0% found this document useful (0 votes)
8 views11 pages

Writing Controlling Idea Paragraphs

The document provides instruction on writing a controlling idea paragraph for the Regents exam, which requires students to compare two passages on a common topic and establish a controlling idea or thesis. A controlling idea is an observation about the topic that is evidenced by both passages. Students are given examples and tips for developing a controlling idea paragraph, such as identifying the topic, turning it into a question, using specific examples from both passages, and discussing the effect of a single literary element.

Uploaded by

Brian Ostyn
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
8 views11 pages

Writing Controlling Idea Paragraphs

The document provides instruction on writing a controlling idea paragraph for the Regents exam, which requires students to compare two passages on a common topic and establish a controlling idea or thesis. A controlling idea is an observation about the topic that is evidenced by both passages. Students are given examples and tips for developing a controlling idea paragraph, such as identifying the topic, turning it into a question, using specific examples from both passages, and discussing the effect of a single literary element.

Uploaded by

Brian Ostyn
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Controlling Idea (Question 26)

Tuesday: Characterization
Wednesday: Imagery
Today: Controlling Ideas/
Question 26

On the Regents, you will be asked to


compare 2 texts to a common topic
and write a controlling idea
paragraph.
The directions say: Write a well-developed paragraph in
which you use ideas from passage 1 (excerpt) and passage 2 (poem) to
establish a controlling idea about (IDEA THEY GIVE YOU). Develop your
controlling idea using specific examples and details from both Passage I and
Passage II.

Establish = “show evidence for”.


What is it?

A controlling idea is the same as a


"thesis statement" of an essay.
It is a full-sentence observation about
the topic that is true of both passages
and could be true in the world as well.
Previous Topics
Relationships
Developing a skill
Parting (when people leave each other)
Work
Uncertainty
Possessions (things you own)
Creativity
Challenges
Example from Your Practice Regents
Controlling idea: developing a skill
Passage 1 (excerpt): Passage 2 (poem):
Yarn Spanish Lesson

“The result was slightly lopsided—one “My wife moves room to room, touching
sleeve was half an inch wider than the our humble belongings with a wand of
other around the elbow—but the arms new words—
looked more or less even once I put the the iron, the coffee pot, the radio—
sweater on. The small mistakes in a knitted making them notice themselves for the
garment disappear when the garment is on first time in years”
the body, where it belongs. That might
have been the most important thing I “calling out the new names for shampoo,
learned from my first sweater. …” for bath mat, toilet, and toothbrush”

“If, half way through the body or the sleeve,


I noticed the piece getting wider faster than
I’d expected, I simply stopped increasing What do these excerpts say to
stitches; if the piece looked too small, I
you about “developing a skill”?
increased more. It was just as Sabina had
told me: I could make things up as I went
along.
Today’s Schedule
LESSON Writing
9:10-9:30 Controlling Idea 11:05-11:20 Lesson: Mentor
Paragraph: reading for ideas
Texts
9:30-9:50 Activity Station: Question
26
11:20-11:50 Independent
Writing (USING MENTOR
Conferences
TEXTS)
9:50-10:00 Break*
11:50-12:00 Share/Clean Up
10:00-10:30 READING QUIZ
10:30-11:00 Independent Reading
and Annotating short stories and FIRST ASSIGNMENT DUE
mentor texts (for Imagery, TOMORROW: See Syllabus
Characterization, etc.) and Checklist
11:00-11:05 SHORT Break*

Breaks are dependent upon student behavior and acceptable use of time.*
Instructions for Reading Quiz
Read the passage.
Annotate for literary elements you’ve been learning about in
class, or on your own.
Answer the multiple choice.
On loose leaf paper, write a paragraph explaining the literary
element you found in the passage (you can use the Question
27 Graphic Organizer).
Writing Controlling Idea
Paragraphs

Question 26
Tips for Writing
First: Identify the topic. The Regents gives you the
topic. Check the directions for Question 26 to see
what your topic is.
Next: Turn the topic into a question, "What does
(Text 1) and (Text 2) both say/show/tell me about
___(the topic)___?"
Third: Your answer must use evidence from BOTH
texts.
Things to remember:
ONE passage.
ONE literary element/technique.
TWO examples from the passage.
Discuss the EFFECTS it creates (how the
literary element adds to the meaning).
5-8 sentences.

Common questions

Powered by AI

The structured timeline includes lessons on controlling ideas and independent practice, allowing students to steadily build their understanding and apply learning. This scaffolded approach fosters skill acquisition by balancing instruction, guided practice, and independent work, ultimately enhancing students' ability to develop coherent and analytical controlling idea paragraphs .

Annotating passages during a reading quiz encourages active engagement with the text, helping students to identify key literary elements and thematic insights. This process enhances comprehension and critical thinking, supporting a more in-depth understanding essential for developing coherent and evidence-backed controlling idea paragraphs .

Passage 1 illustrates that imperfections are an inherent and instructive part of skill development. The narrator's acceptance of knitting mistakes, which become negligible when worn, underscores the importance of adaptability and continuous learning, suggesting that skills evolve through practice and reflection on errors .

Imagery in 'Spanish Lesson' portrays everyday objects becoming animated as they are named in a new language, reflecting a newfound awareness and appreciation. This transformation symbolizes the cognitive and perceptual growth accompanying skill development, emphasizing the personal and enriching nature of acquiring new competencies .

A 'controlling idea' acts as the thesis statement that binds the analysis of two texts, encapsulating a theme or insight that both texts explore. It is a full-sentence observation drawn from both passages that relates to the given topic, demonstrating its relevance and truth both within the texts and beyond them .

The synergy of creativity and analytical thinking fosters the development of a nuanced controlling idea by allowing a writer to go beyond surface interpretations. Creative thinking enables the conceptualization of unique insights and connections, while analytical skills ground these ideas in evidence and logical reasoning, ensuring a compelling and supported argument in literary analysis .

In Passage 1, 'developing a skill' is depicted through the narrator's experience of knitting a sweater despite minor imperfections, suggesting that skill development involves learning from errors and adapting as one progresses . Passage 2 illustrates it through learning a new language, where the application of new words to everyday items demonstrates a transformative understanding, highlighting skill acquisition through practice and familiarization .

A graphic organizer helps structure thoughts by clearly outlining literary elements from the passages, organizing evidence, and visually assisting in linking examples to the controlling idea. It facilitates critical thinking and ensures comprehensive use of evidence from both texts to support the analytical thesis .

The document advises identifying the topic given in the Regents, framing it as a question about what both texts convey, and using specific evidence from each text to support this. Crafting the paragraph involves discussing how literary elements and examples from both passages illustrate the controlling idea .

Mentor texts serve as exemplars that highlight structural and stylistic elements, aiding students in understanding how to effectively express a controlling idea. They provide models for organization, language use, and thematic development, enabling students to emulate and adapt these techniques in their own writing .

You might also like