Rhetoric Complete

For the first half of class, we were treated to the rhetorical analysis presentations encompassing Meryl Streep's strategies in her Barnard speech. Our crowd favorite presentation was our last, led by Tiana, Grace, Kayla, and Jaime. Their hook had the most depth of the groups, providing context of the speaker and how her ethos was formed over time. If absent, you will need to type up a rhetorical analysis essay on the speech. This will be due by 2:30 p.m. on Monday in hard copy form.

For the second half of class, we began our last unit!?! Argumentation!

As with any argument, the centerpiece is the claim, a position that you take on a topic. The claim could be one of many claims and is not a for or against thesis. As I mentioned in class, avoid "should" and "should not" so that you do not limit the argument and begin to move into persuasive territory. Here is the link to the qualities of a strong claim, which will be necessary information on the final: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/mwollaeger/cdw.htm.

Following a claim, you have to consider evidence, which is more logos-driven. Stats, historical facts, expert opinions, and even (if used sparingly and for effect) a personal anecdote will aid your claim.

Last part of today's argumentative focus centered on the warrant, which ties the claim and evidence together and forms a concluding sentence.

To end class, we started a practice on argumentation, featuring a video interlude with Honey Boo Boo. We will finish that up on Friday.

For homework, you will read the 3 articles regarding women in the military. Annotate and prep notes so that you will contribute to our second group activity on Friday. I have hard copy packets to pick up tomorrow, but you may also read these here:

http://townhall.com/columnists/lindachavez/2003/04/30/women_in_combat_will_take_toll_on_our_culture
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29269-2003Mar25.html
http://www.newsweek.com/uncle-sam-and-aunt-samantha-149413

One Day More

Since we read "On My Own" from Les Miserables, it is appropriate to reference my favorite song from the musical in this blog title. Our class agenda today was all about your presentation prep for tomorrow. Make sure you are ready to go and be here!

Rhetorical Analysis Assessment

Today's class featured the topic of your rhetorical analysis assessment: the commencement address by Meryl Streep at Barnard University. You will find a copy of the speech here: http://www.graduationwisdom.com/speeches/0069-streep.htm. You can also listen to and watch the speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-a8QXUAe2g.

After the viewing and annotation of the transcript, you split into 5 groups for your presentation preparation. As a group, you selected a specific purpose and divided up the strategies for analysis for homework this evening. Miranda, you are to work on the identification and the analysis of logos in the speech; Kayla, you are to work on the identification and the analysis of ethos in the speech.

Tomorrow will be a full prep hour for this presentation. Remember, any person absent on Wednesday will have a supplementary individual assignment to make up the grade.

Logos, Ethos, Pathos

After analyzing your tone maps, which all exhibited a fluctuation of tone as Eponine, she would be the speaker of "On My Own," recognizes that she must accept the loss of a love that never knew her feelings, we read an article for its usage of logos, ethos, and pathos. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12wwln-lede-t.html. Absentees should read the article and identify where logos, ethos, and pathos are used. We decided that the essay relies most heavily on pathos, attempting to disgust and then motivate the reader to adjust a fast food lifestyle. When you return, you will be completing the assessment for rhetorical analysis - more details on Monday.

Your Own Tone Mapping

During class, I modeled how to do a tone map using your nine tone words for "Siren Song." After indicating your tones, you then need to select 2 opposites or 2 words to create a range for your map. Then, you plot the points, draw the lines, and look for patterns in tone.

In partners, you created a tone map for "On My Own" from Les Miserables, which you may find a digital copy here: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lesmiserablescast/onmyown.html. If absent, you will need to read through the lyrics, identify all the tone shifts (F.Y.I. you are looking at every minor, subtle tone shift in the lines -- do not just divide by stanza), and give each section (for example, lines 1-4) a tone word. I will show you what to do in class after that.

Big Kid Tone Words

After we performed our tone conversations, focusing on the subtle shifts of team positive, team negative, team sorrow, and team neutral, we looked at the AP tone handout and identified our new favorite tone words. Jingoistic - still my favorite! To practice using the list and our former one, we read "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood and identified the tone of each stanza. On Monday, I will show you how to a tone map and then you will be creating your own.

Diction to Tone

For the first 1/2 of class, we worked on diction analysis. I provided feedback for each body paragraph, allowing for revision. (How impressive you are becoming in organizing paragraph, adopting active verbs, and bringing in multiple examples of evidence.) After the revision process, you composed a team introduction and turned in the team "almost" essay. We will be reading these on Friday, so any absent paragraphs will need to be attached on that day prior to class starting.

For the last 1/2 of class, we played with tone. Using different tones to verbalize statements and identify tone shifts. At the end, you received the umbrella tone list, divided into groups, and sculpted conversations using similar - but not same, Emerson - tone families. We will perform these conversations on Friday so that you may guess the tone shifts.

Miranda, we never made it to tone mapping, so I hope you did not work ahead. We will be doing that on Friday, so please treat the handouts I gave you as a preview.