Reading Response and the American Idea

A Guide to Writing Reading ResponsesA Guide to Writing Reading ResponsesExamine Just Asking by David Foster Wallace that we read earlier today.  Use the guide to writing reading responses that I gave you in class (or linked on Class Info & Docs) to craft a thoughtful blog on the article.

If you are intrigued by this concept of the "American Idea", you can read other articles The Atlantic published on that topic in their 150th anniversary issue.  They are mostly small, about the same size as Just Asking and represent many different perspectives from a broad range of American voices.

Lord Chesterfield's Values

Homework tonight is to read pages 35-38 on analyzing style then annotate the Lord Chesterfield letter.  We'll use both the reading and annotation in class tomorrow and the reading should also help you with your annotation.

As was mentioned last week, your next paper will be to answer the 2004 analysis prompt concerning a letter Lord Chesterfield wrote to his son. You’ve already written an initial rough draft in the practice timed write we did on that question.  Now, with what we’ve learned in that process and the whole class discussion we’ve done on the letter, your task is to write to this prompt as a take-home essay.

Vital Statistics:

• Due Wednesday February 18th


• 600 words long, give or take 10%

Practicing Rhetorical Analysis

This Weekend: Blog the assignment on page 28 of our textbook.  You’ll be reading 4 separate texts surrounding the death of Princess Diana and evaluating them based on the purpose of each text and how the relationship between speaker, audience, and subject affects the text.  This is essentially an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned thus far.  Give this some good thought; next week is our last practice analysis timed write – the following week it counts.

Next Week: Monday we’ll do our AP² presentations and go over the Chesterfield timed writes.  After looking at the released information, you’ll have the opportunity to score each other’s work (yes, I’ve already scored them, but you won’t see that when you’re scoring them yourself).  If there’s time we’ll take a look at an example of when rhetoric is poorly applied that is somewhat amusing.  As the week progresses, we will spend some time analyzing advertisements to practice these skills on something we interact with everyday, but we’ll also dive a bit deeper into the Lord Chesterfield letter and begin our 2nd paper.  Thursday we’ll have our last ungraded analysis timed write.

Thoughts: We’re going to have to learn a fair bit rather quickly in this class.  I would appreciate communication and feedback from you as we go so that we can get the best results possible.  For instance, if something isn’t quite sinking in and you need more practice and/or instruction, speak up and we’ll work on that.  If this analysis stuff seems hard, it’s not you.  This summer’s AP special focus will be on analysis as students across the country seem to be struggling with it and the analysis question scores have been going down over the past 5 years.  This is why we’re starting with it and, even as we study argument and synthesis, we’ll continue to practice analysis (it helps that they’re all related).  In any case, please don’t be afraid to speak up!  Chances are others in the class are in the same boat.

FFA note for Robyn and Kristian: Notices came for you from FFA.  If you want points for the dress up days, you should wear flannel on Monday.  Also there is hog weighing and lamb shearing at the barn at 10 AM on Saturday.

Creative Opportunity: If you’d like a creative outlet and have anything, positive or negative, to say about Valentine’s day, you can put that into a poem, story, photo, painting, whatever and submit that to me.  Submissions are due by Wednesday February 13th.  Winners will receive recognition and all entrants are eligible for publication in the Mirror magazine.  Other themed contests will follow and if people in the class are interested, I will put notices on this blog as well as the notices in the announcements and any other advertising the Mirror club decides to do.