>SPCOM 100A Outline Grading Sheet: (Revised 7-26-96) > >GOOD SOLID RESEARCH AND GREAT BASIC STRUCTURE. THE IMPLICIT IDEA AND LINK TO THE MAIN POINTS WORK TOGETHER WELL. 84 AS IS. REWRITE THE THESIS TO MAKE THE IDEA MORE OBVIOUS AND MEMORABLE... SEE EXAMPLE BELOW, AND MAKE THE LINK BACK TO THE PREVIEW AND ON THROUGH TO THE MAIN POINTS MORE DIRECTLY. TRY TO KEEP THE IDEA OF "PROBLEM" AS A THREAD THROUGHOUT. THAT WILL GET THE HIGH B. FOR THE A, LOOK AT THE NOTES ABOUT THE INTRO AND CLOSE, AND THE ONE LITTLE SUMMARY TRANSITION AT THE END. ALSO TRY TO GIVE THE AUDIENCE AT LEAST ONE PICTURE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE, FOR EACH MAIN POINT. GETTING THE GROUP TO STAND UP AND SHOW HOW MANY WOULD BE ILLITERATE IF THEY WERE TEENAGERS, ETC., SOMETHING TO MAKE IT CONCRETE. I'M SURE YOU'VE GOT THE IDEA. GOOD START. > > >INFORMATIVE Assignment > >Introduction-- >YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA HERE. MAKE IT INTO A BRIEF STORY. DESCRIBE SOMEONE WHO'S 35, HAS NO VISIBLE HANDICAP. YET THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE GO TO THE STORE WITH THEM. THEY CAN PUSH THE CART, THEY CAN SEE WHERE THEY'RE GOING, THEY CAN HANDLE THE GOODS AND PUT THEM IN THE CART. ETC. BUT THEY NEED SOMEONE TO HELP THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE HANDICAPPED....THEY CAN'T READ. SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO DRAW THEM INTO THE IMAGINED PICTURE, GET THEM TO EXPERIENCE IT. > >Make a connection with audience experience? > >Make use of hard evidence? (quote, example, stat.) >ADD A LITTLE OOMPH WITH A NUMBER, THE NO. OF ILLITERATE PEOPLE, ESTIMATES OF HOW MUCH IT COSTS US EACH YEAR IN INEFFICIENCY & MISTAKES, ETC. AND NAME THE SOURCE TO MAKE IT CREDIBLE. >Match the central idea? >OK. MATCHES YOU IMPLICIT THEME ABOUT ILLITERACY AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. >Make clean transition to Central Idea >MAKE THE LEADIN A LITTLE SMOOTHER. YOU DEFINE ILLITERACY...THEN SAY, "SO WHY SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T FUNCTION?" THESIS: BECAUSE ILLITERACY IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE UNITED STATES. > > >Central Idea/Thesis: > >Thesis stated simply in one sentence? >OK >A statement about the topic, not just a label? >STATE YOUR IDEA MORE DIRECTLY, AS IN MY EXAMPLE ABOVE. JUST SAY WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO REMEMBER.... THAT IT'S A PROBLEM >Highlighted by the organization plan? >OK > >Preview/Partition: > >List points as ideas or phrases, not just labels? >OK. YOU HAVE FULL SENTENCE IDEAS, BUT THEY DON'T MATCH DIRECTLY WITH THE MAIN POINTS BELOW. YOU SHOULD HAVE A SENTENCE OR PHRASE TO STATE EACH OF YOUR MAIN POINTS RIGHT HERE, AS A KIND OF GUIDEPOST TO THE LISTENER. IT CAN ALSO SERVE TO REPEAT THE IDEAS SO THE AUDIENCE HAS AN EASIER TIME REMEMBERING THEM. >STATE EACH POINT AS SOMETHING THAT SHOWS _HOW_ OR _WHY_ YOUR CENTRAL IDEA IS TRUE. SO EACH POINT SHOULD ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHY IS ILLITERACY A PROBLEM? > >ILLITERACY IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT AFFECTS SO MANY PEOPLE OF ALL AGE GROUPS. ILLITERACY IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT AFFECTS SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORK FORCE. >ILLITERACY IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT AFFECTS SO MANY PEOPLE OF ALL SOCIAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS. I, II, III. AND RESTATE THEM IN THE BODY AS POINTS I, II, & III JUST THAT SIMPLY AND IN JUST SUCH A STRAIGHTFORWARD MANNER. > >Main Points: > >Logical plan by time, space, categories, analogy, contrast, cause > & effect, or problem-solution? >OK. GOOD TOPICAL STRUCTURE. >Statements, not labels? >OK. JUST LINK THEM MORE DIRECTLY WITH THE KEYWORD, KEYIDEA OF THE CENTRAL IDEA.... IT'S A PROBLEM >Logical progression? (meaningful reason for the sequence