Preparing for Writing Performance Tasks: Readying Students for Success in Writing and State Tests

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1 Preparing for Writing Performance Tasks: Readying Students for Success in Writing and State Tests "If students are to make knowledge their own, they must struggle with the details, wrestle with the facts, and rework raw information and dimly understood concepts into language they can communicate to someone else. In short, if students are to learn, they must write. National Commission on Writing SET 2

2 NAME DATE ideo Notes How was the railroad built? What were the challenges in building the railroad? Why was the transcontinental railroad so important for the United States? Other Notes: Your notes will not be scored. Being a Writer Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide O Informative/Explanatory Writing BLM1

3 NAME DATE Student Directions for Part 1 Part 1 (35 minutes) Your Task You will watch the video again and then read an article about the transcontinental railroad to learn more about the topic. Then you will answer three research questions about what you have learned. In Part 2, you will write a report about the transcontinental railroad. You will be able to refer to the sources, your notes, and the answers to the research questions when you write your report. Steps to Follow In order to plan and write your report, you will do the following: 1. Examine the sources. 2. Take notes about the information in the sources using graphic organizers. 3. Answer three research questions to help you think about key information in the sources. Directions for Beginning You will have 35 minutes to examine the sources, take notes, and answer the research questions. Your answers will be scored. Being a Writer Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide O Informative/Explanatory Writing BLM2

4 2 Building The 2 During the 1800s, there were many railroads. However, none of them connected the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Some people dreamed of connecting the two coasts by rail. Several had even begun the planning. However, it wasn t until President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 that the first transcontinental railroad got underway. TWO RAILROAD COMPANIES, ONE GOAL Leland Stanford has been given a lot of credit for getting the railroad started. He was the president of the Central Pacific Railroad Company. C. P. Huntington was the vice president, and Mark Hopkins was the treasurer. Charles Crocker was in charge of the work. Together they were called the big four. Two railroad companies were hired to do the job. The Union Pacific Railroad Company would work west from Omaha, Nebraska. The Central Pacific Railroad Company, headed by Stanford, would work east from Sacramento, California. The company that laid the most track would receive more money and land grants. Transcontinental Railroad P P O The Central Pacific Railroad Company built east from Sacramento while the Union Pacific Railroad Company built west from Omaha. The two railroads came together at Promontory Point in Utah. S

5 D Transcontinental Railroad Timeline D 1845 Congress fails to fund a transcontinental railroad Congress passes the Pacific Railroad Act granting land and money to build the railroad The first passenger train crosses the Sierra Nevada mountains to Reno, Nevada The first steam locomotive in the United States begins service Donner Pass is identified as the best route through the mountains Work begins on the railroad Chinese workers are hired on the Central Pacific line The Civil War ends, and many soldiers go to work on the railroads The Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines are joined with the golden spike at Promontory Point in Utah. A CHALLENGING TASK Most of the Union Pacific Railroad workers were Irish immigrants and Civil War veterans. Bad weather and flooding slowed them down. Bridges were washed out and had to be rebuilt. Strong trees for building railroad ties and bridges were not available in the plains. Sometimes trees had to be hauled from miles away. The Central Pacific Railroad laid track through California and Nevada and into Utah. They had to build in both the desert and through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The conditions were both harsh and dangerous. Winters in the mountains were very cold with deep snow. In the desert, there was no shade to protect against the heat. It was also hard for the Central Pacific Railroad Company to find and keep workers. Silver was discovered in Nevada around this time. Many of the workers left the railroad to mine for silver. There weren t enough men to build the railroad. In 1865 Charles Crocker started to hire Chinese immigrants. The Chinese workers quickly showed they could work long hours in harsh conditions. One of the most dangerous jobs was using explosives to blast through rock to build tunnels and lay track. Men sometimes had to hang over cliffs by ropes to place the explosives. The Chinese workers did most of the blasting needed to build tunnels and lay track. By 1869 more than 11,000 railroad workers were Chinese. They proved themselves to be skilled and hardworking laborers who played a significant role in building the transcontinental railroad. 2

6 JOINING THE RAILROADS Both railroads were joined on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Point in Utah. People gathered to celebrate the completion of one of the most remarkable accomplishments in the history of the United States. To honor the occasion, the last railroad tie was hammered down with a golden spike by representatives from both railroads. To honor the occasion, the last railroad tie was hammered down with a golden spike by representatives from both railroads. Train service began five days later. The first trip was from Omaha, Nebraska, to Sacramento, California. It was now cheaper and faster to ride trains across the country than to travel any other way. The sea voyage around the southern tip of South America took at least four months. The land voyage by wagon took about six months. It took less than a week by rail! People and goods could at last move quickly across the country. It s fair to say that the transcontinental railroad changed America forever. The Last Spike by Thomas Hill by Corbis Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Many people gathered to celebrate the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

7 NAME DATE Article Notes How was the railroad built? What were the challenges in building the railroad? Why was the transcontinental railroad so important for the United States? Other Notes: Your notes will not be scored. Being a Writer Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide O Informative/Explanatory Writing BLM4

8 NAME DATE Research Questions Directions: Answer the three questions below. Write in the space provided after each question. You may refer to the article and your notes to answer the questions. 1. What companies built the transcontinental railroad, and how did they share the work? Use details from the sources in your answer. 2. What happened around 1865 that affected work on the railroad? Use details from the sources in your answer. 3. The article says that building the transcontinental railroad was one of the most remarkable accomplishments in the history of the United States. What was so remarkable about it? Use details from the sources in your answer. Being a Writer Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide O Informative/Explanatory Writing BLM5

9 NAME DATE Student Directions for Part 2 Part 2 (70 minutes) Your Task You will have 70 minutes to write your report. You should review your notes and sources. Then plan, write, and revise your writing. You may also refer to the answers you wrote to the research questions in Part 1, but you cannot change those answers. Your Writing Assignment Your class is getting ready for an open house for parents. Student reports will be on display. Write a report about the transcontinental railroad to present at the open house. Here are some ideas about what to include in your report: How the railroad was built What the challenges were in building it Why the railroad was so important Begin Work on Your Report Manage your time carefully so that you can: Plan your report (15 minutes) Write your report (40 minutes) Revise and edit for a final draft (15 minutes) You may use a dictionary to check spelling. Things to Remember Remember that a well-written report: Establishes a main idea Gives evidence from the sources to support the main idea Is well-organized and stays on topic Explains information clearly Uses language appropriate to the purpose and task Follows rules for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar Being a Writer Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide O Informative/Explanatory Writing BLM6

10 Writing Time Reread the writing assignment in Student Directions for Part 2. Write an opening paragraph that introduces the topic and hooks the reader. Include evidence (facts and other details) from the sources in your writing. Include transition words and other qualities of a well-written report in your writing. Write a conclusion that wraps up the writing. Being a Writer Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide Informative/Explanatory Writing WA5

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