Getting Ready... (One Week to Go)

I made a mistake.

On Friday here was my plan: correct the multiple choice questions, calculate scores, read a strong response to the JFK rhetorical analysis (Q2) prompt, and then, with the model essay and the rubric in mind, give each other feedback on our own essays.

But in A-block we got bogged down in the example essay. That was my fault. My intent in showing you the example essay was to convey to you that it is more important to be able to explain how the rhetoric conveys the purpose than to identify fancy strategies with Greek names. I also wanted to make sure that your essay conveyed an understanding of how rhetoric works in the whole--the beginning, middle, and end of the reading--not just in a few patches.

You can successfully organize your rhetorical analysis two ways: (1) by breaking down the reading into sections and then analyzing each section of the reading or (2) by analyzing one rhetorical strategy at a time. But sometimes using the second method leads students into narrow arguments that don't convey a sense of the most important ways that rhetorical strategies contribute to the purpose.

Some of you have been very successful using the strategy-by-strategy method. Keep going that if it works. If it has not worked for you then I invite you to try the section-by-section method this weekend. Use whichever strategy best suits you and the task.

Go to page 9 after clicking on this link to find a Q2 from the 2011 (Form B) exam. I think the best way to analyze the rhetoric in this reading is section-by-section. Take forty minutes to write a response and bring it to class on Monday.

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As requested here is a link to more information about the exam. Scroll down for every essay question asked from 1999 to 2012. If you're worried about the synthesis question take a look at "Question 1". (Synthesis questions were not asked before 2007.)  If you're worried about rhetorical analysis look at "Question 2". If you're worried about argument look at "Question 3".

If you go to the link above you can prepare for the exam by...
(1) reading prompts and writing plans/outlines for essays,
(2) looking at sample essays (What is strong about the sample essays? What is weak?),
(3) looking at the grading commentary at the end of the sample essays, and
(4) looking at "Scoring performance Q & A" (This is where the graders talk about what students did well and not so well on each question.)

See you on Monday.