Rhetorical Analysis

Our new unit will cover rhetorical analysis, something that you have worked on in previous English courses.

To start, we focused on purpose and the many purposes that authors may have in writing. This may be something as simple as to inform, to explain, or to persuade. Or, the author may be defining, comparing and contrasting, narrating, exemplifying, describing, arguing, and a plethora of other reasons.

With purpose at the center of rhetorical analysis, we then move forward to rhetorical strategies/persuasive appeals. In essence, you are identifying the "what" the author uses in a text and "why" he/she uses it to reflect the purpose.

All of the above connects to the rhetorical triangle: subject, speaker, and audience. When analyzing (and writing for that matter) you want to identify these elements and utilize these in relationship to the overall purpose of the text. The rhetorical triangle connects to the three main persuasive appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos.

To put this into action, we read this article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/nyregion/13teens.html and identified how the author incorporates the persuasive appeals and why.

At the end of the hour, you worked in a group to define rhetorical strategies, terms, and devices. If you were absent, know the meaning of voice and wit so that you can contribute during tomorrow's class.

St. Louis Assessment

The whole hour was dedicated to your compare and contrast essay assessment. If you were absent, you will need to schedule a time to make up this exam next week.

The Second to Last Day of Compare and Contrast

The first half of class centered on the compare and contrast team essay. The second half was the last chance to complete group notes for the assessment tomorrow. If you were absent today, you will need to turn in these notes BEFORE school tomorrow so that I may make copies for your group.

Team Writing Day

Our entire hour was dedicated to the perfection of your team compare and contrast essay on high school and college. This team essay was due at the end of fifth hour. Our absent group, you have until midnight this evening to finalize your essay.

Don't forget that your team notes are due tomorrow, and the compare and contrast writing assessment will be Thursday!

Compare & Contrast Team Essay

First, we reviewed the group research needed for the compare and contrast essay assessment this week. Each group will research 10 locales in St. Louis, with each group member taking responsibility for 2 places. Notes are due on Wednesday, the day in which I will copy all of your notes for use on the in-class writing prompt on Thursday. Our goal is to NOT have homework this three day weekend!

Class-wise, we spent the hour in groups working on a team compare and contrast essay on high school and college. Groups should continue working on their paragraphs over night in order to expedite the collaborative work tomorrow.

If you were one of my five students absent, you will be completing the team essay in class tomorrow. You are not required to write out anything in advance as you will work on this together.

Friday

In a world without vocabulary, we jump right into writing. First, you met with your partner to evaluate your compare and contrast paragraphs. Overall, you are understanding the need for multiple examples, transitions, and final concluding statements. However, maintain your focus on the thesis statement (or topic sentence in this case) and its incorporation of both comparing and contrasting.

After our evaluation time, we read "Sex, Lies, and Conversation," a text looking at the way women and men communicate and how this can lead to relationship problems.

The remainder of the hour centered around your group research assignment for the compare and contrast assessment next week. In your assigned group, you were given 10 St. Louis locations that will require research (cited research). Each person will take 2 of the locations and make a plethora of notes for the assessment next week. (You may even go to these locations to help add to your ethos!) The notes will be due on Wednesday. The assessment will be during Thursday's class.

On Monday, we will complete a team essay practice on high school vs college - the topic you selected on Wednesday. If there is time on Monday and Tuesday, you will be able to work on your notes for the assessment.

The Last Vocab Quest

Prior to lunch, you completed the last vocabulary quest for Advanced Composition. This quest featured all 75 words from this course!

Post lunch, we focused on compare and contrast writing by...

• reviewing the 5 components of basis, thesis, organization, transitions, and conclusions.
• working in a group to create a basis, thesis, example organization, and concluding statement for 2 subjects.
• reading "Two Ways of Seeing a River" to see how Twain used block organization and analogy to create his impressions of a novice and an expert and what is lost when one becomes accustomed to his or her profession.
• creating a community board of c/c topics.
• selecting a topic for a c/c 1-2 paragraph assignment, which you will have on Friday for evaluation with a partner (and maybe me too). 

If you will not be here on Friday, make sure to stop by on Thursday for your work. You will have tasks to complete for Monday and next week.