Current Project: Paragraph Structure and the History of Intelligence Testing

I recently prepared a lesson plan for an application and thought I'd share an abbreviated version of it here. I really enjoyed coming up with this activity because it focuses on developing a skill that I myself continue to struggle with: forming writing into coherent paragraphs. This version uses early intelligence tests from the 1920s as a primary source for students to experience in different ways and encourage them to shape the evidence gained from their approach to the sources into a well-structured paragraph.

Below are the objectives of the lesson, a description of the activity itself, and the materials needed for the lesson. 

Objectives

Primary: Practice proper paragraph structure; understand the three critical parts of a paragraph (topic sentence, evidence, and analysis).

Secondary: Develop facility with forming thoughts into a structured argument quickly; understand that different levels of access to information can lead to different styles of writing or arguments; gain a greater appreciation of the history of intelligence testing and issues culture presents in measuring innate intelligence

Activity

Part 1 (10 min.): The class will split into three sections. Section 1 will be given the Alpha exam (App. A). Section 2 will be given the Beta exam (App. B). These sections, the “testers,” will take the exams they have been given. Section 3, the “analysts” will be given both exams and instructions not to take the exams, but to annotate them analytically (App. C).

Part 2 (15 min): Each student will use the paragraph structure worksheet (App. D) to formulate their thoughts about the exam(s).

Part 3 (15 min): Discussion and debriefing. Students from each group will share the paragraphs they created and consider the following questions together:

• What arguments did you make about the material? Did the three groups tend to have differing interpretations?
• What section of the paragraph was easiest/hardest to write?
• How did you use the evidence you had at your disposal to argue your point?
• Does the revelation of information from other groups change your interpretation?

Part 4 (flexible):  Students receive answer sheets (App. E). These can be explored by students individually as their curiosity leads. However, if time allows and if instructor wishes to extend secondary objectives, lead a discussion about what the context adds to their interpretations.

• Did you find any of these questions difficult to answer?
• Why do you think these tests are different? Is one of them harder than the other?
• These tests are clearly culturally biased, which we can see in part because of the ways US culture has changed since the 1920s. Do modern intelligence tests have similar problems? Is that more difficult for us to see because we are enmeshed in the culture?

Materials

Appendix A: Alpha test (courtesy of archive.org).

Appendix B: Beta test (from Gould, 241)

Appendix C: Instructions for Sections 1, 2, and 3

Appendix D: Paragraph Structure Worksheet

Appendix E: Answer keys for Alpha and Beta exams (archive.org; Gould, 240) 

Appendices

Appendix A

Appendix B

Draw in what is missing.

Appendix C:

Sections 1 and 2:

Take this exam. You will write a paragraph based on your experience of taking the exam in part 2.

Section 3:

Analyze these two exams. What stands out to you about each? How do they compare? Annotate each exam with your thoughts—circling, marginal notes, etcetera. You will write a paragraph based on your analysis of the exams in part 2.

Appendix D

Paragraph Structure Worksheet

Use this worksheet to help you construct a paragraph about your material. You can work on the sections in whatever order makes sense to you. You will probably have false starts that don’t make it into your final paragraph. When you finish, you may copy the entire paragraph on the back of this worksheet, or just indicate which sentences should be incorporated into the final product by underlining them.

Use the following question as a jumping off point:

These tests were designed to measure intelligence. Do they succeed?

1. Topic Sentence: The thesis of your paragraph. What arguments could you make on this topic?

2. Evidence: This is a selection from the materials you have. What aspects of the materials stood out to you? Describe them.

3. Analysis: Take a look at the evidence you’ve identified. How does that evidence prove your argument? Explain why.

Optional: Is there anything else that a reader might need to know to understand your paragraph? Write that here, and indicate where that sentence should go with an arrow or a description.

Appendix E

Easier to read here. 

Note: The worksheet and materials could also be used in other ways: for writing-focused courses, the worksheet could be reframed to reflect on different primary sources or used as a template to organize thoughts for a final paper. If one wanted to emphasize intelligence testing instead of writing skills, Part 1 and Part 4 could be undertaken without incorporating the writing focus of Parts 2 and 3.