rhetorical analysis and critical reading

Amigos! Y'all are awesome; I thought I'd just let you know that.

Does it feel great to have the Opinion Editorial off your back? Onward and upward! I'm excited for this unit. The Rhetorical Analysis can be difficult, but we'll work hard and make it fun. Promise.

Okay so here's your blog post as we discussed in class today:

Read all four articles assigned for Wednesday, and choose one to read again more thoroughly with these questions in mind:

1) What is the author's intent? What is the author trying to persuade the audience to think/do/feel?
2) What are the specific rhetorical tools the author is using? (You can talk about how specifically they are appealing to e/p/l, but try to also use some of the rhetorical tools you are familiar with already--like imagery, metaphor, etc.)
3) What is the audience reaction? Does their reaction correlate with the author's intent? Thus, judging by what you feel like the audience reaction was, was the article effective or ineffective?

Bonus question (optional, but you'll eventually need to know this): Google the author and find out who he/she is. Where was the article published? There should be a little of this information in the New Media reader, but try to find out more if you can.

That's all!

PS I'm a pretty thorough grader as far as papers go, so it takes me awhile. I'm going to try and break my back to get them to you by Friday. So if I do, then I deserve candy! (:

instructor conferences/portfolio/op ed due date/etc

Okay. First, some reiterations: We don't have regular class on Friday, because you each have a conference with me. Please don't be late, so we can stay on track. Also, if you don't show up, it counts as an absence. I'll write out all time slots at the end of this email in case anyone forgets when they signed up.

Also, on Friday at noon author Melanie Rae Thon is coming to do a reading in the library auditorium (1080 HBLL). She is a fiction writer, and from what I hear she is very accomplished. Readings are typically every Friday at noon if you're interested. They've had some pretty prominent authors in the past, and it's always worthwhile. Also, I might be willing to offer extra credit to those who attend some of the readings.

Remember, your papers are due on MONDAY, January 30, at the beginning of class. Please don't be late. I said that I would post a reminder for the portfolio requirements, so here they are:

• Cover sheet and rubric (take them right out of the Supplemental Guide)
• Final draft 
• At least two rough drafts
• first draft
• one of the peer review drafts
• with your peer review drafts, include a paper telling me if you got papers back from each of your peer review group members. Also tell me if their feedback was thorough and helpful

Lastly, here are the instructor conference times:

9:30 Caryn 

9:40 Kenny 

9:50 Nello

10:00 Kennedy

10:10 Alex

10:20 Heather

10:30 Avarie

10:40 Cam

10:50 Will

11:00 Samantha

11:10 Christian 

11:20 Aaron

11:30 Sofia

11:40 Kari

11:50 Jordan

1:00 Jeff

2:00 Megan

2:50 Ben 

See you then!

business as usual

Okie dokie. Let's do this!

I emailed all of you the sheet for the peer review on Wednesday. Make sure you read over it before you start reviewing their papers. The most important thing to remember is to make at least FIVE comments per page, as well as a half-page response to their papers. In the response, you can sum up your comments, as well as including any suggestions that you feel would be helpful so their papers comply with the criteria found in the Supplemental Guide. 


So for Wednesday, you'll need to bring your peers' papers reviewed. And make sure you bring the five punctuation exercises to turn in.

Okay, so here's your blog prompt for the week:

• Find FIVE grammatical/punctuation errors in your Op Ed draft (yours, and not your peers').
• Type out the original sentence, tell us what's wrong with it, and then type the corrected sentence.
• Also, I want you to write a small paragraph telling the class how you generally feel about peer reviews. Be honest, because if you hate peer reviewing, I want to make sure to make changes in the structure of the review so it's helpful and relevant. 
• Also, I realize that you have a lot to do for Wednesday, so you have until Friday to post this. And then you'll need to make sure and comment on four of your peers' blogs sometime before the next post (next Wednesday).

Any questions, shoot me an email, or stop by my office. 

Ever at your disposal,

NJ

PS How did you like my grammar/punctuation comic relief from the last post? Comment on this blog and let me know if you love these as much as I do (:

reminders

Amigos,

We went over most of this in class, but there are a few tidbits you might like (:

Business first.

