For Monday, Jan. 24

Hi guys!  Please bring your independent reading books to class on Monday.  We can spend a peaceful period reading :)

Independent Reading Rhetorical Analysis Essay Rubric

A HIGH SCORING PAPER:

·         Understands and answers the essay prompt

·         Identifies and analyzes rhetorical devices and stylistic elements

·         Cites specific references to the text

·         Illustrates and supports points being made

·         Is clear, well organized and coherent

·         Reflects the ability to manipulate language at an advanced level

·         Contains, if any, minor errors/flaws

A MID-RANGE ESSAY:

·         Refers accurately to the prompt

·         Refers accurately to the rhetorical devices and stylistic elements in the text

·         Provides a less thorough analysis of these strategies/devices than a high scoring paper.

·         Is less adept at linking techniques to the purpose of the passage May rely on generalizations and sketchy analysis, or be sidetracked by plot.  References may be limited or simplistic.

·         Demonstrates writing that is adequate to convey the writer’s intent

·         Contains some errors/flaws

A LOW-RANGE ESSAY:

·         Does not respond adequately to the prompt

·         Demonstrates insufficient and/or inaccurate understanding of the text

·         Demonstrates weak control of rhetorical strategies/stylistic elements

·         May do no more than paraphrase selections from the text, rather than analyze them.

·         May no more than summarize selected passages.

·         Shows a major lack of understanding and control.  May indicate severe writing problems.

Independent Reading Rhetorical Analysis Essay

First draft due in class for peer review/conference: Tuesday, 2/15

Final draft due in class: Friday, 2/25

To begin, let us define what a rhetorical analysis is NOT. A rhetorical analysis is not a summary

of a literary work or scholarly article. You may have analyzed a novel’s plot line or taken apart

the meaning of Shakespeare’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy in Hamlet before; however, trying to

understand the meaning of a work or summarize a story is NOT the goal of a rhetorical analysis!

Now that we’ve declared the most common mistake among rhetorical analysis papers, let’s begin

dissecting what a rhetorical analysis does ask you to do.  Definition: A rhetorical analysis requires you to apply your critical reading skills in order to “break down” a text. In essence, you break off the “parts” from the “whole” of the piece you’re analyzing. The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to articulate HOW the author writes, rather than WHAT they actually wrote. To do this, you will analyze the strategies the author uses to achieve his or her goal or purpose of writing their piece.

Assignment: In a thoughtfully written, carefully proofread essay of 5-7 pages, analyze the rhetorical devices and stylistic elements used by the author of your Independent Reading selection to achieve his or her purpose.

·         First, read you independent reading book carefully, annotating as you go.  Consider what you know about the author, her intended audience, and her purpose(s) for writing the book.  Make notes about the various rhetorical strategies/stylistic devices you encounter as you go.  These include, but are not limited to:

o   The four major modes of discourse: exposition, narration, description, argumentation

o   Rhetorical strategies used to develop the modes of discourse: example, comparison/contrast, definition, cause and effect, process, and classification

o   Writer’s style, including subject matter, selection of detail, organization, point of view, diction, syntax, language, and tone.

·         Next, come up with your own thesis, which focuses on a purpose of your author in his book, and several rhetorical devices/strategies he uses to achieve his purpose.  It might look something like this:

In You are Not a Gadget, by Jaron Lanier, the author uses classification, organization, and tone to show how technology has become the new “religion” of the masses.

·         After identifying your thesis, try to arrange the rhetorical strategies you’ve identified in a

logical way. For example, you could start by identifying the purpose of the intended

audience and why the author chose to write about their topic. Next, you could identify

specific stylistic choices, such as word choice, formal/informal language, etc. The idea is

to logically transition from analyzing one rhetorical strategy to another. Stay on topic

with the strategies that the author uses often and actually has a purpose for using.

·          With each point you make, have a strong topic sentence declaring the overall purpose of

the rhetorical strategies you are about to discuss. This will help identify the argument

you are making, transition your ideas, and add fluidity.  Be sure to include specific examples from the text!

·         Keep in mind that while authors use different strategies to achieve their purposes, you

also need to be making points and evaluations about these strategies, not simply

summarizing them. For example, instead of simply stating the author uses formal

language in his essay, state what effect is created by using formal language. By doing

this you are not only identifying the rhetorical strategy, by analyzing its purpose.

5. As with all academic writing, check for grammar, transitional ease, fluidity, and a logical

argument. Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Independent Reading Presentation Assignment

Assignment: Create a short presentation (5 minutes or so) for our class in which you:

·         Introduce your Independent Reading Book using SOAPStone (see handout).

·         Tell what you are enjoying/not enjoying about the book so far.  Would you recommend the book to a friend?  Why or why not?

·         Choose a short passage from your book that resonated with you, either stylistically or due to the subject matter/content.  Explain why you chose the passage and read it aloud for us.

A High Scoring Presentation will:

·         Show advance preparation: Student will have made notes or rely on a PowerPoint presentation to guide her discussion of the book.

·         Rely on SOAPStone to guide her presentation of the book, as opposed to merely summarizing the plot of the book.

·         Will cover all three parts of the presentation adequately.

·         Will speak slowly, clearly and loudly.  Will read the passage from her text as if she is familiar with it, as opposed to reading it as if it is the first time she has encountered it.

 Presentations will take place on February 9 and 10

Link for Friday's Homework

Hi guys,

Here is the link to the article for tomorrow's homework:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/fashion/22life.html?_r=1
Please read and annotate the article, paying special attention to rhetorical strategies used by the writer in preparation for a potential writing assignment tomorrow at the beginning of class.

Rhetorical Strategies Link

Here is the link to the Rhetorical Strategies we learned about so you can study for your quiz!

http://www.education.com/reference/article/rhetorical-strategies/

Independent Reading Books

Hi class!  Please choose one of the following books to read independently and bring it to class Monday, January 10, for my approval.  You are welcome to choose another book that deals in some way with technology--just be sure to show it to me BEFORE Monday, to be certain it is approved.

You are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto
By Jaron Lanier

What Technology Wants
By Kevin Kelly

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives
Nicholas A. Christakis

The World is Flat
 Thomas L. Friedman