Chapter 4

Writing a
Position Paper
 CHAPTER 4 – Writing a Position Paper
The Case for Short Words 138
Doubts about Doublespeak 140
The Other Side of E-mail 142
Women Talk Too Much 143
r u online? 144
Is Bad Language Unacceptable on TV 147
Good English and Bad 149
With These Words I Can Sell You Anything 152
The Great Global Warming Swindle 154
The Hazards of Industrial Agriculture 158
More Energy 159
Mahatma Gandhi’s Hunger Strike 161
I Have a Dream 163
Detecting Propaganda 165

136

A Position Paper
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 Every now and then, we find the need to take a stand on an issue. How do we defend
this stand? How do we convince others about the soundness of our position?
This section trains the students to write an effective position paper.

Guidelines for Writing the Position Paper

1. Values Communicated
a. Logical Thinking
b. Objective expression of ideas
c. Balanced assignments of conflicting opinions
2. Modes of Reasoning
a. Inductive
Inductive reasoning derives a generalization from specific examples and situations. Through an
organized presentation of factual evidence and proofs, the reader is convinced of the soundness
of the arguments that lead to a well-founded general conclusion.
b. Deductive
Deductive reasoning proceeds from a general statement that leads to particular or specific
inferences.
3. Qualities of a Convincing Position Paper
a. Contains a clear proposition or statement that must be defended.
b. Assesses conflicting opinions or opposing views on the issue.
c. Takes a firm stand on the issue.
d. Lists arguments in an organized manner to defend the stand.
e. Presents factual evidence or proofs to support each argument.

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 “The Case for Short Words”

Introduction
1. Inform the students that language is arbitrary, and writers choose words freely.
Many students think that their writing becomes more impressive when they use
highfalutin, ornate, polysyllabic words, and complicated syntax. Simple language and
have greater impact on the audience, according to some scholars.
2. Ask the students how they choose words when they write their compositions. Do they
use a dictionary or a thesaurus? What kind of words do they prefer?
3. Ask their bases for their reference.
4. Ask the students to comment on the following ending lines from the famous poem
“Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

“Made weak by time and fate But

strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and
not to yield.”

The same idea can be expressed through similar expressions:

Alternative Expression Original Text
weakened made weak
strong-willed strong in will
struggle strive
discover find
unyielding not to yield

Call their attention to the influence of rhythm (i.e., the succession of stressed and
unstressed syllables), brevity, and syntactic structures, specifically parallelism, or the poet’s
choice.
Give the class these last two lines of William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet XVIII”: Ask
them to react to these verses.

So long as men can breathe and eyes can see, So

long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

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 Lesson Proper
1. What is the proposition of this selection?
2. Ask the students to prepare a list of the reasons given in the selection for using
short words.
3. Encourage the students to express their stand on the issue of using short words
whenever possible.

Concluding Activity
1. Let the students express their initial position on one of the following issues:
a. School uniforms should no longer be required.
b. The Mother-Tongue-Based-Multilingual Education (MTBMLE) policy
should be implemented up to Grade 6.
2. Assign the students to look for evidence to support their position.
3. Ask the students to write a position paper. Tell them to mention the evidence they
found to support their reasons. Show them how to cite their sources properly.

139

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 “Doubts about Doublespeak”
Motivating Introduction
Ask the students if they have heard of people who work as “sanitation engineers” or
as “governesses.” Or they have probably encountered expressions such as “persons who are
chronologically advanced in age” or those who are “vertically or horizontally challenged.”
Do they know what these expressions mean?
Sanitation engineers may not have a college degree or formal training in engineering.
These people were once (or still are) referred to as “custodial workers” or “janitors” or even
“street cleaners.” Governess is a dignified term for a nanny. Senior citizens, the elderly, are
indeed advanced in age. People who are too short or too tall face a “challenge” in height.
“Informal settlers” squat on land that do not own. “Unconventional beauty” refers to the exact
opposite of beauty.

Tell the students to make a list of ten expressions similar to the ones given
above.
1. Ask the students what they think of these expressions.
2. Ask the students if they have used doublespeak at home or in school. Let them
cite examples.

Lesson Proper
1. Let the students read the selection. Tell them to outline it.
2. Ask the students:
a. What is doublespeak?
b. What are the uses of doublespeak?
c. What are the different kinds of doublespeak? Give some examples of each.
d. Does the author favor the use of doublespeak? Present the author’s
arguments for his position.

Concluding Activity
1. Let the students take a stand on the use of doublespeak and defend their position.
2. Make the students write an essay on the advantages/disadvantages of the use of
doublespeak.
3. Ask the students to search for speeches delivered by politicians on their
accomplishments while in office.
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 4. Tell the students to observe how people in government argue about different issues.
Advise the students to respond critically to the way people present arguments and
evidence to defend their position.

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 “The Other Side of E-mail”

Motivating Introduction
1. Find out from the students if they have an email or a Facebook account.
2. Ask them these questions:
a. What is the purpose of your e-mail? Why did you open an e-mail
account?
b. How many messages do you usually receive/send in one day?
c. Do these messages usually need immediate attention or action?
3. Let the students reflect on their need for the e-mail. Ask them how they took care of
their communication needs before the e-mail was invented.

Lesson Proper
1. Call the students’ attention to Par. 2, Sentence 2 which says: “Like all new media, e-
mail has a dark side.” What purpose does this sentence serve?
2. Make the class prepare an outline that will list down both the advantages and
disadvantages of the e-mail based on the arguments presented in the selection.
3. Ask the students if the author of this article totally rejects the e-mail.

Concluding Activity
1. Let the students assess their need for their e-mail or Facebook account.
2. Ask them to comment on the good and bad effects of e-mail and Facebook on their
own lives.
3. Share with your students your own experiences and some news accounts you have
read about some good and bad effects of e-mail and Facebook postings.

141

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 “Women Talk Too Much”

Motivating Introduction
1. Bring to class a sample manifesto on an issue concerning women and children (e.g.,
birth control or human reproduction, children’s welfare, women’s rights.)
2. Show your class how arguments are presented in the manifesto. Begin with the
statement of the stand on the issue. Enumerate the arguments to defend this stand.
Assess the effectiveness of each argument.

Use the following guide in assessing the document:

1. Is the proposition clearly stated? The proposition is the statement to be
explained or proved.
2. How are the arguments presented?
3. Do the arguments support the proposition effectively?
4. Are the arguments logical and convincing?
5. Do they contain emotional words?
6. Are these enough proofs to support each argument? Are the pieces of evidence
based on reliable data?
7. Are the arguments sufficient to prove the proposition?

Lesson Proper
1. Let the students read the selection. Call their attention to its structure. Do the
subheadings help in identifying the important ideas of this selection?
2. According to this article, what factors should be taken into consideration in
determining whether women or men talk too much?
3. Ask the students to comment on the following statement: “Talk is very highly valued
in western culture.”

Concluding Activity
1. The class can be encouraged to continue the discussion on “Who Talks More:
Women or Men?”
2. Make the students can observe what happens in their own homes, in school, in the
community.
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 3. Let them summarize factors that affect talk in Philippine context.

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 “r u online?”

