SAY MEAN MATTER TABLE

SAY-MEAN-MATTER

Say-Mean-Matter is the name for a strategy that helps students question the text, search for deeper meanings, and make connections between text and their lives. It’s effective for all student levels from language learners to honors and AP students. It can be used with academic texts, with fiction, and with non-verbal material as well.

The strategy uses a three-column chart. This can be on an overhead, chart paper, chalkboard or whatever is handy. Once students have learned the method, they can quickly draw the graphic organizer and use it to find meaning and significance. SAY, MEAN, and MATTER are the 3 column titles on the chart.  When initially teaching the strategy, explain what each means using age-appropriate directions and suggestions.

SAY	MEAN	MATTER
What does the text say? What happened? Cite text (quotation) or paraphrase.	What does the author mean? How do I interpret this? Read “between the lines.”	Why does it matter to me or others? Why is this important? What is the significance? What are the implications?

  1.       For each item on the SAY list,  students write what they believe the statement means.   Ask questions, such as, “What makes you think that?” “How do you know that?”

  3.  The third column is the most abstract and may prove to be difficult at first.  . Ask yourself : “So what?” “What is the theme of the piece?” “How does this piece connect to your own life?” “What does it matter to you?”  Or, “What questions does this piece raise?”  “What implications does it hold for a given group of people, or for people in general?” In this column you find the meaning and depth of the piece.

  4.  Use the ideas recorded on the chart to create your thesis and body paragraphs. One way to do this is to start with a statement from the “MATTER” column as a topic or thesis statement, and then draw on the “SAY” and “MEAN” columns for supporting details. The first column provides “text proof,” (what the text says), while the second column provides student interpretation.

Week Seven ( Print by Tuesday class time for 100 points extra credit)

Day	Class Work	Homework
Monday Print weekly syllabus by Tuesday beginning of class time for 100 extra credit points	RE DO Exercise 14 with Colored Pens one paragraph at a time. Skip Lines For each quote your choose to use as back up for your thesis statement complete the following Table: Character What they said What does it mean Why does it matter	Evaluate your evidence using the Evidence and Identification Chart Find better evidence to support your thesis if needed. Then Complete Redo of exercise 14
Tuesday	Grammar Activity  (Editing your own writing) Sentence problems	Edit your draft Activity 21
Wednesday	Grammar Activity Sentence Problems	Edit your draft Activity 21 Bring edited draft in on your flash drive to Library today!
Thursday	Library Day Netiquette	Draft of Topic 2 for Senior Project Paper Due Monday 10/25
Friday	Library Day Submit your Final Draft Via Google Docs by end of class	Activity 22 Reflecting on Writing Read Three Ways to Persuade by John R. Edland for the GIST Answer the following questions in your readers/Writers Notebooks What is the article about? What is the issue/topic? Who is the Writer? What do we know about him? How do we know? Answer the questions for discussion in your Reader’s/Writer’s Notebooks Senior Project: Topic Three Due Monday 11/1

Week 6 Expository Comp

Day	Class Work	Homework
Monday Print weekly syllabus by Tuesday, October 19th beginning of class time for 100 extra credit points( No credit after that date. Remember to put your name on your paper.)	Activity  11 write summary and complete Peer response And Reading Circles/AIT Group work	Amnesty Catch Up day Complete any missing work Begin draft of Topic 2 for Senior Project Paper Due Monday 10/25
Tuesday	Activity 12 Reading Circles/AIT Group work Activity 14	Activity 13
Wednesday	Activity 15 Use brainstorming, informal outlines, quickwrites or webbing/clustering to arrive at your argument You may use these to write your essay.	Activity 16
Thursday Mr. Genut will be the guest teacher. School and class rules will be strictly enforced! Achieve the honorable!	Activity 17 Timed in class essay. Fully respond to the prompt in Activity 15. This first draft should reflect the writer’s best effort at creating a convincing argument.  The writer needs to write the essay using notes from the pre-writing process.  Staple your notes behind ( activities 15, and 16) your draft!	Draft of Topic 2 for Senior Project Paper Due Monday 10/25
Friday	Citation Maker Lesson Draft of Topic 2 for Senior Project Paper Due Monday 10/25	Draft of Topic 2 for Senior Project Paper Due Monday 10/25

Instructions for the Methodology Section

Review this link first:Writing the experimental report: methods, results, and discussion

The purpose of this section is to describe your research design and the method of data collection. You should tell the reader how you are doing your research and why you adopted these particular methods.

