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Pre-Assessment
Name ____________________________________

Period ____________

PASSAGE 1:
What compels me to urge school districts to adopt uniforms are the data
Ive collected during the past three years in nine middle and high schools on Long
Island. In those schools, the girls report they spend as much as two-and-a-half
hours each day selecting their clothes and getting ready for school. These girls
describe great anxiety about their appearance, particularly their clothes, and report
harassment from both males and females about how they look. I long for a safe
space for girls that diminishes such pressure and anxiety. Schools that expect all
students to wear the same type of dress offer support to girls in their fragile
adolescent years.
I can identify the intended audience of an essay.
1. Who is the intended audience of the above passage?
a. School officials
b. Parents
c. Students
I can explain the purpose of an essay.
2. What is the purpose of the above passage?
a. To entertain the reader with a story about school uniforms
b. To inform the reader about school uniform policies
c. To persuade the reader to adopt school uniforms
I can distinguish between a logical appeal and an emotional appeal.
3. Does the above passage appeal to your emotional side or your logical side? Choose one.
Explain in AT LEAST ONE complete sentence.

I can construct arguable thesis statements.

4. Write a one-sentence thesis statement for the above passage. In other words, what do you think
the author is trying to say with this passage?

Pre-Assessment

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PASSAGE 2:
A paper-recycling program can help conserve our forestsforests filled
with vital oxygen-producing trees. By decreasing our demand for trees, we can
make a difference right here at our school. A ton of paper made from recycled
material saves approximately seventeen trees. We use about six tons of paper each
year at our school. If we recycled that paper, we could save over one hundred
trees a year.
I can identify the intended audience of an essay.
5. Who is the intended audience of the above passage?
a. Parents
b. Fellow students
c. Government officials
I can explain the purpose of an essay.
6. What is the purpose of the above passage?
a. To entertain the reader with a story about recycling
b. To persuade the reader to recycle
c. To inform the reader about recycling policies
I can distinguish between a logical appeal and an emotional appeal.
7. Does the above passage appeal to your emotional side or your logical side? Choose one.
Explain in AT LEAST ONE complete sentence.

I can construct arguable thesis statements.

8. Write a one-sentence thesis statement for the above passage. In other words, what do you think
the author is trying to say with this passage?

Pre-Assessment
PASSAGE 3:
There are many shows on television that have violence in them, such as
science fiction shows, morning talk shows, police shows, and some cartoon
programming. The problem is that many parents do not realize the negative effect
television violence might have on their children. I am convinced that every kid in
America has imitated a show that had violence in it at some point. I know I have.
Every day I see kids imitating violent programs on my way home. There are
always little kids running after each other playing cops and robbers, while singing
the theme song from the latest police or cartoon show. You cannot pass by one
elementary school playground without seeing kids hitting each other because they
are pretending to be characters from their favorite television shows.
I can identify the intended audience of an essay.
9. Who is the intended audience of the above passage?
a. Parents
b. Teachers
c. Little kids
I can explain the purpose of an essay.
10. What is the purpose of the above passage?
a. To persuade the reader to limit the violence on television
b. To entertain the reader with a story about violence on television
c. To inform the reader about the issue of violence on television
I can distinguish between a logical appeal and an emotional appeal.
11. Does the above passage appeal to your emotional side or your logical side? Choose one.
Explain in AT LEAST ONE complete sentence.

I can construct arguable thesis statements.

12. Write a one-sentence thesis statement for the above passage. In other words, what do you
think the author is trying to say with this passage?

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