Motivating Introduction

Ask the following questions:

1. Is the title appropriate? How does it catch attention? Does it attract one to read
on?
2. Compare how the writer begins and ends the article. How do they relate to each
other?
3. Are these effective ways to introduce and conclude essays? Why?
4. How are young people who use the language of the Net referred to? (keyboard
generation, Generation IM (instant messenger), wired teens)
5. How is the language of the Net referred to?
 teen slang
 evolving lexicon
 Net Lingo
 language of the keyboard generation
 lingo online
 writing to create speech
 typed communication in a new era of speed
 speed talking
6. Does the writer agree with those who think that Net lingo is language that meets the
young people’s “needs for self –expression,” as a “creative twist on dialogue,” and as
“a new harmless version of teen slang”? +Or does the writer side with those who
regard Net lingo as the “linguistic ruin of Generation IM”? Or does the essay sound
neutral?
7. Early on, does the writer describe Net lingo as the re-creation of language in one’s
own image, as teenagers have always done? How is this lingo being re-created?
(through the use of new acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons)

143

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 8. How else does the writer describe Net lingo? In what way is it a combination of
writing and speaking? (It is using writing to create speech; “typed communication in
a new era of speed.”)
9. Does the writer show the good and bad effects, the “double-edged consequence” of
Net lingo?
a. Shy boys become comfortable talking online with girls, but in school their
grammar suffers from abbreviated words and run-on sentences without periods.
b. Boys and girls can multitask, but they are easily distracted and have shorter
attention spans.
c. Net lingo, as the written slang of the young generation, assures them of “inness”
or of belonging to that group, but strangers within could bring trouble, although
the young are wary of them, and protect themselves by blocking subsequent
messages of undesirable online friends.
10. How does the essay become convincing and credible?
(through the use of interesting examples, statistics, and authorities)

Concluding Activities
Contextualized Activities and Practice Exercises
Assign the activity below which is appropriate for the student’s track:
1. Academic: Using Net lingo, write a short poem, paragraph, or lyrics to either a folk
or a modern song.
2. Art and Design: Draw a cartoon showing a younger person using Net lingo while
talking or writing to someone in the older generation.
3. Tech Voc: Invent new emoticons for Net lingo. Beside each, write the meaning of
the invented symbol.
4. Sports: Pretend you are a sports announcer and use Net lingo to describe a
basketball or volleyball game.
5. IT and IA: Think of or search for other abbreviations, acronyms, and emoticons not
mentioned in the article. Then, list these down and share them with the class.
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 Assessment Questions/Projects
Let the students rewrite paragraph 3 using the formal style.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

1. Review some ways of writing formally:
a. Spelling out words, instead of contracting and abbreviating them (e.g., it is
– not it’s; television – not TV)
b. Using objective, not colloquial words (e.g., wonderful – not awesome; many
– not lots of; children – not kids; men or boys -- not guys)
c. Speaking preferably in the third person, instead of first or second person
(except in business letters)

Reminder (Boxed Aide-Mémoire)

The writer assumes the position of neutrality by presenting both sides, but the
pervasiveness of an optimistic tone hints at a positive attitude to Net lingo.

Summary (Winding up with Reiteration of Points) Net

lingo has advantages and disadvantages.

145

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 “Is Bad Language Unacceptable on TV?”

Motivating Introduction
Show video clips of swearing in campaign speeches, movies, YouTube, rap songs,
etc.

Objectives
To list down the arguments for and against swearing on TV

Lesson Proper (word meanings/verbal matters, questions, explanations, illustrations examples, etc.)

Vocabulary
Watershed – the time (usually 9 P.M.-5:30 A.M.) when adult content or
material unsuitable for children (e.g., violence, foul language) may be aired on radio
and TV

Organizing Survey Data

Let the students classify the different positions in the article regarding the
acceptability of bad language on TV. To do this, tell them to draw two or more
columns with the headings “positive,” “negative,” “neutral,” etc. stands.
Next, tell them to enter under the proper column, the specific argument and
proponent.
Then, make them count how many total arguments there are in each column,
and enter the sum at the bottom.
Call on some students to announce the specific arguments and total figures.
Finally, make them reduce the number of items under each column by
putting together similar arguments and labeling them as to the kind of argument (e.g.,
religious, mental, social or peer pressure, literary, etc.) Allow for further
subcategorizations or even super categorizations.
Conclude the exercise by informing them that they have just done a
systematic classification of results, and have begun to do a scientific study involving
the process of taxonomy

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 Concluding Activities
Learning Activities and Practice Exercises
1. For all tracks, tell the students to enumerate two or more arguments in preparation for
a debate on one of the following:
a. whether bad language should be allowed on social media
b. whether text spelling should be allowed in academic writing on any current
political issue, such as federalism for the Philippines, the need for
Bangsamoro, etc.
2. Next, tell them to develop each argument in at least five sentences supporting the
argument with details, facts, figures, logical reasoning, etc.

Assessment Questions/Projects.
Call on some students to discuss some details, facts, figures, logical reasoning, etc.
that they used in writing their arguments.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Emphasize that each argument should be supported by facts, details, examples,
figures, reports, experiments, surveys, interviews, and other reliable data.

Reminder (boxed aide-mémoire)

Positions or arguments should be supported with facts, figures, logical reasoning,
data, reports, testimonials, etc.

Summary (winding up with reiteration of points)

Most adults do not accept bad language on TV, and would want an expletive- free TV
and environment for their children.

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 “Good English and Bad”

Motivating Introduction
Ask the students what part of English grammar or what English lesson they find
difficult. [Note their answers for a review of these specific grammar points at the end of the
lesson.]

Objectives
To illustrate good English and bad English as subjective or relative labels

Lesson Proper
(word meanings/verbal matters, questions, explanations, illustrations
examples, etc.)

Ask the following questions:

1. How does the title address the issue?
2. How does the writer introduce the essay? In what way are the verb, the sentence, and
the parts of speech in English grammar complex? Explain in what way the parts of
speech in English are notional.
3. Give one historical reason why English grammar has become complex. Also,
consider Smith, Wallis, Dryden, Defoe, Swift, and others, like U.S. President John
Adams, Cardinal Richelieu, and Johnson.
4. Does English, like French, have an Academy to resolve language matters? What role
is played by language authorities (e.g., the Fowler brothers, Sir Gowers, Bernstein,
Safire, and Lowth) and dictionaries (e.g., Webster’s Third New International,
American Heritage, and Random House) in the preservation of good English?
5. Is the writer for or against bad English? Consider his attitude towards change in
English rules on grammar and spelling.

148
Concluding Activities and Practice Exercises
Observing good grammar, make the students write any of the following that is
relevant to their respective tracks

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149

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 1. Academic: an essay arguing for the inclusion of certain words and grammatical
constructions as acceptable Philippine English
2. Art and Design: a justification for naming a certain work of art as the winner in an
art contest
3. Tech-Voc: a paragraph explaining the reasons for voting for sinigang, adobo, or
some other as the national dish, or for a certain delicacy as the national dessert; a
paragraph persuading people to work as a tour guide, hotel receptionist, bellhop, etc.
since it can be rewarding, financially and otherwise
4. Sports: a paragraph for a flier to persuade people about the effectiveness of some
gym equipment
5. IT and IA: a leaflet convincing the reader of the unique features of some hardware

Assessment Questions/Projects
1. Ask the students to explain each correction given after each of the eight sentences
listed in paragraph 4.

2. Recall grammar difficulties brought up by the students in the Motivating

Introduction, and discuss the relevant grammar rules.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Review rules on agreement in singular and plural number for the subject and the
predicate, the subjunctive mood, and grammar lessons needed to reinforce or clarify
their answers.

Reminder (boxed aide-mémoire)

It is difficult to label some words and sentences as good English or bad English, since
people -- be they language experts or ordinary everyday speakers -- do not always
agree on which is good or bad grammar.

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 Summary

Although one can resist change in language usage so as maintain understanding

and clarity (e.g., retaining the conventional spelling and meanings of certain
words like cat, elephant, etc.), it is arrogant and futile to halt language change,
since common usage is a stronger force than linguistic or academic authority in
dictating the fate of new words, spellings, and meanings in language, whose
nature it is to be fluid and democratic.

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 “With These Words I Can Sell You Anything”

Motivating Introduction
Tell the class to take out their newspaper or magazine advertisements which they
were assigned earlier to bring along with the article. Then, let some students show their
advertisement and say why they like it.

