TTP 2018 Writing Week 1

Welcome to the next stage in the evolution of your English writing skills.

Introduction (5)

Now for something completely different.

What is good writing? (10)

The answer to that question is in this slide show. 

Hypothesis Analysis 

Part 1. Overview: Hypothesis Sentence Pattern (10)

A hypothesis is a sentence which shows us how two different things are connected. There are many ways to write a hypothesis.

This lesson focuses on one sentence pattern because it is easy to understand and use.

1. the more this, the more that
2. the more this, the less that
3. the less this, the more that
4. the less this, the less that

Here are some examples:

1. The more water a plant gets, the faster the plant will grow.
2. The more I study, the more I learn.
3. The richer the country, the more waste is produced.
4. The hotter the temperature, the more ice cream people buy.

In each of these examples, answer these questions:

• What are the two variables?
• How can we measure those variables?
• How are the variables connected?
• Are these claims accurate?

Part 2. Practice (10)

Open this pdf file and look at the chart.

1. Summarize the chart data by writing one hypothesis sentence that connects two things that seem to change.
2. Do you think the assertion is true?

Part 3. Even More Practice (10)

Look at these images. Construct one hypothesis per chart.

• Picture 1
• Picture 2
• Picture 3
• Picture 4
• Picture 5

Check this file to few the graphs and show some possible answers.

Part 4: World History Video Summary (20-40 minutes)

This video shows the history of Earth. 200 years of change in 4 minutes. It is a unique presentation that will help build your students’ vocabulary and listening skills. The video is also a good example of telling a great story with hypothesis sentences.

Step 1. Watch the video one time.

Step 2. Make notes and answer these questions with a partner.

• What is the variable for each axis on the graph?
• How is each variable counted or measured?
• Write one hypothesis sentence using the data from the video.

Writing Assignment

Write a 1-2 page report. The report should have 2 main parts: a summary and an analysis.

Summary

• start with question and introduce the topic (inquiry method)
• clearly describe the proposed hypothesis
• define all key terms (an excellent tip for all writing assignments)
• no need for opinion, speculation or guessing here

Analysis

Do you think the hypothesis is accurate?

• Identify and describe at least two causes that would explain why this connection is true. Provide some detail.
• Speculate about at least two possible effects of this connection.

Optional Step: Vocabulary Preview

Depending on the needs of your class, it might be a good idea to preview some vocabulary before students watch the video. Here are some words and phrases critical to video comprehension.

1. life expectancy
2. wealth
3. income per person
4. Middle East
5. population
6. industrial revolution
7. Great Depression
8. to catch up
9. colony
10. inequalities
11. provinces