After we turn in our college essays, I wanted to take one last look at some examples from The Daily Beast. I’ll probably split them to different groups.

Then, we’re going to analyze some Malcolm X. Each small group will be  responsible for creating a short presentation that analyzes, compares, and contrasts one aspect of Malcolm’s rhetorical strategies in both “The Ballot or the Bullet” and “Learning to Read.” Here are the topics:

1. Sound-based rhetorical figures (alliteration, anaphora, etc.)
2. Persona
3. Kairos
4. Implied and explicit assumptions
5. Logical Argumentation
6. Framing, metaphors, and allusions

Then, we’ll start a new phase.  I’ll show you what a pecha kucha is and ask you to take a look at OpposingViews.com and look around for some good topics for pair debates.

HW: Choose topics. Use the Opposing Viewpoints database

First, let’s see the best college essay ever written.

Next, I’ll read an excerpt from David Foster Wallace and possibly have us share our own DFW-ellian sentences here. Here is the presentation I used.

Then, I want to give you some time to work on college essays while I do a little one-on-one conferencing.

Finally, we’re going to analyze some Malcolm X. Each small group will be  responsible for creating a short presentation that analyzes, compares, and contrasts one aspect of Malcolm’s rhetorical strategies in both “The Ballot or the Bullet” and “Learning to Read.” Here are the topics:

1. Sound-based rhetorical figures (alliteration, anaphora, etc.)
2. Persona
3. Kairos
4. Implied and explicit assumptions
5. Logical Argumentation
6. Framing, metaphors, and allusions

HW: Finish College Essay

Extra: See this blog–>Always Write Badly

HD Thoreau: creative use of neck hair

Hello, everyone. Let’s start with something fun and something grammar-y, uncomfortably combined.

One of my favorite critics–Sam Anderson–takes down Dan Brown.  Let’s read it first and talk a bit about the style and argument. Then, we’ll try to look at the sentences, marvel at the extreme use of colons, and try to write our own using the same structure. Go here for that.

Then, we’ll take a look at Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. Read the first part (the first 13 paragraphs, stopping at the paragraph that begins “It is not a man’s duty”) and answer the following questions in a blog post.

1. Comment on the first paragraph. What would you call the claim of his argument? How does he use the Mexican War as support for this?
2. In paragraph two, identify a rhetorical strategy and then explain a possible reason behind Thoreau’s use of that strategy.
3. Identify the basic logical claim-warrant-fact/backing process in this essay? What is the chain of logic that Thoreau attempts to establish? What assumptions does make about his audiences beliefs, their commonplaces.
4. What obstacles does Thoreau face in terms of kairos? How does Thoreau attempt to deal with them?
5. How would you characterize Thoreau’s persona? Give an example from the text that shows him constructing it. Explain how this persona does or does not aid Thoreau’s purposes.
6. Note the use of framing (especially in paragraph 11). Explain what frame Thoreau constructs and how/why he does.
7. Thoreau believes that people should not participate in injustice but that they do not have to actively promote a more just world. What is the difference between these two concepts, and why does Thoreau make this moral distinction?

After a break, we’ll look at the college essays and talk a bit about what makes a good college essay. See this set of advice:

• Here is the advice from The College Board.
• Here are the most popular College Essays from TeenInk.
• Good Example of essays that worked
• All College essays should…
• Here is some advice from a admissions admin.
• Do these things even work?
• And if all else fails, write this essay.

After getting a writing buddy, we’ll start putting together our essays in class.

HW: First draft of college essay due printed

We’ll start with Frederick Douglass and ask small groups to focus on one of these 4 areas. Be ready to make smart comments about these and refer directly to the text to show what you mean.

• persona
• anecdotes and other stories (showing vs. telling)
• kairos
• logical argumentation

Next, we’ll go on an odyssey of sentence combining. Read (if you haven’t already) the section on types of sentence combining and then take all 3 quizzes on combining.

Next, I’ll read an excerpt from David Foster Wallace and possibly have us share our own DFW-ellian sentences here.

Finally, we’ll talk a bit about the College Essay and how it differs from a Personal Essay. I might ask you to give me a sample paragraph and have us guess what quality you’re trying to demonstrate.

HW: Rough rough draft of your college essay prompt.  Be ready to bring it in next Tue.

Extra: If you’re interested in the Bennington Young Writers Award. Here are the details.

I want to introduce the college essay first. Here is the presentation.

Extra info:

• Here is the advice from The College Board.
• Here are the most popular College Essays from TeenInk.
• Good Example of essays that worked
• All College essays should…
• Here is some advice from a admissions admin.
• Do these things even work?
• And if all else fails, write this essay.

Also, finish your personal essay already. If it’s not done this week, I’ll be threatening you with bolts of lightning or locusts.

HW: Pre-write for College essay due.