Objectives
To identify weasel words in advertising so as to become more critical readers of
misleading advertisements

Lesson Proper
Vocabulary
Read to the class the following definition:
A “parity claim” asserts that the advertiser's product or service is at least
equal in some or all respects to the product(s) or service(s) that are directly or
indirectly described or named in the ad. (Feb 6, 2005 Defending and Challenging
Advertising - Keller Heckman. )
https://www.khlaw.com/Files/3002_Leighton_DefendingAdvertising.pdf

Class Activity
Call a student to the board to write down the weasel words enumerated in the
article. Then, divide the class into two groups, so that each student in the first group
will show her/his advertisement to the entire class, while each student in the second
group will identify the weasel word(s). Next, let the two groups exchange roles.

Concluding Activities
Learning Activities and Practice Exercises
(Enhancement/ Writing Assignment)
1. Let the students work in pairs to discuss what they will write: one will be a
candidate for class president describing a planned volunteer project for the class,
once elected; the other will deliver a campaign speech endorsing the candidate to
the class.

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 2. The project should be relevant to the speaker’s academic track; the endorsement
should be on what the endorser learns to be the qualifications and qualities of
her/his candidate.

Assessment Questions/Projects
Is the use of weasel words moral? Defend your position.

The Reminder
Let the students remember all the weasel words listed earlier on the board.
Summary
An awareness of weasel words makes one think more critically about
products being advertised.

152
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 “The Great Global Warming Swindle”

Motivating Introduction
Ask them about the weather. Let them: compare past summers, observe whether it is
getting hotter every year, and think of causes for such a change.

Objectives
To illustrate how to argue or support a stand or position by shooting down the
arguments of the opposite side and presenting alternatives such as causes or effects other than
those claimed by the other

Lesson Proper
Vocabulary
1. Swindle – from German Schwindler, giddy person; akin to Old English
swindan, to vanish
a. scam, fraud; defraud, gaff, gyp, to take money
b. to obtain money or property by fraud or deceit
c. first use: 1955
2. spurious[is Pyur i yus] – not genuine, sincere or authentic; based on false ideas
or bad reasoning
a. bogus, fake, false, forged, counterfeit, inauthentic or unauthentic, phony,
sham
b. of illegitimate birth: bastard
3. proxy –representative; authority or power to act for another
4. hype – deception, put-on publicity; especially: promotional publicity of an
extravagant or contrived kind
5. pandemic – from Geek pandemos, pan all + demos people
a. occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an
exceptionally high proportion of the population
(meanings, etc. above adapted from Merriam-Webster Dictionary online)
6. Hockey – stick temperature (or hockey stick controversy) – “a plot of the
past millennium’s temperature that shows the drastic influence of humans in the
20th century. Specifically, temperature remains essentially flat until

153
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 about 1900, then shoots up, like the upturned blade of a hockey stick”
[similar to a golf club, but used for playing ice hockey]
(from David Appell, “Sustainability: Behind the Hockey Stick,” March 1, 2005.
www.scientificamerican.com)

Questions
Ask the following questions:
1. Describe the great global warming swindle.
2. Is S. Fred Singer’s position on the great global warming swindle positive (yes- it-is-
a-swindle) or negative (no-it-is-not-a-swindle)?
3. How do you ascertain (make known, learn, find out with certainty, make certain,
exact, or precise) his stand?
Consider, for example, the following:
a. the title
b. the introductory first paragraph, which mentions Singer’s inclusion, as a
climate scientist, in interviews for the documentary film The Great Global
Warming Swindle vs. “an emotion presentation” from a single politician of
an earlier documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth
c. the concluding last paragraph, with his prediction about the attitude of future
generations
4. Who are swindled? Who is the swindler? And what is the swindle itself?
5. Explain the hypothetical case in paragraph 5.
6. Explain the irony in paragraph 6 by reviewing the solutions to greenhouse gas
reduction in the light of cutting fuel consumption.
7. According to the writer, is global warming beneficial or harmful? Has sea level risen
due to human-caused global warming or to natural causes?
8. Are the rhetorical questions in paragraph 8 effective? Why?

154
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 Concluding Activities
1. Contextualized Activities and Practice Exercises (enhancement/ writing
assignment)
a. Academic: Write a position paper for or against mining/ golf parks/ rapid
urbanization/other environmental concerns
b. Art and Design: Write a position paper arguing for the importance of using
recycled materials in construction (e.g., plastic bottles)/ fashion (e.g., paper
mache belts and wallets)/ etc.
c. Tech Voc: Write an essay arguing for environmental activism in planting
trees, flowers, and vegetables everywhere: along streets, rivers, railways; in
backyards and flowerpots; on school campuses, etc.
d. Sports: Write an essay arguing for the conscientization of certain sports
(e.g., scuba diving, mountain climbing, surfing) so as to preserve and clean
up nature.
e. IT and IA: Google the hockey-stick temperature chart and write a paragraph
explaining the lines, colors, and trends.

2. Assessment Questions/Projects
a. State the argument against the claim that global warming is caused by
greenhouse gases from human activity. Consider whether the claimed cause is the
true cause or the only cause, and if not, what is the true cause of greenhouse
gases?
b. Explain this true cause by writing a paraphrase of paragraph 3.
c. Is there proof that nature, and not human nature, causes global warming? To
answer this, consider writing a précis of paragraph 4.
d. Google one of the following:
1.) Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth
2.) David Appell, “Sustainability: Behind the Hockey Stick,” March 1,
2005.www.scientificamerican.com

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 Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results
1. Tell them that in their paraphrase of paragraph 3, they should have rephrased,
reworded, used their own words (synonyms, simpler words), retained the order of
thought, and broken down long sentences into shorter ones.
2. Tell them that in their précis of paragraph 4, they should have summarized it by
reducing it to one-fourth or one-fifth (25% or 20%) of the original length, retained
the point of view (third person), used their own words, and retained the order of
thought.

Reminder
In arguing, if the opponent –
a. resents: a purported sole or false cause (e.g., greenhouse gases) counter with:
another or real cause (e.g., water vapor)
b. purports: an increase or rise (e.g., in temperature) counter with: cycle
(increase to decrease to increase in temperature, e.g., warming to cooling to
warming …)
c. sees: a negative impact (e.g., rising sea level) counter with: a positive impact
(e.g., rising standards of living

Summary
1. The great global warming is not caused solely and largely by greenhouse gases from
human activity, but more often and largely by natural water vapor and cloudiness
corresponding to solar activity.
2. Moreover, warming does not so much cause a rise in sea level, as seas have been
wont to rise steadily since the ice age (10,000 years back). In fact, warming raises
standards of living.
3. Warming is relatively no problem, compared to the real problems of hunger, disease,
denial of human rights, threats of terrorism and nuclear war, natural disasters,
pandemics, and asteroid impact.

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 “The Hazards of Industrial Agriculture”

Motivating Introduction

1. Ask the students to look at the products being sold in supermarkets. Ask them to
take note of the health benefits of these products.

2. Ask the students if agricultural products can create health risks. How?

Lesson Proper
1. Ask the students the following questions:

a. What is the central idea of the selection?

b. What hazards are posed by industrial agriculture?

c. How can these hazards be prevented?

2. Discuss with the students if the recommendations are doable.

Concluding Activity
1. The students can be encouraged to work in groups to launch a campaign to minimize
and eventually eliminate the hazards of industrial agriculture.

2. The campaign can include the production of posters and brochures. Creative writers
can create poems, short stories, and essays that talk about the hazards of industrial
agriculture.

3. The students can try growing plants that can be eaten. Advise them not to use
pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Find out from the students if the plants are
thriving even without pesticides and these fertilizers.

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 “More Energy”
Motivating Introduction
When assigning this article, tell the students to search via the internet the author, Bill
Gates. Introduce the lesson by letting them discuss what they read about the Bill Gates.

