Teacher Notes on Instruction-Writing Exercises

Exercise 7: Butterscotch brownies

Context for this case:

Prerequisites:

Scaffolded, flawed instructions.
Guidelines for reference.

Cognitive Apprenticeship Features:

Successive approximation to a better version.
Again applies cherry-picking iterative edits.

Supporting References:

Good instruction guidelines.

Relevant CA Content Standards

Goal:: To improve a longer set of instructions that contains multiple latent problems, some intertwined.
Strategy:: Exercise 7, like Exercise 6 and less like Exercises 4 and 5, stresses finding logical problems hidden within already listed steps.
APPROACHES:
In Exercise 6 the problems were spread fairly thinly among the steps (one per step). In Exercise 7, however, several problems often occur in the same step. Students must spot all of them and notice how they weave together. A fully improved step needs to offer a "combined solution" that responds to every problem that the original version poses. Exercise 7 thus affords good practice reinforcing the editing skills learned in Exercise 6. You might also want to review the comments on "real-life revisions" in Exercise 2 or the usability remarks in the notes on Exercise 6.
Students still uncertain about finding and fixing such hidden logical problems may benefit more from Exercise 7 if you present it (on viewgraphs or a flip chart, for example) in a way that lets you focus attention on each single step in turn and progressively disclose (just) one problem and proposed solution at a time. This is a fairly long exercise. One practical approach explores the first three steps in detail, then pauses to review how the guidelines are in play here, then moves on to explore the last three steps. (For another case with about the same length and scope as Exercise 7 but on a more abstract topic, see Exercise 12.)
STUDENT VERSION:
This is another scaffolded but unworked example.
ANNOTATED VERSION:
The annotated version contains fully articulated proposed solutions (often "combined solutions" to several intertwined problems) among the scaffolding along the right side. This makes (side by side) comparison with each original step easy. The annotated version of Exercise 7 also provides a good skill self-review to prepare for later exercises.

Case:

Student version:

(7) Butterscotch brownies

Into a saucepan go-----------------------PROBLEM:
    1 cup of                             SOLUTION:
      brown sugar
    1/4 cup of
      melted butter----------------------PROBLEM:
                                         SOLUTION:

Remove from heat and---------------------PROBLEM:
stir in                                  SOLUTION:
    1 egg
    1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine in a mixing bowl
    some flour---------------------------PROBLEM:
    1 teaspoon baking powder             SOLUTION:
    1/2 teaspoon salt

After
    you stir the dry ingredients---------PROBLEM:
    into the butter/sugar mixture,       SOLUTION:
    then add 1 cup of chopped nuts.------PROBLEM:
                                         SOLUTION:

Pour
    into a 9-by-9-inch
    floured baking pan.------------------PROBLEM:
                                         SOLUTION:

Bake
    for 20-25 minutes in a
    350-degree preheated oven.-----------PROBLEM:
                                         SOLUTION:

Annotated version:

(7) Butterscotch brownies

Into a saucepan go-----------------------PROBLEM: NO OVERT COMMAND
    1 cup of                             SOLUTION:: (see next problem)
      brown sugar
    1/4 cup of
      melted butter----------------------PROBLEM: HIDDEN STEP GOES FIRST
                                         SOLUTION: combined solution--
                                         Melt in a saucepan
                                            1/4 cup butter
                                         Stir
                                            into the melted butter
                                            1 cup sugar

Remove from heat and---------------------PROBLEM: TWO STEPS COMBINED
stir in                                  SOLUTION:
    1 egg                                Remove from heat.
    1 teaspoon vanilla                   Stir in...

Combine in a mixing bowl
    some flour---------------------------PROBLEM: NEEDED DETAIL MISSING
    1 teaspoon baking powder             SOLUTION: specify
    1/2 teaspoon salt                    (1/2 cup flour)

After
    you stir the dry ingredients---------PROBLEM: NO OVERT COMMAND
    into the butter/sugar mixture,       SOLUTION: Stir in the dry...
    then add 1 cup of chopped nuts.------PROBLEM: TWO STEPS COMBINED
                                         SOLUTION: Add
                                                   1 cup of chopped nuts

Pour
    into a 9-by-9-inch
    floured baking pan.------------------PROBLEM: HIDDEN STEP
                                         SOLUTION: Grease and flour
                                                     a 9-by-9-inch pan.
                                                   Pour in the batter.

Bake
    for 20-25 minutes in a
    350-degree preheated oven.-----------PROBLEM: HIDDEN STEP
                                         PROBLEM: GOES FIRST
                                         SOLUTION: Make the first step
                                         "Preheat oven to 350 degrees"

Note:

This exercise most closely supports the following 1998 California English-Language Arts content standard(s).
Reading:
Grade 7--"Analyze text that uses the cause-and-effect organizational pattern" (p. 42).
Grade 9/10--"Critique the logic of functional documents by examining the sequence of information...in anticipation of possible reader misunderstandings" (p. 57).
Writing:
Grade 7--"Revise writing to improve organization and word choice after checking the logic of ideas..." (p. 44).
Grade 8--"Write technical documents...identify the sequence of activities needed to design a system, operate a tool..." (p. 51).

Contact: T. R. Girill trgirill@acm.org