Rhetorical Analysis
Think alllll the way back to semester 1 when we spent a lot of time writing rhetorical analysis essays.
What is your general writing task with rhetorical analysis?
I'd accept either:
- explain/analyze the writer's choices.
- explain the writer's rhetorical situation.
Where do you pull your evidence from for a Synthesis essay and an argument essay?
Synthesis = sources.
Argument = any example from our brain.
What was Dr. King's purpose for writing his Letter From a Birmingham Jail?
Acceptable answers:
to chastise the clergymen for adhering to the status quo.
to encourage them to reconsider their position on justice.
What are the three essays on the AP Lang exam IN THE ORDER that they appear?
Q1: Synthesis
Q2: Rhetorical Analysis
Q3: Argument
About how many multiple choice questions should you try to get correct on the exam?
About 50%.
There are 45 total questions, so aim for 23!
How can you describe at least one of Dr. King's rhetorical choices below? You must write your answer in a complete sentence.
EX: I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail -- MLK's "A Letter From Birmingham Jail."
Dr. King repeats the phrase "I doubt that you would" and then describes specific examples of Black people being discriminated against and treated inhumanely.
What does CAP stand for?
CONTEXT
ANSWER THE QUESTION OR ARGUMENTS
POSSIBLE EVIDENCE
In the book "Justice: What's the Right thing to Do?" by Michael Sandel, we read extensively about utilitarianism and something kind of gruesome that made us all question what we would do in a dire situation...
Describe, in detail, what that situation was.
(Answers will vary)
-- should include details about "survival cannibalism."
-- shipwrecked men who ate the cabin boy.
-- concept about utilitarianism.
How much TOTAL TIME do you have on the Essay portion of the AP Language exam?
Acceptable answers:
1) 40 min per essay + 15 min to read
2) 2 hours and 15 minutes
3) 135 minutes
What has been Ms. Blanco's recommended reading / annotation strategy for the rhetorical analysis passage?
Divide it into quadrants or halves!
This will make it easier to chronologically discuss the passage: "In the first half..." and "In the second half..."
How should you structure a rhetorical analysis thesis sentence?
HINT FOR STARTING: In [TITLE OR TYPE OF TEXT], [AUTHOR's Name]...
I'll take anything that is close to:
"In [TITLE OR TYPE OF TEXT], [AUTHOR's NAME] uses Rhetorical Choice #1 and Rhetorical Choice #2 in order to convince their audience to ________."
How many sources do you need to use on the Synthesis essay?
3!
But if possible, shoot for 4!
How much DESIGNATED time will you receive as part of the reading period on the AP Lang exam?
15 minutes.
What are the two types of MC questions you will need to answer on the AP Lang exam?
Acceptable Answers:
1) Reading and Writing
2) Rhetorical Analysis and Writing
3) Reading and Editing/Revising
What does SPAM & ExC stand for?
Speaker
Purpose
Audience
Message
Exigence
Context
In the commentary for RA, name TWO elements of SPAM you should focus on.
I will accept:
1) Audience and Message.
2) Audience and Purpose.
3) Message and Purpose.
Why should we read the boxed information of the Synthesis sources before reading the whole thing?
The boxed information provides hints about what the source is about -- so it can help us decide if it's worth our time to read it or not.
We can quickly evaluate whether the source is likely to support or go against our position.
How should you tackle the MC passages?
Acceptable answers:
1) Do the easier passages first (writing!) and then go back to the reading passages.
2) LOTD when you run out of time.
How do you know when it's time to move on to the next essay?
The essay portion is SELF-PACED. You can move on at any time.
However, you should generally move on after 40 minutes passes. Proctors will say "it's recommended you move on to the next essay."
What do you need to include in your body paragraphs?
(Answers will vary, but some combination of the following):
- Topic Sentence
- Evidence
- Explanation / Analysis / Commentary
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! All teams participate!
You have 2 minutes to make a list of as many rhetorical choices as you can think of.
Winners get 1000 points.
(answers will vary)
What are the universal questions you can answer to write commentary for argument and synthesis?
THERE ARE TWO OF THEM.
(HINT: the word "impact" is in all 3 questions).
1) What is the impact?
2) Who will be impacted by this change?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! All teams participate!
In a well-written essay, develop your position on how you would use $1 billion to improve the world.
The team that comes up with TWO possible examples / evidence for this prompt FIRST will win!
(ANSWERS WILL VARY)
You must get BOTH correct to get the points:
1) Can you answer the essays in any order that you like?
2) Why is it important that you don't leave any essay blank?
1) YES
2) Because even a thesis can maximize our score.
What is the most important sentence in all three essays you will write and WHY?
The most important sentence is the THESIS.
This is important because it is what guides the entire essay. Readers should know what to expect based on what we write in our thesis.