Objectives
To restate or summarize the essay

Lesson Proper
Ask the following questions:
1. What does Bill Gates want? Locate the sentence that states this. Discuss the
grammatical mood of the sentence. Is it stating or indicating some fact? Or is it
merely expressing a personal, subjective desire?
2. In beginning the essay, does the writer describe a real world? A virtual, imaginary
world? Or both worlds? Explain your answer.
3. Is the pace and rhythm of the essay fast or slow? Reread, for example, paragraphs 1
and 5. Are the words, phrases, and sentences long or short? Do they come in quick
succession, as in a series? Or are they presented in a slow, tedious manner? Does the
effect make you feel like running, or like walking, instead? Is this effect in keeping
with the idea behind the title? Explain how.
4. Discuss the problem-solution format in the organization of this essay. Does the
structure present a problem first? Does it offer a solution next? Or does it do the
reverse?
5. Explain Bill Gates’ formula for zero carbon dioxide emission. Include examples
given.
6. Describe Bill Gates’ “energy miracle” (paragraph 38 and up).
7. Is his solution to the problem mathematical-formulaic, miraculous-religious, or
critical-creative? In what way is it so?
8. Reread paragraphs 42 and 43, and then explain Bill Gates’ idea of failure and
success. Can there be success in failure? How?
9. Does Bill Gates include you as a solution to his problem? Are there ways in which
you can help solve it? Does he exhort you, command, request, or beg?
10. Does the essay end in an exhortation, a prediction, or both?

Concluding Activities
1. Learning Activities and Practice Exercises (enhancement/writing
assignment)

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 Make the students write a well-argued essay proving any of the following passages
from “More Energy”:
a. “Life gets better – not for everyone all the time, but for most people
most of the time.” (paragraph 12)
b. “I have not failed 10,000 times. I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that
will not work.” (paragraph 42)
c. “Math cuts out the noise and helps me distill a problem down to its basic
elements.” (paragraph 20)
d. “There are those who deny it is a problem at all. Others exaggerate the
immediate risks.” (paragraph 21)
2. Assessment Questions/Projects
Divide the class into four groups that will prepare charts, graphs, diagrams, etc.
of facts and figures presented in the essay. Let them select one set of data or facts to
chart or diagram, but be sure that each group selects a different set.
List on the board the following for selection:
1. data on populations in the world that live in the dark (paragraphs 5 and 7)
2. fact tracing the cycle that starts with those least responsible for CO 2 emission, ends
with those most affected, and includes intervening events and phenomena (paragraph
15)
3. data on tons of carbon dioxide (paragraph 18)
4. data on the world’s population (paragraph 27)
5. data on the year this essay was written and the time frame for the discovery of clean
and cheap energy

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Check that their graphs are properly captioned or titled, and all axes, lines, and
numbers are labeled.

Reminder
The path from a problem to a solution is as follows: (problem> different ideas to
solve it > ideas that won't work > ideas that work > solution!)
Summary
People are persuaded to find ways of creating not only clean but also cheap sources of
energy.

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 “Mahatma Gandhi’s Hunger Strikes”

Motivating Introduction
1. After giving the reading assignment, tell the students to search via the internet
quotations from Gandhi on any of the following: animals, change, Christianity,
diversity, education, eye for an eye, guns, Jesus, loneliness, losing, love and life,
loving your enemy, loyalty, peace, truth, service, violence
2. Let them print out at least five of their favorites and read them, with expression, to
the class.

Objectives
To evaluate Gandhi’s actions

Lesson Proper
Explain the irony in Gandhi’s assassination by a fellow Hindu. Remember that he
advocated Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, etc. equality and tolerance.

Concluding Activities
1. Learning Activities and Practice Exercises (enhancement/ writing assignment)
a. Academic: Deliver an enlightened but practical criticism of passive resistance.
Show how it has been successfully applied or modified in other countries. Or
write a poem or short play with Gandhi fasting and advocating religious
tolerance.
b. Art and Design: Draw a unique iconic portrait of Gandhi in a Philippine setting.
Or dress up in Indian garb for men and for women.
c. Tech-Voc: Bring an Indian dish or dessert to class; demonstrate how to prepare
it, and/or describe the recipe. Or perform an Indian ritual.
d. Sports: Demonstrate different violent and nonviolent sports. Or play a native
Indian sport or game.
e. IT and IA: Draw, create, or gather from the Internet portraits of Gandhi showing
him at different times, ages, occasions, or fasting protests.

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 Assessment Questions/Projects
Choose a quotation from Gandhi, think of an issue it defends or attacks, and write an
argumentative essay defending your position on the matter.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Let the students check that their own argumentative essay includes the following:
1. a clear statement of the issue in the introduction
2. one’s position or stand on an issue
3. support or evidence for one’s position
4. a convincing reiteration of one’s position in the conclusion

Reminder
Assign a student to report on Gandhi’s philosophy of non-resistance.

Summary
Let the students form two groups that will plot the fasts in Gandhi’s life and indicate
the year, purpose, and outcome of each fast: one group prepares a column list, while the other
group draws a diagram. This may be written on the board or on a big poster.

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“I Have a Dream”

Motivating Introduction
Along with this reading assignment, tell the class to search via the internet the
biography of Martin Luther King and bring his picture.
Call on some to report on interesting biographical details, and others to show Luther
King’s picture.

Objective
To identify the rhetorical qualities of the speech that make it an effective
argument.

Lesson Proper
Ask the following questions:
1. What is Luther King’s dream? Do you know songs with dreams in their lyrics?
Compare those dreams with that of Luther King’s.
2. Explain the historical allusion in the second line. Who is associated with it, and is
there a similar dream too? A hundred years later, has that dream been fulfilled?
3. Look for figures of speech and other devices that characterize Luther King’s rhetoric.
Explain how they are effective.
For example, study the following images:
a. a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds"
b. refuse to believe the bank of justice is bankrupt
c. have come to cash this check
d. satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and
hatred
e. until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty
stream
f. valley of despair
g. oasis of freedom and justice

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 4. Also, study the sentence construction of the following:
a. where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the
content of their character.
b. Finally, the following is the repeated beginning of every paragraph from
11-18: “I have a dream ...”
c. And the following is the repeated beginning of almost every line in
paragraph 21 “Let freedom ring ...”

Do the images bring vividness to the speech? Does the parallelism emphasize
differing points of contention in a clear and balanced manner? Does repetition add to the
memorability, assertiveness, and emphatic force of the argument?

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 “Detecting Propaganda”

Motivating Introduction
1. With the reading assignment, tell them to bring advertisements from newspapers and
magazines, or in the form of brochures, fliers, and others. See the Lesson Proper
below.
2. Discuss with the students any of their exposures to Facebook and Twitter propaganda
in the last election.
3. Point out the issues and bones of contention.

Objectives
1. To identify propaganda devices
2. To judge and criticize product advertisements and promotional campaigns so as not
to be used, fooled, or duped in arriving at decisions.

Lesson Proper.
1. Let them show and read the advertisements they brought, for their classmates to
identify the propaganda device(s) used.
2. Check that all devices in the article are illustrated; if not, let them check out the
examples in the article, or make them give their own examples.

Concluding Activities
Write a coherent essay discussing the following points:
1. Is it wrong to use the propaganda devices described and exemplified in the article?
2. Are these intended to fool people? Why?
3. How does one avoid falling into the pitfall of buying a product based solely on the
advertisement?
4. How should one regard propaganda devices used in advertisements?
5. Can there be an interplay of reason and emotion in responding to
advertisements?

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 Assessment Questions/Projects
1. Work in groups of five and choose an advertisement for a product salient to one of
your track e.g., a review class for a board exam, a watercolor, a juicer, a sports bra, a
portable printer, respectively.
2. Identify the propaganda device(s) used and criticize each. Improve the advertisement
or create one instead.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Check the thoroughness of the essay in terms of answering the questions for
consideration. Check the grammar and organization.

Reminder
There are seven common propaganda devices: name calling, glittering generalities,
transfer, testimonial, plain folks, card stacking, and bandwagon.

Summary
The different propaganda devices are intended to fool people into buying products
they may not really need, so one should be wary of general words. These words do not really
inform much about the product, and are used only to make the reader respond emotionally
and mindlessly into buying the product.

