DepED Cabadbaran

Learning Activity Sheets

for
Senior High School
Subject: Reading and Writing Skills

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 Quarter 3- MODULE 1
Reading & Thinking Strategies across Text Types

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Compare and contrast patterns of written texts across disciplines.

a) Paragraph Development - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3
b) Narration - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.1
c) Description - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.2
d) Definition - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.3
e) Classification - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.4
f) Comparison & Contrast - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.5
g) Cause & Effect - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.6
h) Problem-Solution - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.7
i) Persuasion - EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.8

Specific Objectives:

1. compare and contrast patterns of written texts across disciplines:

a) Narration
b) Description & Definition
c) Classification
d) Comparison & Contrast
e) Cause and Effect
f) Problem-Solution
g) Persuasion

ARMELA S, JAPOR
Writer/Developer
CCNHS-SHS

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Name: __________________________________ Grade & Section: ___________________
School: ___________________________________________________________________
Teacher: __________________________________________________________________

LESSON 7
“Patterns of Development: Classification”

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

 Determine the purpose and structure of the classification essay.

 Understand how to write a classification essay.

What I Need to Know

The Purpose of Classification in Writing

The purpose of classification is to break down broad subjects into smaller,
more manageable, more specific parts. We classify things in our daily lives
all the time, often without even thinking about it. Cell phones, for example,
have now become part of a broad category. They can be classified as feature
phones, media phones, and smartphones.
Smaller categories, and the way in which these categories are created, help
us make sense of the world. Keep both of these elements in mind when
writing a classification essay.
Tip
Choose topics that you know well when writing classification essays. The
more you know about a topic, the more you can break it into smaller, more
interesting parts. Adding interest and insight will enhance your
classification essays.
The Structure of a Classification Essay
The classification essay opens with an introductory paragraph that
introduces the broader topic. The thesis should then explain how that topic
is divided into subgroups and why. Take the following introductory
paragraph, for example:

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When people think of New York, they often think of only New York City. But
New York is actually a diverse state with a full range of activities to do,
sights to see, and cultures to explore. In order to better understand the
diversity of New York State, it is helpful to break it into these five separate
regions: Long Island, New York City, Western New York, Central New York,
and Northern New York.
The underlined thesis explains not only the category and subcategory but
also the rationale for breaking it into those categories. Through this
classification essay, the writer hopes to show his or her readers a different
way of considering the state.
Each body paragraph of a classification essay is dedicated to fully
illustrating each of the subcategories. In the previous example, then, each
region of New York would have its own paragraph.
The conclusion should bring all the categories and subcategories back
together again to show the reader the big picture. In the previous example,
the conclusion might explain how the various sights and activities of each
region of New York add to its diversity and complexity.
Tip
To avoid settling for an overly simplistic classification, make sure you break
down any given topic at least three different ways. This will help you think
outside the box and perhaps even learn something entirely new about a
subject.
Writing a Classification Essay
Start with an engaging opening that will adequately introduce the general
topic that you will be dividing into smaller subcategories. Your thesis should
come at the end of your introduction. It should include the topic, your
subtopics, and the reason you are choosing to break down the topic in the
way that you are. Use the following classification thesis equation:
topic + subtopics + rationale for the subtopics = thesis.
The organizing strategy of a classification essay is dictated by the initial
topic and the subsequent subtopics. Each body paragraph is dedicated to
fully illustrating each of the subtopics. In a way, coming up with a strong
topic pays double rewards in a classification essay. Not only do you have a
good topic, but you also have a solid organizational structure within which
to write.
Be sure you use strong details and explanations for each subcategory
paragraph that help explain and support your thesis. Also, be sure to give
examples to illustrate your points. Finally, write a conclusion that links all
the subgroups together again. The conclusion should successfully wrap up

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your essay by connecting it to your topic initially discussed in the
introduction.

