Cheaters Still Rising

Today, you and (possibly) a partner are going to complete a SOAPSTone analysis chart for "Cheating on the Rise Among High School Students." Create a SOAPSTone chart (similar to the one pictured below) on a new document.

Text Component	“Cheating on the Rise Among High School Students”
Subject What is the subject or topic of the piece? What theme or big idea do you see? What is this piece about?
Occasion What event or occasion do you think caused the author to write this piece? Immediate event? Larger event in society / world that may have influenced?
Audience To whom is the author writing? How do you know?
Purpose What does the author want you to believe or understand? What is the purpose of the text?
Speaker What do we know about the speaker? How does his/her background affect his point of view on the subject? Education?  Roles in society? Beliefs? Values?
Tone What is the attitude of the speaker or writer as revealed by the choice of vocabulary? Tone words: academic, formal, informal, sarcastic, humorous, informative, reflective,  persuasive, casual, argumentative, passionate, cautionary, condescending, respectful,  etc.

THEN, you and (possibly) your partner will collaborate to write a rhetorical precis for the text. You may choose to work alone or in pairs. Please complete your precis on a single sheet of lined paper. Be sure both of you contribute your handwriting!

Below are a few supports and reminders:

Sentence 1:  Note the name of the author, the genre and title of the work, and the 

publication date in parentheses; a rhetorically accurate verb; and a "that clause" containing the major assertion or thesis statement in the work.

Sentence 2: An explanation of how the author develops and supports the thesis, usually in chronological order.

Sentence 3: A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in order to” phrase.

Sentence 4: A description of the intended audience, the relationship the author establishes with the audience, or both.

For you visual learners, here is a frame of what each sentence should look like:

And here are definitions for each part of the frame:

"Rise of the Cheaters"

Today you and a partner will be previewing, and then ultimately reading an article about academic honesty in America.


1. With your partner, one of you will open the document Cheating on the Rise

2. Whichever partner opens the document will need to name it, and share it with the OTHER PARTNER and with the Mr. Smith.

3. With your partner, complete the "Surveying the Text" (pages 2-3 of the document). Remember, you are only previewing the text at this point, not reading the whole thing. Also remember that you are taking notes on what your partner thinks, in the chart, based on your discussion.

4. Once you have finished surveying the text, you and your partner will read the text, "Cheating on the Rise Among High School Students."

Academic Honesty Survey

Finish yesterdays group reading assignment

Then we will complete another servery. This time it is relevant to you and our school

Today we are beginning a unit where we are going to study trends in academic honesty, cheating, and ethics among high school students. We will study some national and international trends, and compare them to trends we see at PLHS. Eventually, you will write about our findings. In order to collect the data that we are going to analyze, today you will take an anonymous survey about academic honesty.


Academic Honest Policy

Monday 5/7

Make sure to complete the Survey  (Due Today)

Since we just completed a unit, today would be a good day for a writing competition! Today's competition is going to give you the opportunity to practice your argumentative writing skills about a topic that interests you.

Follow the steps below:

1. Write as much as you can for 15 minutes in your English Journal about a current "hot topic" that interests you. Make a clear claim about your opinion on the topic, then support it with reasons and evidence. Not sure what to write about? Here are a few suggestions:

• Does technology make us more alone?
• What should be done to curb cyberbullying?
• What is more important: our privacy or national security?
• What should be done to prevent gun violence in schools?
• Is academic honesty a problem at our school?
• Should computers become the primary way that students learn in class?

2. Share with a group of 3 or 4. We will do this by CAREFULLY passing the Chromebooks.

3. Table groups will select the most successful.

4. I'll choose the overall classroom winner of the day!

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