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ASSESSMENT
All of the selections included in this chapter talk about current issues that are of
general interest in our present society.
The use of English in presenting various stands on these issues is given emphasis in
this chapter. The activities suggested for each lesson corresponding to each of the selections
cover various disciplines. The goal is to train the students to take a stand on any and all
issues, both local and global. The students are thus prepared for life-long learning and
academic and professional challenges.
Following are activities that can be used to assess the students’ competencies.
1. Ask the students to write a position paper on one of the following topics: (Choose
a topic that best suits your stand.)
a. The best way to solve the most urgent problem of the country (e.g. crime,
corruption, poverty)
b. The best solution to Metro Manila’s (or any city’s/district’s) traffic
problem
c. The best place to live in the Philippines
d. The best home/livelihood industry to engage in
e. The best way to support the Philippine athletes
f. The most important reform to introduce to
(Philippine politics, sports, etc.)
2. Encourage the students to launch a campaign supporting a civic/school/youth
program (e.g. an environmental advocacy). The students can come up with
posters, brochures, flyers, digital materials, projects that will represent their
support for the program.

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CHAPTER 5
168

WRITING A
REPORT

167
 CHAPTER 5 – Writing a Report
Fast Food Addiction 171
Nonverbal Behaviour 176
Philippines 2013 International Religious Freedom Report 185
Executive Summary
Guides for Physics Lab Report 192

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Writing a Report

People have always been narrating what they did for the day: children tell their
parents who picked a fight with them, husbands and wives, tell each other what happened at
home and at the office, old folks tell the young about the time when they themselves were
growing up, lovers tell each other where they have been before they met, students tell their
teachers why they were late, end we all want to know the why's and the how's of celebrity
successes, failures, break-ups, reconciliations and so on.
In other words, every human being has done some informal reporting some time, but
once this verbal ability is used to tell about surveys conducted; work done out there in the
field; experiments performed inside the laboratory; observations noted systematically; and
inventions, inquiries, and others resulting from technological advances and research – a
structured presentation is in order.
Explain to the students these guidelines for writing the report:

Guidelines for Writing the Survey/ Field/ Laboratory/ Scientific/ Technical Report
1. Value Communicated
Objective, accurate, and honest presentation of facts and results
2. Basic Content
a. May consist of eyewitness accounts or first – hand information
b. May contain facts, data, figures, or statistics on or from people, events,
phenomena, structures, experiments, questionnaires, interviews, and library
research.
c. May include materials and procedures or methods.
3. Modes of Ordering
a. Chronological or time order.
b. Geographical or space / spatial order.
c. Logical – Inductive and Deductive
d. Problem – Solution
e. Cause and Effect
f. Formal, e.g.:

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 Abstract – Introduction – Background – Statement of the Problem –
Materials – Method or Procedure – Results – Discussion – Summary,
Conclusion, and Recommendations
4. Basic Qualities of a Good Report
a. Objective, not subjective point of view
b. Accurate, not sloppy presentation of facts, numbers, statistics and data
c. Honest, not false or incomplete details and results
d. Brief and direct sentences.

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 “Fast-food Addiction”

Motivating Introduction
1. Ask the students what fast-food they eat for meals.
2. Ask what junk food they eat for snacks.

Objectives
1. To make the students aware of addiction as the effect of eating fast-food.
2. To make them interested in counting the calories in the fast-food and junk food
they eat.

Lesson Proper

1. Vocabulary
Discuss (or assign for research) the following words:

1. obesity [ow-BIY-si-tiy], noun

2. obese [ow-BIYS], adjective
From online Merriam-Webster:
Synonyms: adiposity, chubbiness, corpulence, embonpoint, fat, fatness,
fattiness, fleshiness, grossness, corpulence, plumpness, portliness, pudginess,
pursiness, rotundity, weight
Antonyms: leanness, reediness, slenderness, slimness, svelteness, thinness

3. calorie
A unit of heat energy
Comes from Latin calor, meaning “heat” First
used in 1824 by Nicolas Clement

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 Compare:
small or gram calorie (cal) -- the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of
1 gram of water by
1 degree Celsius at a pressure of 1
atmosphere

Vs

large or kilogram calorie (Cal) -- known as the food calorie or the unit of food energy 1 Cal
= 1,000 cal

calorie = metric system of units

joule = international system of units

1 cal = 4.2 joules

1 kcal = 4.2 kilojoules
Modified from online Merriam-Webster:

4. opiate [OW-piy-et/ –eyt]

A drug, e.g., morphine or codeine, made from the opium poppy, used to reduce
pain, cause sleep, or ignore problems and relax instead of doing things needed to
be done
From Greek opion, diminutive of opos, “sap” (first used 14th century) Synonyms:
drowsy, narcotic, hypnotic, sleepy, slumberous (or
slumbrous), somniferous, somnolent, soporific; anesthetic, anodyne, narcotic
Antonym: stimulant vs. opioids [OW-piy-oyds]

5. endogenous (inside the organism) neural polypeptides that bind to receptors

and mimic opiates; also called opioid peptide
A synthetic drug possessing narcotic properties similar to opiates but not derived
from opium

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 2. Comprehension Questions
1. Ask them the main issue in the introductory paragraph. (Hamburgers, fries, and
cola/soda/soft drinks are so addicting that they keep customers coming back.)
2. In the next paragraph, ask what the culprits are.(sugar and fat as the caloric
content)
3. Ask how many calories there are in a serving of burger and also how many
calories a day is required of the average woman. (2,000 calories for each
question)
4. Call a student to come to the board and draw a diagram, based on paragraph 3
and helped by the entire class, showing the path, from sugar and fats in the body
to addiction. (Sugar and fat --->Endogenous (internal) opioids (e.g., natural
painkilling beta-endorphins) in the hypothalamus the brain stem --->Release of
dopamine (a neurotransmitter) into cells in the midbrain (nucleus acumens) ---
>Dopamine eliciting feelings of pleasure (euphoria) --->Repetition of the action
because the body craves the release of dopamine inherent in the consumption of
sugar and fat)
5. Ask the students two scientific proofs, based on paragraph 4, that sugar and fat
behave like drugs causing addiction. When sugar and fat were withdrawn from
the former sweet diet of rats, the rats exhibited anxiety similar to withdrawal
symptoms from heroin and nicotine. Chocolate drink with increasing sugar and
fat were given to rats. When a high dose of the same drink was given, the rats
showed tolerance to the effects of sugar and fat, as seen in the diminished release
of opioids/ opiates. Subsequently, they would require a higher dose to achieve the
earlier effect of euphoria.)
6. Ask how the author concludes the report.(Applied to humans, brain scans show
that the more obese one is, the fewer the dopamine receptors, suggesting that
more sugar and fat are needed to experience euphoria.)
7. Ask if there is any caution suggested in the conclusion. (The researchers caution
against concluding whether dopamine receptors are the cause/ “basis,” or rather
the effect/ “outcome,” of obesity.)

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 Concluding Activities
Contextualized Activities and Practice
a. Academic: Tell the students to convert calories into joules. Refer to the
definition of calorie in the Vocabulary above. Let them write an article on how to
reduce sugar and fat intake.
b. Art and Design: Draw a comic strip showing the effects of an excessive fast-
food diet.
c. Tech Voc: Prepare a substitute meal and snack for the usual fast-food items.
d. Sports: Interview school athletes on their diet when preparing for a game.
e. IT and IA: Identify the calories in a serving of meat, chicken, fish, vegetables,
fruits, street foods, and snacks. Then, prepare a Facebook account that shows the
calories in a serving of each food above. Present the various foods visually and
in ascending order of their caloric content.

Assessment Questions/Projects
Tell each student to interview or observe at least two people – one who has gained
pounds, and another who has lost some. Then, let each one write two separate reports on the
noted respective regimens. Let them include diets, exercises, and other practices.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Discuss the good and bad points of the students’ output. Show them some of the
more interesting works submitted.