Method of Paragraph Development by CLASSIFICATION

           Classifying is the grouping together of items/ objects according to a

given basis. In classifying, it is important to consider the similarities of
objects and dividing them according to their differences.

           Mills and Waters (1980) in Igoy et. al. defined classification as

almost any act of noting relationships; the act of locating a specimen of all
the different kinds of objects which possess a given characteristics.
Example:

            "Each of Jamaica's four great gardens, although established along

similar principles, has acquired its own distinctive aura. Hope Gardens, in
the heart of Kingston, evokes postcard pictures from the 1950s of public
parks, gracious and vaguely suburban and filled with familiar favorites--
lantana and marigolds--as well as exotics. Bath has retained its Old World
character; it is the easiest to conjure as it must have looked in Bligh's time.
Cinchona of the clouds is otherworldly. And Castleton, the garden
established to replace Bath, fleetingly evokes that golden age of Jamaican
tourism, when visitors arrived in their own yachts--the era of Ian Fleming
and Noel Coward, before commercial air travel unloaded ordinary mortals all
over the island." (Caroline Alexander, "Captain Bligh's Cursed Breadfruit."
The Smithsonian, Sep. 2009)

Key Takeaways
 The purpose of classification is to break a subject into smaller, more
manageable, more specific parts.
 Smaller subcategories help us make sense of the world, and the way
in which these subcategories are created also helps us make sense of
the world.
 A classification essay is organized by its subcategories.

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 Learning Activities

Activity 1 “LET’S GET STARTED”

Direction: On a separate sheet of paper, break the following categories into

smaller classifications.
1. The United States
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2. Colleges and universities
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3. Beverages
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4. Fashion
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Activity 2: “LET’S TRY IT ON”

Directions: Using your classifications from Activity 1, write a brief

paragraph explaining why you chose to organize each main category in the
way that you did. Write your answer in a sheet of paper.

Activity 3 “NOW WE’RE WORKING ON IT”

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Direction: Building on Activity 1 and Activity 2, write a five-paragraph
classification essay about one of the four original topics. In your thesis
statement, make sure to include the topic, subtopics, and rationale for your
breakdown. And make sure that your essay is organized into paragraphs
that each describes a subtopic. Write your answer in a piece of yellow paper.

Assessment
Direction: Read the statements below and choose the letter with the correct
answer.
1. Is this topic sentence for a classification paragraph correct? "Animals
can be categorized into wild and domestic."
a. Correct
b. The categories are missing
c. The topic is missing
d. The organizing principle is missing
2. The following words are used as transition words in the classification
paragraph
a. Next
b. Third
c. Another
d. Quality
e. Sorts
3. Is this topic sentence of a classification paragraph correct?
"Workers can be categorized into procrastinators and doers based on
how they manage time."
a. The topic is missing
b. The categories are missing
c. Correct
d. The organizing principle is missing
4. Which of the following describes classification-division text structure?
a. A writer sorts items or ideas into topics or categories.
b. A writer discusses the different classifications of literature.
c. A writer divides his work into three distinct chapters.
d. A writer writes a narrative piece about classification and division.

5. To classify is to ______________________
a. Sort things into parts
b. Define groups

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 c. Sort things into one group
d. Group things together

Enrichment

Activity 4 “LET’S WRITE”

Directions: Write a paragraph discussing two types of energy resources.

Teachers Note: I am not grading your ideas. I am grading your ability to put
your ideas into a structured form. By including all of the necessary parts in
the correct order, you will create writing of a higher quality than if you just
throw all your ideas into an unorganized list. Readers will be able to follow
your ideas and your teacher will be happy!

Answers Key

Activity 1 & 2 & 3: Answers may vary

Assessment:
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. A

Enrichment: Answers may vary

References

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https://www.slideshare.net/MerveSarolu/classification-paragraph-writing-
education
https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/8-3-drafting/
http://slsuwritersblock.blogspot.com/2010/10/method-of-paragraph-
development-by_7241.html

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