Module 7: Predictable Stuff

Oral Tradition

ISSUE

• This situation will underlie numerous “Problem” passages because the failure to utilize all available evidence will create a lack of information or a gap in knowledge.

• This is especially true for passages about courts because cultures that rely on oral traditions will have difficulty presenting evidence in the courtroom.

APOV

• APOV will almost always show great sympathy for the culture that relies on oral tradition.

• APOV will typically address a potential solution to the problem, but APOVs will vary a lot in terms of the extent to which the APOV believes that the solution will actually work.

Traditional Theories

• Any theory that includes a 100% concept is vulnerable because just one piece of counterevidence KILLS the theory.

• The "canary" will be the ISSUE because that is THE discovery that killed the TTPOV.

• Anticipate getting past the SRE details quickly, but slow down for the results of the SRE.

• APOV typically comes towards then end of the passage in the form of some dramatic impact or implication (now that we know about the discovery)

Majority Culture Struggles

ISSUE

• The struggle is the ISSUE, so KNOW the struggle well. WACs will pick on a related struggle rather than the one that THIS passage covers.

• Once you visualize the struggle, predict that the TMs will present a solution to you.

APOV will almost always address the solution in one of the following ways.

1. APOV will sympathize with the minority culture

2. APOV will not necessarily hate too much on the majority culture. The typical APOV is, “that’s just what majority cultures do.”

3. APOV will support the SOL.

4. APOV will address the extent to which they think that the SOL will actually work. This aspect of APOV varies significantly across passages.

Break from Culture

ISSUE

• Typically, Body of Work (BoW)

• Almost always will indicate that one particular person or a subset of a group is not conforming to the groups RULES.

HPOV

• Because we value freedom of expression, we will call the group with the rules “the haters.”

• HPOV will almost always notice that the artist in question does not conform to convention. APOV

• Almost always will …

1. Support the individual’s right to break the rules.

2. Respond to the haters in a “Back Off!” way.

Mixing ideas

ISSUE

Typically a BoW ISSUE, but can come up in scientific discovery passages or CoO passages.

OPOV

Typically, the mixing of ideas will counter certain norms or just seem weird to someone, which creates OPOV. This has heavy crossover with Break from Culture.

APOV

Will almost always find some way of justifying the mixing, but that justification varies from very specific to highly conceptual. Prepare for APOV to justify the mixing or at the very least for the APOV to show some level of scholarly appreciation (TM words right there).

Content v Style

ISSUE

In BoW passages, especially those covering the Arts, you distinguish passages from one another based on the three categories above.

APOV

APOV will probably use words like, “unique,” “innovative,” or “striking” to describe the reasons that the work is special.

WACs

• WACS often address some aspect of a work that this particular passage did NOT review. So, if the passage only reviews the Content of the Mexican American writers, then WACs will often address the Style of their work.

• In passages that address both Content & Style, the MPW will often address just one of the two.

Two Part Issue

ISSUE

• The ISSUE will be one that clearly provides two problems, two aspects of a BoW, or some other way of breaking the ISSUE into two pieces. This is essentially a list in the ISSUE.

• Occasionally, the TMs will use the same construct for 3-Part ISSUE.

• Frequently, TMs try to hide this from you with a very dense ISSUE.

STRUCTURE

• The most important aspect here is that the structure of the passage should be defined by the 2-Part Issue.

ACs

• WACs in MP Qs will address one part of the 2-Part Issue

Fragmentary Knowledge

ISSUE

• The fragmentary nature of the sources IS the PROBLEM that serves as the ISSUE. So, KNOW the topic that researchers are trying to study and KNOW the specific sources that have provided only a partial picture.

• A reference to “written records” often initiates this type of ISSUE because written records are almost never complete and because of the “oral traditions” dynamics in Module 7.1.

APOV

• APOV almost always addresses a solution, which will fill in a gap in the knowledge.

• Almost always, the solution will seem really random. The TMs make the solution feel random to confuse test takers. So, predict not only that you will get a solution but also that the solution will feel very random.

• The author is typically very proud of having filled in the gap.

Myths, Notions, Assumptions

ISSUE

• When one POV accuses another of believing in a myth, that creates an instant CoO because the term myth means, “YOU ARE WRONG.”

OPOV. Know the OPOV

APOV

• Typically, accusing someone else of being wrong about a statement can be interpreted more than one way or is ambiguous in some other way.

• So, YOU will need to eliminate that ambiguity by digging deeper.

Incomplete Ideas

ISSUE

• This CoO represents a partial agree & partial disagree.

• They agree that the first factor mentioned is part of the deal, but they disagree about whether the first factor is the whole deal.

Impact or implication of the complete POV

• Look for implication of the more complete POV. For example, if the passage is about government policy or law, then look for policy implications of the more complete POV.

Miscategorization of a Work

ISSUE

• BoW or CoO

OPOV. Someone will miscategorize the work, which will cause them to misinterpret the work and not appreciate the work.

APOV

• APOV will call out the OPOV for their misunderstanding.

• APOV will typically indicate the proper genre (categorization), which will facilitate proper evaluation of the work.

I KNOW your Thoughts

ISSUE

• Typically BoW

• The ISSUE will cover what the person is doing.

APOV

• The APOV addresses the thoughts of the person who did the work. Think about Art passages.

• Look for thought words, like “intent,” “motivation,” “seeks to,” etcetera to ID APOV.

Not Fair/Not Logical

ISSUE

• Typically CoO, but could also be a PROB-SOL or a BoW passage

POVs

• TMs try to understate the debate or the problem to test whether you can figure out how intense the debate really is.

• You will look out for unfair or illogical.

Pump Fake

Pump Fake

• TMs present something with which you probably have a lot of familiarity and that sounds like a full blown ISSUE.

• Then, TMs dismiss that potential issue to state the REAL Issue.

Issue.

• TMs almost always use dismissive language or contrast words to simultaneously dismiss the Pump Fake and introduce the real ISSUE.

Research Trends

ISSUE

• A trend in research itself can be a BoW, but this could come up in other types of Issue.

APOV

• Often comments on both the good and the bad of the trend.

• Often states something that we lost with the trend.

• Often states something that was missing before the trend.

• TMs often convey APOV with quippy words that comment on the trend in the middle of stating the trend.

Kumbaya

ISSUE

• This will be a CoO between two thinkers who each believe their theory is the best and typically the only correct theory.

APOV

• Will NOT choose one theory over the other.

• Will assert that both theories are correct in one or more ways and that they can complement one another.

• Will typically indicate that the other two points of view do not understand each other.

• Sometimes uses a third theory to bring the other two together.

Same Term - Different Def

POVs

• Both agree that we should be “objective.”

• They disagree about the definition of “objective.”

YOU need to be very careful to understand the part that the POVs agree about and the part that they disagree about.

Evolution over Time

ISSUE

• Sometimes the ISSUE is a heading for a list. The list will be the stages of the evolution over time.

• Typically, these passages address a particular author or artist. Sometimes these passages address the evolution of other things. For example, one passage addresses the evolution of purpose and use of wampum for certain Native Americans.

• Pay attention to stages or timelines.

APOV

• The evolution — over time — will fascinate the author of the passage in some way.

• The evolution could pertain to the Style or the Content of the work.