Reminder
Parts of the report on fast-food addiction
1. Statement of the Problem: Fast-food addiction leading to obesity
2. Cause of the Problem: Sugar and fat in fast-food causing addiction
3. Analysis of the Cause: Step by step description of how sugar and fat affect the brain
and lead to addiction

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 4. Proof (of the cause-effect relationship): Laboratory experiments on rats given a sugar
and fat diet of chocolate drink
5. Application of the research: Sugar and fat addiction in rats being similar to fast-
food addiction in humans, leading to weight gain

Summary
 Obesity is caused by fast-food addiction.
 A sugar and fat diet in fast-food leads to fast-food addiction.
 Endogenous opioids in the hypothalamus (above the brain stem) activate the release
of dopamine into the midbrain.
 Dopamine elicits feelings of pleasure (euphoria).
 Furthermore, dopamine motivates a repetition of the addictive behavior to sugar
and fat.

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 “Nonverbal Behaviour”: Culture, Gender, and the Media”

Motivating Introduction
Let the class, or some members, work in pairs to do short role plays, for example:
1. as friends greeting each other
2. as children visiting their grandparents
3. as young men and women having just been introduced to each other
4. as Filipino and as Chinese/ American/ etc., in which the former entertains the latter, a
tourist in the Philippines
5. as an English tutor to an elementary or high school student/ a Korean/ a
Japanese
6. as a TV host talking to a dance or singing contestant
7. as a reporter interviewing a typhoon victim
8. as a call center agent appeasing an angry client on the phone

For each role-play, you may assign varying gender combinations: two women, two
men, one woman, and one man. Each member of the pair should have two or three turns
speaking. Before the presentations, tell the class to pay attention both to the role players’
speech content, actions, gestures, body movements, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
After the presentations, discuss observed nonverbal behavior.

Objectives
1. To identify nonverbal language in different cultures
2. To observe that different forms or styles of nonverbal communication are not
necessarily better than others
3. To lead students to an awareness of nonverbal communication that results in “more
successful multicultural exchanges”

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 Lesson Proper
Distinguishing Between American English vs. British English Spelling
behavior (American English spelling)
behaviour (British English spelling; also Canadian and Australian spelling)

Inform them that in the Philippines, the pattern or model is American English.

Most of the words on the list below are adapted from “Comprehensive* list of
American and British spelling differences,”www.tysto.com>-uk-us-spelling-list. Some are
adapted from “British and American spelling,” www.oxforddictionaries.com.

First listed is American English, then British English spelling:

American British
airplane aeroplane
Aluminum aluminium
annex annexe
ax axe
bougainvillea bougainvillaea
canceled cancelled
center Centre
cheque (only as a variant
check
spelling)
criticize criticise
cruelest cruellest
curb Kerb
dialog dialogue
draught (a portion of liquid;
draft
BUT draft if a written plan)
enroll enrol
estrogen Oestrogen
fetus foetus
flier flyer

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 fulfill, fulfill (fulfillment, fulfillment)
install, install (installment, instalment)

[The two pairs above are inconsistent with the expected spelling correspondence based on
canceled, cancelled above, in which Americans use single L while British use double L.
Single L American and double L British are also applied to generally more words,
respectively:

American British
bejeweled bejewelled
chiseled chiselled
counseling counselling
groveling grovelling
labeled labelled
leveled levelled
marveled marvelled
modeled modelled
quarreled quarrelled
snorkeling snorkelling
spiraling spiralling
tranquility tranquillity
traveler traveller

American British
inflection inflexion
jail gaol
gray grey
jewelry jewellry
judgment judgement
licorice liquorice
likable likeable

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 American British
maneuver manoeuvre
mold mould
omelet omelette
phony phoney
plow plough
practice practice
pretense pretence
program programme
pajamas pyjamas
pizzazz pzazz
skepticism scepticism
sheik sheikh
story storey
summarize summarise
siphon siphon
theater theatre
tire tyre
wagon wagon
worshiped worshipped
yogurt yoghurt

Vocabulary (adapted from Merriam-Webster online] plethora [PLE

tho ra], noun
plethoric [PLE tho ric/ ple THO ric], adjective
From Greek plethora, “fullness,” plethein “to be full” [plena “plenty”] Meaning:
a. excess, superfluity, profusion, abundance
b. a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by
turgescence and a florid complexion
c. turgescence [ter JE sens] -- distended, inflated, turgid, florid -- 1. red,
reddish, ruddy

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 d. ornate, flowery (e.g., ornate prose, style, or writer)
e. marked by emotional or sexual fervor (e.g., a florid secret life, a florid
sensibility)

Synonyms: abundance, cornucopia, feast, plenitude, plentitude, plenty [note: plena], superabundance,
wealth

Antonyms: deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency, undersupply, undress – disrobe, strip,

unclothe; divest, expose, reveal

Organization
Ask the students how the article is generally organized. Give them a clue by telling
them to consider the title as a reading strategy for determining the structure or order of ideas.
(The three parts are: nonverbal behavior as seen in various
a. cultures -- paragraphs 1-4
b. genders -- paragraphs 5-8
c. media -- paragraphs 9-14)

Let the students give examples of nonverbal behavior for each of the three organizing
elements above.

a. Nonverbal behavior in various cultures

In contact/ high contact cultures, people stand close together when talking, show very
sensory experiences, and touch frequently. In noncontact/ low contact cultures,
people maintain physical distance and privacy.
In contact/ high contact cultures, people respond with uninhibited, exaggerated
emotions through facial expressions, gestures, and voice. In noncontact/ low contact
cultures, people respond with less emotion, with self control of feelings which are to
be kept within, and with expressionlessness.
Moreover, the same nonverbal cue or movement may mean differently in different
cultures, e.g., a nod, in American culture, means yes; but in

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 Japanese culture, means only that the message is received (but does not mean
agreement or consent to it).

b. Description of nonverbal behavior in the two genders. (Men are assertive/

authoritarian; women, responsive/reactive. This means that compared to women
a. vocally, men talk and interrupt more
b. visually, men look at the audience while speaking (visual dominance) more
than they look at the speaker while listening, whereas women do the
opposite
c. spatially and tactilely, men claim more space and more frequently walk in
front of, rather than behind, women; they are more likely to touch or initiate
touching)
c. Description of nonverbal behavior in media. Media and technology “help
legitimize stereotypical nonverbal displays” or reinforce image of men as physically
dominant; women, subservient to and obsessed with men. In turn, these stereotypes
become the model and set the standard or reference point. Repeated messages to
women are “Thin is in,” look beautiful, young, and caring; to men, look tough,
aggressive, and in charge:
a. In advertisements, women expose a lot of skin and are vulnerable; men are in
control. Vocally, more voice-overs are male, even for products targeting
women.
b. In computer virtual reality games, including those that allow for gender
changes, erotic as well as violent scenes depict women as threatened or
killed; men as physically in control.)

Concluding Activities
Contextualized Activities and Practice Exercises (enhancement/writing assignment)
a. Academic: Write a two-level outline of the article. Include a title, thesis statement,
and proper coding of the divisions and subdivisions. Then, refer to this outline to
write a report outline of the same article. Your report outline

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 should contain the parts listed in the Reminder box below. Omit the last part,
References.
b. Art and Design: Draw the evolution of women/men in fashion (clothes, shoes, hats,
swimwear, or any combination), career, house chores. Show the contrast
c. Tech-Voc: Work in threes to demonstrate various gestures that accompany greetings
by Filipinos, Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, and other nationalities. Two students
should demonstrate the gestures while one student describes what is going on.
d. Sports: Work as a group and select a sport (e.g., basketball or boxing) or dance (e.g.,
Hawaiian or native Filipino). Discuss the nonverbal signs and cues used by referees,
players, dancers, audience, etc. Assign some members to demonstrate the nonverbal
behavior as others describe these and tell the meanings to the class.
e. IT and IA: Prepare your own video or collect short video clips, showing nonverbal
Filipino behavior. Include a voice-over describing what is going on and what the
corresponding verbal message is. You may focus on a particular situation such as a
boy and a girl eating at a fast-food chain, people quarrelling, a political candidate, or
public figure gesturing, a family spending time together, etc.
Assessment Questions/Projects
1. Divide the class into groups of 5-7 members to discuss the questions below and come
up with an oral group presentation of their findings.
2. Tell them that in the discussion, each member should say something, and in the oral
group presentation, each member says at least 5 sentences.
3. Remind all groups to agree on which parts of the findings each member will discuss
for the presentation.
4. Discuss whether the article presents the concept of nonverbal communication or
rather reports on it:
a. Which aspects are conceptual?
b. Which aspects are reportorial?
c. Overall, is the article a concept paper or a report?
d. Justify your answer.

