• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Adding, deleting and revising for purpose; Command of evidence (SAT/ACT)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. A report on volcano safety says: "People living near volcanoes should know their evacuation routes." The writer wants to support this with a specific example. Which sentence best achieves this goal? (Some volcanoes are dormant. / In 1991, early evacuation saved thousands of lives near Mount Pinatubo. / Lava is extremely hot. / Volcanoes can be found on every continent.) → In 1991, early evacuation saved thousands of lives near Mount Pinatubo.Prompt: What is the paragraph's main focus or the writer's stated goal?
2. A historian argues that the canal transformed the town's economy. A: The canal was 12 miles long. B: Construction began in a rainy spring. C: Within ten years of its opening, the number of mills in the town tripled. D: The canal was later used for leisure boating. Which finding would most directly support the argument? (A / B / C / D) → CPrompt: First decide what the answer to the question is.
3. A writer wants to conclude a paragraph about the benefits of cycling to school by emphasising its environmental impact. Which sentence best achieves this goal? (Bicycles were invented in the nineteenth century. / Cycling helmets come in many sizes. / Many pupils enjoy cycling with friends. / Every journey made by bike instead of car keeps exhaust fumes out of the air we all breathe.) → Every journey made by bike instead of car keeps exhaust fumes out of the air we all breathe.Prompt: What is the paragraph's main focus or the writer's stated goal?

• Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
• Share the objective: Rhetorical synthesis (SAT). Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Notes: • In 2010, Riverton had 12 km of bike lanes. • By 2020, it had 85 km. • Over the same period, the number of daily cycling trips rose from 2,000 to 11,000. The student wants to present a possible link between infrastructure and cycling. Which choice most effectively uses the notes to accomplish this goal?
• Step 1: The right answer both uses accurate information from the notes and fulfils the stated goal.
• Step 2: So the answer is: As Riverton's bike lanes grew from 12 km to 85 km between 2010 and 2020, daily cycling trips rose from 2,000 to 11,000.
• Answer: As Riverton's bike lanes grew from 12 km to 85 km between 2010 and 2020, daily cycling trips rose from 2,000 to 11,000.
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Notes: • The novel was published in 1962. • It is set in a small coastal town. • It has been translated into 30 languages. • Critics praise its portrayal of grief. The student wants to introduce the novel to an audience unfamiliar with it. Which choice most effectively uses the notes to accomplish this goal? (Published in 1962 and translated into 30 languages, this novel set in a small coastal town is praised for its portrayal of grief. / The novel has been translated into 30 languages. / Critics praise the novel's portrayal of grief. / Small coastal towns appear in many novels.) → Published in 1962 and translated into 30 languages, this novel set in a small coastal town is praised for its portrayal of grief.Prompt: Reread the student's goal. What exactly must the sentence do?
2. Notes: • Mary Anning (1799–1847) was a fossil collector in Lyme Regis, England. • She discovered the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton. • As a woman, she was not allowed to join the Geological Society of London. The student wants to highlight the obstacles Anning faced. Which choice most effectively uses the notes to accomplish this goal? (Despite her important discoveries, Mary Anning was barred from the Geological Society of London because she was a woman. / Lyme Regis is in England and is known for fossils. / Mary Anning discovered the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton. / Mary Anning lived in Lyme Regis from 1799 to 1847.) → Despite her important discoveries, Mary Anning was barred from the Geological Society of London because she was a woman.Prompt: Reread the student's goal. What exactly must the sentence do?

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 5 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Notes: • Axolotls are salamanders native to lakes near Mexico City. • They can regrow lost limbs, parts of their heart and even parts of their brain. • Scientists study them to learn about tissue regeneration. The student wants to explain why scientists are interested in axolotls. Which choice most effectively uses the notes to accomplish this goal? (Many animals, including axolotls, are salamanders. / Axolotls live in lakes, and scientists live in cities. / Because axolotls can regrow limbs and even parts of their brain, scientists study them to understand tissue regeneration. / Axolotls are salamanders native to lakes near Mexico City.) → Because axolotls can regrow limbs and even parts of their brain, scientists study them to understand tissue regeneration.Prompt: Reread the student's goal. What exactly must the sentence do?
2. Notes: • Mary Anning (1799–1847) was a fossil collector in Lyme Regis, England. • She discovered the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton. • As a woman, she was not allowed to join the Geological Society of London. The student wants to highlight the obstacles Anning faced. Which choice most effectively uses the notes to accomplish this goal? (Mary Anning discovered the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton. / Mary Anning lived in Lyme Regis from 1799 to 1847. / Despite her important discoveries, Mary Anning was barred from the Geological Society of London because she was a woman. / Lyme Regis is in England and is known for fossils.) → Despite her important discoveries, Mary Anning was barred from the Geological Society of London because she was a woman.Prompt: Reread the student's goal. What exactly must the sentence do?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-11.