The methodology section should include:

1)    A general description of your participants – who, where, and when did the study take place - change names of cities and participants to protect privacy

Example: The study took place in a suburban area near a large southeastern city

Try to describe things that you think are important about the study.

2)    A description of the research design (quantitative or qualitative) procedures used and why you used them.

You should discuss whether your study addresses descriptive, relational, or causal questions.  

3)    A description of the instruments used and their reliability/validity (if possible).  The instruments include things like tests, surveys, and interviews (including a list of interview questions). Copies of the instruments themselves must be included as appendices of your Senior Project. Don't forget that you must have the copy of your Senior Project Consent Form Waiver and Release Form signed.  This form can be found in the Senior Project Survival Guide.

4)    A concept map ( graphic organizer/block diagram) that outlines your methodology and/or the data collection process is often very helpful to include for the reader. It may also help you plan your physical project!

5)    A brief description of how the results will be organized and presented.

The methodology section is often one of the shortest sections of a research paper. Try to be thorough but succinct. In this case, it may be completed 1 page ( 3 paragraphs) of writing( This does not include your questionnaire, interview, or survey questions, which must be attached on separate sheets of paper). 

Week 5 Syllabus ( Print for 100 bonus points)

Day	Class Work	Homework
Monday Print weekly syllabus by Tuesday, October 5th beginning of class time for 100 extra credit points	Activity 1 and 6	Activity 7   pp 42 Vocabulary Test on Wednesday on Activity 7 words Draft of Discussion of research methodology for your Senior Project due next Monday!
Tuesday	Activity 8	Study for Vocabulary Test on Activity 7 words.
Wednesday Mr. Genut will be the guest teacher. School and class rules will be strictly enforced! Achieve the honorable!	Vocabulary test on Activity 7 words (10 minutes) Sentence Fragments and Run-on exercises (30 minutes).	Activity 8 Complete any of the sentence fragment and run-on worksheets that you did not finish in class. The worksheets will count as part of your class work grade.
Thursday Grade window opens (first progress report marks are entered).	Activity 9 Reading Circles/AIT Group work Considering the Structure of the Text	Activity 10
Friday	Activity  11 Reading Circles/AIT Group work	Draft of Discussion of Research Methodology for your Senior Project due Monday!

Become a Follower of this Blog and get 100 Extra Credit Points

Get update notices sent via  Google Friend Connect

Work 4 Class Work and Homework ( Print weekly syllabus- Good for 100 extra Credit points Offer expires October 5 at beginning of class)

Day	Class Work	Homework
Monday Print weekly syllabus by Tuesday, October 5th beginning of class time for 100 extra credit points	Finish First Draft of Essay Begin second draft Notice: Any Senior whose Letter of Intent has not been accepted must meet with Dr. Cohen after school today.  If you are still having grammar and mechanics ( punctuation issues) please go to LACER. The Grade window opens on the 7th if you project has not been accepted you will get a failing mark! Also your 1 ½ page Introduction must have been turned in or you willing also get a failing mark!	1. Second Draft Persuasive Essay Due Tuesday 2.  Senior Project 1st Topic Body Paragraphs are due Monday October, 11th ( 1 page that follows your introduction).
Tuesday	Peer review of 2nd Drafts Using handout rubric rubric, Fast Food Essay rubric page 32, and Complete steps Activity 21 Revising the draft	Activity 22 And Use Rubric page 32 Final Draft due Check grammar and punctuation
Wednesday	Activity 23 Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination by Steven Greenhouse Unit 2 Activity 1 pp. 41	Unit 2 Activity 2 and 3 pp 41
Thursday Grade window opens( first progress report marks are entered) .	Activity 4 pp41	Activity  5 pp.42 Senior Project 1st Topic Body Paragraphs are due Monday
Friday	Activity 6  pp. 42	Activity 7   pp 42 Vocabulary Test on Monday on Activity 7 words  Senior Project 1st Topic Body Paragraphs are due Monday