of > points, first to last, west to east, etc.) >THE COOLEST PLANS HAVE A LOGICAL REASON FOR GOING FROM ONE POINT TO THE NEXT IN ORDER. YOU COULD ORGANIZE THE PIECE TO START WITH THE INDIVIDUAL, IT'S A PROBLEM FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN FUNCTION. MOVE TO A BIGGER LEVEL, IT'S A PROBLEM FOR BUSINESS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES. LARGER: IT'S A PROBLEM FOR THE WHOLE NATION. DON'T WORRY ABOUT CHANGING THAT, HOWEVER, YOUR BASIC BODY WORK IS FINE. >Internal previews, internal summaries, and signposts? >ADD A LITTLE SUMMARY AT THE END OF THE LAST MAIN POINT. SO ILLITERACY IS A PROBLEM ACROSS AGE GROUPS, IN BUSINESS, AND ALL ACROSS THE SOCIETY. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. > >Supporting Material: > >"Hard" evidence; quotes, examples, statistics, etc.? >YOU HAVE THE BEST HARD MATERIAL OF ANY I'VE SEEN, JEN. VERY GOOD. >Support made visible or graphically clear? >WORK ON THIS ONE. TO SUMMARIZE THAT HALF THE PEOPLE HAVE READING PROBLEMS IS GOOD. BUT PUT IT INTO A PICTURE SOMEHOW. SO HALF OF THE DRIVERS YOU SEE COMING DOWN THE ROAD MAY HAVE TROUBLE READING THE SIGNS. THE PERSON WHO MUST READ DIRECTIONS FOR A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AT WORK MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT SAFELY BECAUSE HE CAN'T READ THE "WARNING" ABOUT DANGEROUS MISTAKES. ETC. >Support relevant to central point? >GREAT. >Does the bibliography list six sources? >LOOKS LIKE GOOD CREDIBLE SOURCE WORK. >Are sources for evidence noted by name or number? >GREAT. >Are sources highly credible? >YES >Are copies or descriptions of visual aids attached? >NO AVS, RIGHT?. > >Conclusion: > >Make connection with or give an audience experience? >AGAIN, MAKE UP A STORY, GIVE THEM ANOTHER HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION. SOMETHING TO MAKE A PICTURE OF THE PROBLEMS ILLITERACY CAN BRING TO ALL OF US. >Make use of hard evidence? (quote, example, stat.) >QUOTE AN EXPERT, OR BARBARA BUSH, TO RESTATE THE IDEA OF ILLITERACY AS A PROBLEM. >Match the central idea? >OK >Close with a sense of finality? >MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE DRAMATIC, SOMETHING TO STICK WITH THE AUDIENCE. "AS WE RUSH HEADLONG INTO THE TECHNOLOGICAL FUTURE, AND JOBS DEPEND MORE AND MORE ON THE ABILITY TO HANDLE COMPLEX NEW MACHINES AND COMPUTERS, ILLITERATE COUNTRIES WILL BE LEFT BEHIND IN THE RACE TOWARD PROSPERITY. SO ILLITERACY IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN AFFORD TO FORGET; IT'S A PROBLEM THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY." > > >>SpCom 100 > >>Introduction: Imagine you're 35 years old and you still need to be escorted >>to the grocery store. This is not an act that is completely foreign to >>people in our country. All over America there are people who can not manage >>to do many of the simplest things in life. These people can't fill out job >>applications, follow written instructions, or read a newspaper. They are >>illiterate. Illiteracy is the lack of certain reading writing, speaking, >>listening, and mathematical skills that are necessary to solve problems >>common to daily life. This leads me to what I want to tell you about today. >> >>Central Idea: I want to talk to you about illiteracy and the problems it is >>creating in our country. >> >>Partition: First, illiteracy is not a problem that centers around one group >>of American people. It affects adults and teenagers of all races and all >>walks of life. There are many steps being taken to battle illiteracy and to >>prevent it from becoming an even greater threat. >> >>I. People of all age groups are affected by illiteracy. >>A. The United States Department of Education gave a literacy test to >>random adults throughout the country.(2) >>1. The adults were placed into five levels of literacy in which level five >>was the most literate and one was the least.