Lesson by Daniel Roche
Description (for Instructors)
This in-class lesson plan uses a series of free-write prompts; instructor-led discussions; and analytic, evaluative, and revision-based activities to help students identify how “cohesion” and “coherence” affect writing, as well as how to enhance these two elements in business texts. Students learn what these terms mean, how to recognize them in various texts, and how to address them in revision.
To encourage students’ post-class transfer of learned skills, this lesson uses professional email samples—a genre nearly universal among all professional fields—to guide the class’s exploration.
The following lesson is designed to be completed synchronously in class. However, it can be adapted into an asynchronous lesson using various tools, such as an interactive quiz, on the Course Management System (CMS) of your choice.
Materials
Explanation (for Students)
1.) Discuss terms
Consider the terms “coherence” and “cohesion,” as well as your associations with them. Some questions you may consider are as follows:
- What do these terms mean?
- How do they differ from one another?
- How do they relate to writing?
Take 2-3 minutes to jot down some of your ideas. Then, we’ll discuss our associations, definitions, and ideas as a class.
For Instructors: During/after this discussion, give students a summary definition of both terms and explain how they relate to writing. Examples can be found below:
Cohesion: Can be thought of as the experience of seeing pairs of sentences fit neatly together, the way two Lego® pieces do. Cohesion also relates to…
- Sense of sentence-by-sentence flow by which the reader moves through a passage, with each sentence connecting to the previous one and the one that follows.
- The beginning of a sentence is its topic: it’s what the sentence is about.
- The end of a sentence is its stress: it’s what the sentence delivers, what’s most important about it.
Coherence: Can be thought of as the experience of recognizing what all the sentences in a piece of writing add up to, the way lots of Lego® pieces add up to a building, bridge, or boat. Put simply, coherence refers to the paragraph, page, and entire document.
- Coherence refers to the overall sense of unity in a whole passage, including the relationships between the main points in each sentence and the main point of each paragraph.
- Coherence focuses the reader’s attention on the specific people, things, and events about which you write.]
2. Evaluate a Text
Take the next 2-3 minutes to read the following paragraph and answer the following question: On a scale of 1-10, how clear is this passage? Then, with a partner, discuss why you feel that way.
Since the discovery that one factor of its development might be genetic, great strides in the early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s have been made in recent years. Senility in an older patient who seemed to be losing touch with reality was often confused with Alzheimer’s. Genetic clues have become the basis of newer and more reliable tests in the last few years. The risk of human tragedy of another kind, though, has resulted from the increasing accuracy of these tests: Predictions about susceptibility to Alzheimer’s have become possible, long before the appearance of any overt symptoms. An apparently healthy person could be devastated by such an early diagnosis at that point.
3. Watch Video
As a class, watch the video “Ira Glass on the Creative Process.” Consider what Glass means by “taste,” your personal taste, and where you are in your writing journey where taste/execution are considered.
4. Discuss
In small groups, discuss what—according to your “taste”—helps enhance cohesion/coherence in writing. What tools are at writers’ disposal when addressing these elements? After 3-5 minutes, we will come together as a class and discuss your responses.
For Instructors: During/after this discussion, offer students a few tools that can aid their writing’s coherence/cohesion. For instance…
- Additive words: Also, and, as well as, at the same time as, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, too, not only… but also.
- Amplification words: As, for example, for instance, in fact, specifically, such as, that is, to illustrate
- Repetitive words: Again, in other words, that is, to repeat
- Contrast words: But, conversely, despite, even though, however, in contrast, notwithstanding, on the one hand / on the other hand, still, although, though, whereas, yet, nevertheless, on the contrary, in spite of this
- Cause and effect words: Accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, since, as, so, then, therefore, thus
- Qualifying words: Although, if, even, therefore, unless
- Example: For example, for instance]
5. Apply Cohesion
Read the sample email provided below, then consider the bulleted elements/questions that follow:
From: Clark.Kent534@Illinois.edu
To: Student Guidance Center
Subject: Need help with schedule
Hi,
This email is in regards to my substituting a requirement for graduation of ESL115. As you may know, I have already taken another English writing course. I am now in my senior year and since I am going to enter math graduate school, I hope to take more graduate math courses to get well prepared. I can only substitute ESL115 because my other courses are general education requirements.
Thanks!
Clark
- Subject line: How could the subject line better encapsulate the issue?
- Greeting: What could be a more appropriate greeting?
- Introduction: What information should we include in the introduction? (Hint: Who the heck is Clark?)
- Detail: What is Clark’s issue? Why should we care about this problem?
- Ask/Action: What is Clark asking for in terms of a solution?
- Closing: What would be a more appropriate closing?
For Instructors: While examining the sample text, dissect its organization as identified in the above-bulleted list. For example:
Greeting:
Good afternoon,
Introduction:
My name is Clark Kent and my student NetID is: _________. I’m a senior majoring in mathematics and I’m currently scheduled to graduate this May 2020.
Detail:
Unfortunately, I recently discovered that I am missing a required composition credit needed to graduate. The course is ESL115, Principles of Academic Writing. As a freshman, I completed Rhetoric 105 which I thought fulfilled the required composition credit needed to graduate.
Ask/Action:
Now as a senior who intends to graduate this semester, I would like to request that this requirement to take ESL115 be waived. I am excellent academic standing and I believe due to the advanced courses I’ve completed, I have fulfilled the basic requirements needed to successfully complete ESL115.
Furthermore, instead of taking ESL115, I would like to take a graduate level mathematics course as I plan on earning an advanced degree in mathematics in the near future.
Closing:
Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response. Should you like to meet in person, I would be happy to come by your office at my earliest convenience.
Kind regards,
Clark]
6. Evaluate “Cohesion”
Read the sample email provided below, then consider the bulleted elements/questions that follow. We will then come together as a class and discuss your responses.
- What issues stand out with this example?
- Can you find an example in which the writer successfully uses cohesion?
7. Evaluate and Compare “Cohesion”
Read the sample email provided below, then consider the bulleted elements/questions that follow. We will then come together as a class and discuss your responses.
- How does this example compare with the previous example?
- Can you find an example in which the writer successfully uses cohesion?
8. Lesson Review
Pretend you are writing to someone who has no idea what “coherence” and “cohesion” mean. In your notes, answer the following prompts:
- How would you summarize “cohesion”?
- How would you summarize “coherence”?