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 Feedback (for Activities)/ Assessment Results
a. Parts that present ideas about nonverbal behavior, explain them, clarify, propose, or
embody a thought or value that is conceptual.
b. Parts that relay information or recount events, observed behavior, experiments,
interviews, field work, surveys, are reportorial. They cite numbers, statistics,
percentages, frequency, or general measurements (“more,” “less,” “often,” etc.), time,
place, people, cultures, and countries.
c. In short, a report answers the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how in
order to give factual information on past actions or events.

Reminder
Parts of a report:
1. Title Page
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Method
5. Results
6. Discussion
7. Summary
8. Recommendations
9. References

Summary
1. Nonverbal behavior in different cultures, genders, and media is seen in
communication through the use of gestures, touch, space, dress, and means other than
speaking. Among nations, differences show that all cultures, though different, are
equal; that is, one is neither superior nor inferior, better nor worse, higher nor lower.

2. Among individuals, gender differences, however, reveal male tendencies to dominate

and female tendencies to be subservient.

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 3. This power-lack of power (empowered vs. disempowered) relationship is a stereotype
projected in media, which, in turn, all the more reinforces, through repeated
messages, the same myth of dominance, thus legitimizing the myth or making the
unreal look real.

4. And so the cycle goes on: from the social myth of male dominance, to the
perpetuation of that myth in media (through constant repetitive reinforcement), thus
leading to the seeming legitimization or apparent reality of such a dominance in the
individual minds of the viewing public.

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 “Philippines 2013 International Religious Freedom Report
Executive Summary”

Motivating Introduction
Ask the students to narrate their first encounter with someone coming from a
different province or country, or having a different religion or language. Tell them to give the
following details: who the person is (or name the cultural identity) what the student and the
other did or talked about, where they met, when they met, and how they met (by introduction,
chance, as stranger, in public, etc.)
Next, ask them to describe their feelings, thoughts, and reactions after meeting the
person.

Objectives
1. To describe the parts of a sample report
2. To write a short report with similar parts
3. To describe the practice of religious freedom

Lesson Proper
1. Terms
a. Vocabulary
a.) madrassah/ madrasah/ madrasa/ medrese [mah DRA
sa/-sey] -- school or college, especially one attached to a
mosque where young men study theology. (adapted from
www.dictionary.com/browse/madrasah)
b.) iftar -- the meal served at sunset during
Ramadan, as Muslims break the daily fast. Muslims
traditionally first break the fast with dates and either water
or a yogurt drink. After maghrib prayer, they then have a
full-course meal, consisting of soup, salad, appetizers and
main dishes. (islam.about.com/od/ramadan/g/Iftar.htm)

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 c.) maghrib prayer -- the sunset prayer which begins
when the sun has completely set
(http://www.iccuk.org/page.php?section=religious&page=timetableguide)

b. Abbreviations
Ask the students to look up all the abbreviations used in the report and
read aloud the complete name.
MILF – Moro Islamic Liberation Front
NGOs – nongovernmental organizations
NCMF – National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
DepEd – Department of Education
RBEC -- Revised Basic Education Curriculum
CHR -- Commission on Human Rights

2. Outline
Call one student to the board to write a two-level topic outline of the report by
listening to the suggestions of the students for each division and subdivision entry.
Remind the student writing on the board that capitalization style should be the
sentence case, in which only the first word has the initial letter capitalized, as in writing a
sentence, but without a period after the last word.
Compare the sentence case with the title case, in which all main words have their
initial letters capitalized, as in writing a title.
Tell the class to omit the introduction and conclusion. Give clues by telling
them to notice the numbered sections of the report, and to base the outline on these.
Check that the format of the report they read has these section headings written on a
separate line within the text, as these will comprise the resulting topic outline below:
I. Religious demography
A. Status of government respect for religious freedom
B. Legal/ policy framework
C. Government practices

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 D. Muslim students in selected public elementary schools and private
madrassahs
E. Abuses by rebel or foreign forces or terrorist organizations
II. Status of societal respect for religious freedom)

Statistical, numerical, and other data

Divide the class into 4 groups. Assign the first group to paragraphs 1, 3, and
4; the three other groups, to paragraphs 2, 5, and the last, respectively. [Check that
paragraph 6 is not a duplicate of paragraph 5.]
Tell each group to list down or enumerate all numbers, dates, and
percentages found in the paragraph assigned, and then identify what each represents.
Par. 1: two out of four – annexes (of the peace framework agreement on
the Bangsamoro) that were signed by the government and the MILF
Par. 2:
 105.7 million – total population of the Philippines
 July 2013 – date of the population estimate
 2000 – year when the survey was conducted by the National Statistics Office
approximately 93% -- percentage of Christian population in the Philippines
 80-85 percent – percentage of Roman Catholics in the Philippine population
 5 percent – percentage of Islam, as the largest minority religion, in the
Philippine population
 2012 – year when the NCMF estimated the number of Muslims in the
Philippines
 10.7 million – number of Muslims estimated by the NCMF to be in the
Philippines approximately 11 percent – percentage of Muslims estimated by the
NCMF to be in the Philippines
 60 percent – percentage of Muslims residing in Mindanao and nearby islands
Par. 3: less than 5 percent – percentage of other religious groups
including international denominations, domestically established churches, and
Lumad or indigenous people with animistic and syncretic (amalgamated or fused)
religions

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 Par. 4:
 five – number of sharia district court judgeships that are vacant or unfilled
 43 – number of circuit court judgeships that are vacant or unfilled
 588 – number of madrassahs registered with the NCMF
 79 – number of madrassahs registered with the DepEd
Par 5:
 58 million pesos ($1.3 million) – amount provided by DepEd to private
madrassahs or Muslim theology schools
 69 – number of madrassahs that received funding from DepEd
 2012-2013 – school year when DepEd provided funds for madrassahs
 31 percent – increase in the funding for madrassahs, compared to the
previous year
 17 – number of additional madrassahs that received DepEd funding
 August 8 (2012) – date when DepEd issued an advisory affirming the right of
Muslim women to wear the hijab in schools
 July (2012) – date when DepEd issued Department Order No. 32
 Department Order No. 32 – DepEd order reiterating its policy on protecting the
religious rights of students
 2001 – year when the DepEd issued its policy on the religious rights of
students
 February 1-7 (2013) – Interfaith Harmony Week
 August 4 (2012) – date when three Moro Islamic missionaries were shot and
killed in Libungan, North Cotabato by unidentified suspects
Last par.:
 50 – number of Muslim, Christian, and Lumad youth representatives who
attended a Youth Council Summit two-day Summit – duration of the youth
summit on leadership and governance training across religious boundaries
 two iftars – number of iftars held by the U.S. Embassy
 80 – number of religious leaders and Muslim youth for whom the U.S.
ambassador held an iftar (Ramadan meal after sunset)
 70 – number of youth leaders, civil society organizations, and local officials for
whom the U.S. ambassador held a second iftar

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  first-ever – the first visit in history made by a U.S. ambassador to a Manila mosque
during Ramadan, during which a dialogue on religious tolerance was held with
religious and community leaders
 October – month when the U.S. Embassy worked with a local NGO in a peace
advocacy program in Mindanao
 40 – number of Muslim, Christian, and Lumad youth leaders in Mindanao for
whom a peace advocacy program was prepared)

Quantifying expressions
Ask the class to identify quantity terms used in the report
a. Estimates
b. Survey conducted
c. Most belong
d. A small number
e. An increasing number
f. Approximately
g. Large
h. Some human rights NGOs
i. All five sharia...
j. Both, or neither
k. First-ever visit

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 Writing a Report
a. Let the students write a report relevant to their track –
b. Academic: on a movie, tv show, talk show, interview of a public official
c. Art and Design: on an exhibit or (song/ dance) performance in school/ a mall/ etc.
d. Tech-Voc: on a food fest, cook fest, restaurant
e. Sports: on a boxing match/ basketball game/ volleyball game
f. IT and IA: on hacking government and bank websites/ Internet connectivity in rural
areas/

Assessment Questions/Projects
Tell the class to do a survey of their own class on their use of social media. Let them
consider the following questions: kind of social media often used, time and place of use,
length and frequency of use, reasons for using, effects of social media interaction on family,
etc.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Let the students review their reports for grammar, brevity, clarity, and directness.
Also, let them check that the different parts of their report have proper section headings.

