
Plato’s The Republic. What did we do
first, second, third, etc. How often did we
engage in academic performances?

8. Reading Task
 Independently
read On Moral Education
by Horace Mann.
 Read the text once without marking or
highlighting . Readers do this to gain some
idea of what the text is about before
analyzing it.

9. Pair-share
What did you notice in the text?

10. Purposeful Rereading:
Marking the Text
Reread On Moral Education. While you reread:
• number the paragraphs;
• circle key terms;
• and underline author’s claims.
(Use a pencil: sometimes you change
your mind and want to erase.)

11. Pair-Share
 What did you circle as key terms?
 Whatdid you underline as the author’s
claims?

12. Table Talk
What is the problem Mann is posing?
What does he say should be done to solve
the problem?

13. Table Talk
What questions did you want to ask while
you were reading the text?

14. Argument Statement Exercise
Template
In the text_______________, (title of text)
___________________(author’s name)
__________(claims, argues, states, or some
other verb) that______________
_________________________________.

15. Table Discussion
Are people naturally
competitive or
cooperative?
It is important when responding to a
question like this to speak to be
understood and to speak with good
purpose.

16. Reading Task
 Independently read Leviathan by Thomas
Hobbes.
 As
you mark the text, refer back to the
“Marking the Text: Non-Fiction”

17. Pause, Connect, Quickwrite, a
nd the Share
Where in the text does Hobbes use terms like
“nature,” “power” and “equality”?
How do these terms connect to the
surrounding text? How are they used?

18. Writing Exercise:
Identifying an Author’s Central
Claim
Identify one claim in the text that could be
understood as Hobbes’ central claim. Write
a brief explanation as to why you think the
claim you have selected is indeed the
central claim.
Starter sentences:
In “Leviathan,” Hobbes claims that…
I believe this is his central claim because

19. Pair-Share
What is Hobbes doing in paragraph 5?
Does he make a claim? What is he doing
here?

20. Think-Pair-Share
Hobbes and Plato appear to agree on
man’s basic nature. Discuss their shared
view. How does each author suggest man’s
nature should be controlled?

21. Synthesizing Ideas from Two (or
more) Sources
 In academic writing, writers will use one text
to extend, clarify, illustrate, or complicate the
ideas found in another text.
 Although secondary students are taught to
compare and contrast, they are not
encouraged to use this schema (conceptual
pattern in the mind) in college.
 Synthesis requires writers to accurately
account for information and to show how this
information works with other source material.
Are students ready for this type of work?

22. Table Talk
Based on the prompt, how might we have
our students write about these two texts?
How can we support our students as they
learn how to synthesize ideas from two (or
more) sources?