5.12 Finishing up analysis unit and preparing for final exam

In class today, we took one more read through the requirements for the analysis unit.  We went through item by item to make sure you posted your work.  If it is not posted - you will not get credit.

Here is the list.  Remember, if you have your work labeled in a way that you are not sure which document corresponds to which assignment - I will have the same problem.  Give your documents titles that will ensure that you get credit.

300 points total

Homework/practice for Rhetorical nalysis essay (50 points) List of zinczenko points 3.31 (10 points)

Group document with Z. analysis + organization (post a link to your group, your name shold be on the group document) (10 points)

Homework analysis of Obama 4.2 (10 points)

Group work for Obama analysis + presentation (10 points)

Map of rhetorical moves + plan for essay on Balko 4.13 (10 points)

Process writing for Rhetorical analysis essay (100 point) Map of rhetorical moves in Warner or Orbach 4.16 (25 points)

4.21 brainstorming  (25 points)

draft analysis 4.23 (25 points)

plan for revision 4.28 (25 points)

Final essays (150 points) Final rhetorical analysis 4.30 (100)

reflective writing on rhetorical analysis essay 4.30 (50 points)

The reason for todays review of what to post for the analysis unit is that lots of you had not posted work which I was pretty sure you had done.  So today is the last chance.  I will be grading the analysis portfolios beginning tomorrow.  Anything posted after today will not receive credit.

Preparing for the in-class final.
During the second part of class we chose the essays for the final exam.  I told you that for your final, you will be required to take a position on the issues raised in two essays from one of the units.  This means you will be writing a persuasive essay.

For a persuasive essay you need to:

• provide the context for the argument (present the They Say)
• take a position
• develop a series of points to persuade readers of the correctness of your position
• use evidence from the readings to support /develop those points
• write a conclusion which sums up the main points of your argument and draws discussion to a close

After reviewing the three units and the essays we read for each unit, you chose the Balko + Zinczenko essays as the two readings you would refer to in your final.

We then discussed a process you might use to prepare to write this in-class essay.  

• review the essays to establish their main focus + supporting points
• make a list of the overall point + supporting arguments from each essay
• make a list of positions you might take with respect to the overall issues raised by the essay
• go back to the readings and find particular sections in the readings relevant to each of the positions you might argue (depending on the prompt)
• map out one or more of the essays you might write

This is a useful process for studying not just for this exam, but for any essay exam you might be required to take.  Anticipate the questions your instructor might ask.  Interrogage (question) the readigs to discover what they have to say about the instructor's question(s).  Think hard about what you might say that takes what has already been discussed in class to the next level.

For next class:

During the first part of next class you will write your exam.  You may use your book.  You may not bring notes outside of whatever marks you have made in your textbook.

During the second part of class you will post any remaining work to your portfolio - and then we are finished.

See you on Thursday!