LESSON 3.5
Grade the Variable
Grades 7 - Adult
Grade the Variable
You can grade the ungraded variable just as you did the previous one—
New = Educated adult readers are unlikely to know much about the idea AND are likely to be interested.
Old = Educated adult readers likely know a lot about the idea OR are unlikely to be interested
In addition to the above, you can grade an idea “Old” if you feel the idea is too broad to cover in a few paragraphs. After all, you want to write an essay, not a book.
Example
Let’s grade the 15 ideas from Lesson 5.4. You probably won’t agree with some of the grades. That doesn’t matter. No grading system is perfect.
| Graded Variable | Grade | Ungraded Variable | Old or New Idea? | Reason for Old |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Baker | N | White slavery | N | |
| Jim Bridger | N | The Old West in 1820 | N | |
| John Muir | N | Yosemite National Park | O | Old info |
| Percy Fawcett | N | The search for El Dorado | N | |
| Olga Korbut | N | Women’s gymnastics before 1972 | N | |
| Billy Mills | N | Racism against Native Amer runners | N | |
| Steve Prefontaine | N | The creation of Nike shoes | N | |
| Wilma Rudolph | N | Childhood polio | N | |
| Abebe Bikila | N | The rise of African runners | N | |
| Dorando Pietri | N | Controversies about the marathon | N | |
| Eliud Kipchoge | N | The history of the marathon | N | |
| Kathrine Switzer | N | The history of women’s long-distance running | N | |
| Pheidippides | N | Running and the Ancient Greeks | O | Probably don’t care |
| Jason Lee | N | The history of skateboarding | O | Probably don’t care |
Task 3.5.1 – Individual, Small Group, or Class
Grade the ungraded variable from Lesson 5.4
If you end up with fewer than five New, then brainstorm and grade more ideas.