Reading Rhetorically— Rodriguez, “10 Rules for Going to College When Nobody Really Expected You To”

Schlank, “Not Going to College is a Viable Option”

“Why Go to College?”

“The 10 Most Common Excuses for Not Going to College and Why They’re All Wrong”

The activities in this stage of the module signal a shift in focus and emphasis. In addition to the kind of self-assessing, identification, and generative qualities in the first part of the module, you will now be moving to a focus that requires you to notice and process concrete information about your plans and draw conclusions about your own readiness for life after high school as it relates to the requirements and expectations of work or college communities.

Prereading

• Surveying the Texts—Making Predictions

You will be reading four pieces that address decisions about whether to start working or go to college. In preparation for reading, survey each text and make predictions about the value of each in terms of the usefulness of the information it provides. Address the following questions, making marginal notes by each of the pieces:

What kind of information do you think the article will provide?

What value do you think the article will have in relation to your own needs?

What do you think is the purpose of the article?

Who do you think is the intended audience for the article?

What do you think the writer wants you to do or believe?

How accurate or reliable do you think the information presented is?

Reading

• First Reading—Reading for Understanding

Read each of the texts. As you read, circle difficult or unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts and underline key words and ideas. Be sure you have identified the central points of each text. Make marginal notes that reflect your thinking about each text. Write out any questions you have as well.

After you have completed the first reading of all four texts, prepare a statement arguing for the usefulness of ONE of the texts. Use a modified FATt summary to contextualize the piece you are writing about, then give your reasoning, supported by evidence from the text and your own observations, for selecting the text you did.