Scaffolded Mock-Court Close Reading & Memorized Speech Workshop (Age 16) — Augustine, City of God Book 19 (T‑Model Sentence Parsing; Michael Clay Thompson method)

A playful, ACARA v9–aligned worksheet and mock-court performance scaffold in Ally McBeal cadence for Year 11–12 students. Includes T‑model sentence parsing templates (parts of speech for each word, phrase ID, sentence structure/type), exemplar parsings, and detailed rubric and coaching at Exemplar/Proficient/Meeting/Beginning levels. Ready for Book 19 first lines (paste your edition).

PDF

Playful Briefing: 'May it please the Court' — Close Reading Workshop

Audience: 16-year-old students. Tone: legalese + Ally McBeal cadence (light, theatrical, slightly singsong). Goal: close-read the first lines of Augustine's City of God, Book 19; parse each word (parts of speech), identify phrases, label sentence parts, determine sentence structure/type, then perform the memorized lines as a mock-court speech.

Step 0 — Text insertion (teacher/student)

Insert the exact first lines from your chosen translation of Book 19 here. If you prefer to paste the lines now, the worksheet boxes below will automatically align. For now, use the placeholder sentence provided for exemplars and practice (it mimics Augustine's register):

Placeholder (practice): "Now let us speak of the last things and of the city of God."

Tip: paste your edition (public-domain translations fine) into the blank below before printing or copying the worksheet for students.

[______________________________ YOUR TEXT HERE ______________________________]

Step 1 — T‑Model sentence parsing template (student worksheet)

Instructions: copy the sentence onto the top line. Under each word, write the part of speech (POS). In the left column label the sentence part (Subject/Predicate/Objects/Complements). In the lower boxes identify phrases and the sentence structure/type.

Top line: Full sentence (write it here)
[______________________________ S E N T E N C E H E R E ______________________________]
Label the sentence parts:

Subject: ____________

Predicate: __________

Direct Object: ______

Indirect Object: ____

Complement: ________

Adverbials: ________

Word-by-word (for each word):

Word 1:     POS:  

Word 2:     POS:  

Word 3:     POS:  

Word 4:     POS:  

Word 5:     POS:  

(Add more lines for longer sentences)

Identify phrases: Noun Phrase(s) __________ ; Verb Phrase(s) __________ ; Prepositional Phrase(s) __________

Sentence structure: (circle) Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-Complex

Sentence type: Declarative / Interrogative / Imperative / Exclamatory

Step 2 — Exemplar parsing & model performance (detailed)

We parse the placeholder sentence so you see every step. Teacher: replace this with your Book 19 lines and follow the exact same steps.

Sentence (exemplar):
Now let us speak of the last things and of the city of God.
Word-by-word parts of speech (fully labeled):
  • Now — adverb (sentence adverb; sets temporal/illocutionary frame)
  • let — verb (verb of permission/imperative helper in hortatory construction)
  • us — pronoun, first-person plural (object of let; functions as logical subject of speak)
  • speak — verb (bare infinitive; main lexical verb of the predicate)
  • of — preposition (introduces prepositional phrase)
  • the — definite article (determiner for noun 'last things')
  • last — adjective (modifies 'things')
  • things — noun (head of the noun phrase 'the last things')
  • and — coordinating conjunction (connects two prepositional phrases)
  • of — preposition (introduces second prepositional phrase)
  • the — definite article (determiner for noun 'city')
  • city — noun (head of the noun phrase 'the city of God')
  • of — preposition (introduces prepositional complement 'God')
  • God — proper noun (object of final 'of')
  • . (full stop)
Phrase identification:
  • Verb phrase (predicate): let us speak of the last things and of the city of God (let + VP)
  • Noun phrase (object of preposition): the last things
  • Noun phrase (object of preposition): the city of God
  • Prepositional phrase (adverbial/complement of speak): of the last things and of the city of God
Sentence parts:

Subject: implicit (we) — this is a hortatory construction; 'let us' indicates a first-person plural subject; grammatically the subject is 'us' functioning as object of 'let' but logically the subject is 'we'.

Predicate: let us speak of ...

Direct object: none (speak takes prepositional complements)

Sentence structure: Simple (one independent clause containing a coordinated complement)

Sentence type: Imperative/hortatory (the 'let us' construction requests collective action — a hortatory imperative).