Reminder
a. Report – relays information or recounts events in a presentable form
b. Executive summary – summarizes the main points of a report. May be read in lieu of
the report itself, unlike the shorter abstract which is read to help the reader decide
whether to read the longer report itself. May be 5-10% of the length of the original
report
c. Parts of a report –
a. Overview – briefly states the main points of the report, its purpose, and
the conclusion, with recommendations, if any
b. Background – introduces the subject and explains the reason for the
report

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 c. Discussion – presents findings including evidence (facts, arguments,
details, data, and results)
d. Conclusion – reviews main points; may include recommendations.

Summary
a. The Philippine Constitution, laws, and policies protect religious freedom, which the
government respects, although there were reports on abuse religious discrimination.
Economic, social, and religious issues contribute to armed conflict in certain
provinces in the south.
b. However, the Philippine government has signed two of four annexes of the peace
framework agreement with the MILF on the Bangsamoro.
c. U.S. Embassy officials have encouraged the peace process, discussed religious
freedom issues with officials, and maintained outreach with religious leaders and
NGOs for interfaith activities.

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 “Guidelines for Physics Lab Reports”

Motivating Introduction
Ask the students what kinds of reports they have done in their classes.
(Current events, laboratory report, author’s biography, etc.)
Next, ask other reports they have done at home, on the telephone, or at an office (as a
child, running to one’s mother to complain about a sibling’s or playmate’s misbehavior;
making an emergency call to the fire department or to a hospital; recounting to a police
officer on a snatching incident or on a road accident)
Tell them that what all these have in common are the following essentials in a report:
who did what, when and where this happened, how and why they happened. Ask them if they
learned any lesson from these reported events.

Objectives
To identify the qualities of good laboratory reports

Lesson Proper (word meanings/verbal matters, questions, explanations, illustrations

examples, etc.)
Emphasize the following:
1. Guidelines for physics lab reports apply, with variations, to all reports in general.
2. Guidelines are the mechanical aspect of report writing; human traits or qualities
arising from – or required of – report writing, the moral aspect, which is the more
important, overriding, and implied lesson in this text.

Concluding Activities
1. Learning Activities and Practice Exercises (> enhancement/ writing assignment)
Ask the students to bring a report in their respective tracks listed below and read
aloud its different parts or section headings.
 Academic
 Art and Design
 Voc Tech
 Sports

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 Assessment Questions/Projects
Tell the students to compare their reports and write a checklist on the board of all
report parts identified.

Feedback (for activities)/ Assessment Results

Point out obligatory/ compulsory and optional parts that a report may have, as seen in
the students’ differing sample reports.
(Obligatory/ compulsory: the experiment, or what was done data, or the results
gathered, conclusions and implications, or what the data tell.

Reminder
Watch out for: relationships between measurements, trends, and interactions between
independent and dependent variables (e.g., inverse relationships, or increases in one variable
on account of decreases in the other; direct relationships, or parallel or corresponding
increases or decreases in both variables) deviations (due to error, uncertainties in the
experiment, idealizations in the theory resulting in the neglect of other factors).

Summary
Good report writing is: honest in data (no tampering of data, no copying from others
who are not lab partners), accurate in grammar and information, precise in calculation,
thorough in graph labeling (of slope and intercept), transparent about deviations and
uncertainties, orderly or well-organized in structure brief in presentation
Thus, it follows that a good report writer should demonstrate the personal traits of
honesty, accuracy, precision, thoroughness or comprehensiveness, transparency, orderliness,
and brevity.

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Assessment
Performance

1. Academic: Form groups of five to seven and share your recollections of laboratory
experiments you have done.
2. Art and Design: Work in groups of five to check out business or residential areas
where street parking creates problems such as obstruction of traffic flow and of
driveways; occupation of lanes and sidewalks; inaccessibility by fire trucks,
ambulances, and police cars, etc. Next, suggest solutions to such problems, e.g.,
enforcement of parking rules, provision of parking areas or multilevel parking every
so many blocks, etc.
3. Tech-Voc: Form groups according to the kind of community or communities you
come from (rural, urban, indigenous, “fringes of society,” agricultural, mining, etc.)
For each community, discuss the native crafts, artwork, cuisine, livelihood, tourist
attraction, or underground economy that the members resort to. Also, discuss the
problems and needs in such livelihoods that have to be addressed, e.g., dangers to
society, destruction of the environment, dying traditions, etc.
4. Sports: Working in twos, do a survey of the problems encountered by at least ten
college athletes. Gather data by conducting interviews or by distributing
questionnaires to them. Then, classify the results into kinds of problems, e.g.,
housing, transportation, medical, financial, academic, etc.
5. BA: Discuss with the class a business venture you have engaged in. Explain why you
chose such a business (e.g., passion and love for the product, family ownership,
community tradition, etc.) and how your venture fared (if a success, what the secret
ingredients were; if a failure, what factors contributed to it or aggravated it). Also,
discuss what lessons were learned, and what related or other business ventures you
might recommend.

Writing

1. Academic: Using the appropriate format, write a report on one experiment that you
or your group mate did, as shared earlier in your group discussion.

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 2. Art and Design: Write a brief paragraph reporting on parking problems
observed earlier. Next, draw a map of the vicinity showing nearby areas or streets
where vehicles might park without causing traffic disturbance or road obstruction.
Finally, design alternative or supplementary multilevel parking areas in
conveniently located areas nearby. If there are none, choose specific lots which the
government might buy to be used solely for paid public parking. In general, eminent
domain is defined as the power of the nation or a sovereign state to take, or to
authorize the taking of, private property for a public use without the owner’s
consent, conditioned upon payment of just compensation. It is acknowledged as an
inherent political right, founded on a common necessity and interest of
appropriating the property of individual
members of the community to the great necessities of the whole community.
The exercise of the power of eminent domain is constrained by two
constitutional provisions: (1) that private property shall not be taken for public use
without just compensation under Article III (Bill of Rights), Section 9 and
(2) that no person shall be deprived of his/her life, liberty, or property
without due process of law under Art. III, Sec. 1.8

3. Tech-Voc: Write a report on one of the livelihoods discussed earlier in your group.
Remember to be objective and accurate in reporting the facts, details, and realities of
such a community livelihood.
4. Sports: Keeping in mind the parts of a report, write a survey report on problems
encountered by college athletes. Use the data from the interviews or questionnaires
you conducted earlier.
5. BA: Write a report on one of the business ventures of you or your classmates
discussed earlier. Follow the format for a good report.

8
from G.R. No. 150640 Barangay Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga, Republic of the
Philippines, Supreme Court, Manila, Second Division, Certified by Reynato S. Puno, Chief Justice,
2001 http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2007/march2007/150640.html

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 All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means -
electronic or mechanical including photocopying – without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. First Edition,
2016