(2) >>a. 21 to 23 percent, which is equivalent to >>40 to 44 million adults, were placed into level one literacy standings.(2) >>b. 25 to 28 percent, which equals 50 million adults were placed into level >>two literacy standings.(2) >>2. This means that less than one half of the adults in this country are >>considered literate by the U.S. Department of Education. >>B. Our countries teenagers are also considered to be illiterate. > ^COUNTRY'S >>1. William Waidelich, a specialist at the Virginia State Department of >>Education, says that many teenagers "can not do simple calculations, >>understand written directions, or read road signs."(5) >>2. Many teenagers are leaving school without the knowledge and skills they >>will need later in life.(6) >> >>Transition: Age is not the only common ground for illiteracy in America's >>people. >> >>II. Illiteracy affects all classes of people, from the suburban, middle >>class to the people found in our prisons. >>A. In 1988 a survey of the literacy of employees of American Corporations >>was done by the Center of Public Resources.(5) >>1. 30 percent of the companies surveyed reported their secretaries had >>difficulties reading.(5) >>2. 50 percent reported that managers and supervisors were unable to hand in >>reports free from spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.(5) >>B. The illiteracy of common citizens is topped only by that of people in >>jails. Their illiteracy rate is 7 to 8 times higher than the national rate.(1) >>1. According to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of >>Corrections, one half of all adults in federal and state prisons cannot read >>or write at all.(3) >>2.U.S. Department of Education statistics show that almost 60 percent of >>prison inmates are illiterate and 85 percent of juvenile delinquents have >>problems reading.(3) >> >>Transition: As we have seen, anyone can be illiterate. There is not one set >>age or class that illiteracy is confined to. >> >>III. The literacy rate also changes between different races and different >>areas of the country. >>A. The majority of illiterate people live in suburban areas. >>1. A study done by the National Education Association shows that 51 percent >>of people living in small towns and suburban areas.(2) >>2. This study also showed that 41 percent of illiterate people live in urban >>areas.(2) >>3. The remaining 8 percent live in rural areas.(2) >>B. Whites are actually the most common illiterate Americans. >>1. The NEA, or National Education Association, reports that 41 percent of >>illiterate Americans are English speaking whites.(4) >>2. 22 percent of illiterate Americans are English speaking African Americans.(4) >>3. The NEA also found that 22 percent of illiterate Americans are Spanish >>speaking.(4) >>4. The remaining 15 percent are other non-English speaking Americans.(4) >> >>Conclusion: I think you can now understand just why illiteracy is such a >>problem in our country. It affects everyone, from the farmers in the >>Midwest to the CEO's of the most powerful companies. Illiteracy is often a >>problem that is thought only to occur in large cities but it is now easy to >>see just how close to home this "disease" can really strike. >> >> >> >>Works Cited >> >>1. Black, Steven. Inside Literacy. Riverina: Mark Brennan, >>Inc., 1990. >> >>2. "Facts on Literacy in America." Literacy Volunteers of >>America Fact Sheets. Online. Netscape. 22 July 1996. >> >>3. Harman, David. Illiteracy: A National Dilemma. New >>York: Cambridge Book Company, 1987. >> >>4. Kozol, Jonathan. Illiterate America. New York: Anchor >>Press/Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1985. >> >>5. Ollhoff, Barbara and William Waidelich. "Attacking >>Illiteracy." Vocational Education Journal. 3 (1989): 46. >> >>6. "What is illiteracy?" Literacy Council of Northern >>Virginia, Inc. Online. Netscape. 22 July 1996. >>