Exemplar performance notes — memorized mock-court speech (Ally McBeal cadence)
  1. Overall tone: courtly, slightly comedic, singsong rise at clause boundaries; decisive finality on 'God.'
  2. Rhythm suggestion: Now (short) / let us speak (measured) / of the last things (slightly elongated) / and of the city of God (resolve and drop).
  3. Legalese taglines to begin: "May it please the Court —" (spoken with an amused half-smile) before reciting the memorized line.
  4. Gesture: spare — palm up for 'let us', fingertip tap on 'last things' to mark weight, slight bow of the head on 'God.'
  5. Dramatic pause: insert a 1-second pause after 'speak' to invite the mock-court to lean in.

Step 3 — Rubric & performance descriptors (Exemplar / Proficient / Meeting / Beginning)

Use these to give formative feedback on both the parsing and the live oral memorized performance.

Parsing accuracy (content)

  • Exemplar: All words correctly labeled with parts of speech; phrases (noun/verb/prepositional) accurately identified; sentence parts and clause relationships precisely labeled; sentence structure & type justified (2–3 concise reasons).
  • Proficient: Minor slip(s) (1–2 words mislabelled or one phrase boundary unclear), but central analysis correct; sentence structure & type identified and briefly supported.
  • Meeting: Key parts labeled (subject/predicate, main noun phrases) but errors in some parts of speech or phrase boundary identifications; sentence structure named but weak justification.
  • Beginning: Some basic labelling attempted (subject/predicate, a few POS), but major errors or gaps; uncertain about phrases and overall sentence type.

Oral performance (memorized mock-court)

  • Exemplar: Fully memorized, clear diction, Ally McBeal cadence used playfully but deliberately; strong eye contact/gesture; rhetorical devices used (pause, rhetoric) to enhance meaning; time and register controlled.
  • Proficient: Mostly memorized (1–2 small hesitations), steady cadence, rhetorical awareness (at least one well-placed pause), adequate eye contact and gesture; tone fits mock-court brief.
  • Meeting: Passable memorization (several hesitations), monotone or uncertain cadence, limited gestures, some eye contact; content conveyed but less compelling.
  • Beginning: Heavy reliance on notes or misremembered lines, unclear diction, minimal stagecraft; little sense of register or rhetorical shaping.

Practical scoring checklist (suggested):

Parsing Accuracy (40%), Phrase ID & Clause Analysis (20%), Memorization & Diction (15%), Cadence & Rhetorical Delivery (15%), Stagecraft/Gestures/Eye Contact (10%).

Step 4 — Coaching cues & micro-tasks (for 5–10 minute practice cycles)

  1. Cold read: each student reads the line aloud with neutral tone — teacher notes inaccuracies in parsing and mis-pronunciations.
  2. Label words: 2 minutes to write POS under each word (partner checks).
  3. Phrase boxing: draw brackets around noun/prep/verb phrases; underline head words (1 minute).
  4. Mini-rehearsal: perform line twice, once flat, once in Ally McBeal cadence (30–45s each) — peer feedback on rhythmic choices.
  5. Polish pass: add one legalese opener ("May it please the Court") and one gesture; perform for a small group and get rubric score.

Quick exemplar comments (to teach/model live):

For the instructor: As you parse, model thinking aloud: "Why is 'let' here not a simple present? Because it's a hortatory 'let us' signaling 'we shall' — note the implied subject 'we'." Show the student's eye where to mark the head of the noun phrase, and explain why prepositional phrases act as complements to 'speak' rather than direct objects.

Suggested Ally McBeal Cadence script (short):

Teacher model (spoken): "May it please the Court — (brief, polite uptilt). Now — (short) — let us speak — (measured) — of the last things — (stretching the vowel on 'last') — and of the city of God. (drop, finality)"

Coach note: Use a tiny melodic rise on "Now" and a falling, emphatic cadence on "God." Keep facial expression playful but respectful; a small smile on the first clause, solemnity on the last noun.

Short checklist to hand students before performance:

  • Have you labeled each word's part of speech under it?
  • Have you boxed noun, verb, and prepositional phrases?
  • Can you name the sentence structure and type and say why in one sentence?
  • Can you recite the line twice without notes? (If not, rehearse another minute.)
  • Do you have one opening legalese tag and one planned gesture?

If you want the worksheet filled with the exact first lines from a specific public-domain translation of Book 19:

Either paste the exact lines into the "Paste first lines" box above, or tell me which translation (e.g., Marcus Dods, 1871) and I will insert the authentic text and produce a fully parsed exemplar of those exact lines and a memorized speech script tailored to them.

Prepared for Year 11–12 classroom use. If you paste the Book 19 opening lines now, I will return a completed, line-by-line T‑model parsing and a performance script with exemplar & graded comments tailored to that exact passage.

Ask a followup question