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Difficulty: MediumParagraph Reordering and Placement

The following paragraphs are taken from an essay about the development of the Cherokee syllabary. In what order should the paragraphs be arranged to create the most logical and coherent essay?

  1. 1Around 1809, a Cherokee silversmith named Sequoyah became fascinated by the "talking leaves"—written pages of English that allowed European settlers to communicate across distances. Despite speaking no English himself, Sequoyah realized that a similar system of writing could empower the Cherokee Nation to preserve their language and culture.
  2. 2Initially, Sequoyah attempted to create a unique pictographic symbol for every word in the Cherokee language. However, this approach quickly proved impractical, as he accumulated thousands of characters that were nearly impossible to memorize. Frustrated but determined, he abandoned this method and began analyzing the spoken language instead.
  3. 3He discovered that Cherokee speech was composed of repeating combinations of vowel and consonant sounds. By identifying eighty-five distinct syllables, Sequoyah designed a symbol for each one, often adapting letters from English and Greek spelling books he found. This new syllabary was so intuitive that individuals could learn to read and write Cherokee in a matter of weeks.
  4. 4To demonstrate the system's utility, Sequoyah taught his daughter, Ayoka, to read and write. He then traveled to the Cherokee Council, where leaders initially doubted his claim but were convinced after witnessing father and daughter exchange written messages. Within a few years, literacy rates in the Cherokee Nation soared, leading to the publication of the first Native American newspaper, the *Cherokee Phoenix*.

Answer

The paragraphs must be arranged in the order of Sequoyah's initial motivation, his early struggles with a pictographic system, his phonetic breakthrough with the 85-syllable writing system, and the eventual demonstration and national adoption of the syllabary.
The logical flow of the essay moves chronologically from the initial inspiration in 1809, to the first unsuccessful pictographic method, to the development of the successful phonetic syllabary, and finally to its public validation and widespread adoption.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory paragraph.
The paragraph introducing Sequoyah, the year 1809, and his motivation to create the 'talking leaves' is established as the starting point.
An essay must establish its central figure, historical context, and primary objective before describing subsequent attempts and developments.
2
Find the transition to Sequoyah's first attempts.
The paragraph starting with 'Initially' follows the introduction.
The word 'Initially' signals the first step in his design process, directly linking back to the goal established in the introduction.
3
Connect the change in strategy to the breakthrough.
The paragraph discussing the discovery of vowel and consonant sounds is placed third.
The end of the previous paragraph notes that he abandoned pictographs to analyze spoken language; this paragraph starts with 'He discovered that Cherokee speech was composed of repeating combinations...', which is the direct result of that analysis.
4
Determine the concluding paragraph.
The paragraph discussing the demonstration of the system to the council and its wide adoption concludes the essay.
The phrase 'To demonstrate the system's utility' refers directly to the finished syllabary described in the prior paragraph, and the widespread literacy and newspaper publication represent the historical resolution.

Key Concept

Paragraph Reordering and Placement
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Paragraph Reordering and Placement

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