For Monday:

• I forgot to tell you this: bring your Writing Matters handbook on Monday. As you are preparing your lesson, you will need to be able to find the rule in the handbook for every question on the punctuation exercise you're teaching on. 
• punctuation exercises 1-5 completed
• two minute lesson prepared on your expertise
• bring five (or four) drafts depending on what group you're in. (for the table with Heather, Megan, Avarie, and Caryn: Sofia will be joining your peer review group for Wednesday, so you will all need to bring five drafts--one for me)
• clarification: as it says in the syllabus, you need to meet with me twice for each paper (you will lose 5% of your paper if you don't). On Friday we won't be having regular class because I will be doing conferences with all of you, so everyone will be coming in on Friday, and you'll need to come meet with me before then. 
• I haven't met with: Sofia, Megan, Kenny, Alex, Aaron, Christian, or Cameron. I have appointments scheduled with some of you, but some of you not. 

Okay, now fun stuff. Because you're going to have a grammar/punctuation weekend, you might need a little bit of a comic relief. I understand, punctuation can be taxing. 

Here's the first comic relief: 

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

This is the funniest blog ever. WARNING: this post doesn't swear (I don't think) but in general, this blogger is fond of throwing random swear words in (specifically the f word, unfortunately), so if you're sensitive to that, don't poke around too much in her other posts. 

Also, look at this:

Here's one more resource you can use if you have more questions about punctuation:
http://english.byu.edu/writingcenter/handouts/PunctuationUsage/commas.html

The Writing Center's website has a ton of useful information and different handouts about grammatical principles. Excellent resource.

Good luck! Have a fantastic weekend, and I'll see y'all on Monday. 

info for friday and other things

I hope we had fun in class today :) I know I did, even though I was really scatterbrained and disorganized. Lesson number one in college: get enough sleep. I won't be testing you on that, but I promise that if you sleep more you'll do better in class. Obviously it's something that I'm still working on!

Okie doke. Let's get down to business. Here are a few important things I didn't get to mention in class:

You are expected to read and comment on your classmates' blogs. Now, I know there are 18 of you, so what I want you to do is read at least FOUR of your peers' blogs (you can focus on your groups/tables, or read others) and comment on them. I want the comments to be more than "hey, that's cool," or "I agree." I want to know that you actually read through the post and see your response.

Also, I'll talk about this more on Friday, but what I want you to do is prepare a two minute lesson on your grammar/punctuation "expertise." This is all due on Monday. I will hand out exercise two (commas) on Friday, so those of you who have commas as an expertise, do the reading and then you'll get the exercise to complete on Friday. But remember, everyone has to complete ALL the quizzes, due on Monday. But you only have to give a mini presentation/lesson on one of the quizzes. Make sense?

Make sure that those of you who haven't signed up for a conference with me email me and make sure you get in sometime this or next week.

One more thing to remember: you are, as it says in the syllabus, required to go to the Writing Center once per paper. Click here for the link to the website so you can see the location and hours. It gets kind of crazy because a lot of the Writing 150 classes have papers due around the same time, so go as soon as you can.

Sorry, lots of things to remember! Any questions, email me.

just because i'm awesome... (read previous post first)

I'm giving you a second option for the speech analysis. You can either analyze the Henry V speech I gave you in the previous post, or you can analyze Mr. Collins' proposal speech from Pride and Prejudice. The same rules apply: find two examples of ethos, two of pathos, and two of logos. (don't everyone neglect Henry, though. It's another fantastic speech!)


Click here for the youtube clip, and here's the transcript:


Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins' Proposal

Mr Collins: Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty adds to your other perfections. But you can hardly doubt the object of my discourse, however your feminine delicacy may lead you to dissemble. For, as almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life! But before I am run away by my feelings on this subject, perhaps it would be advisable for me to state my reasons for marrying.

              (Elizabeth: Mr Collins...)

My reasons for marrying are:

  First, I think it a right thing for every clergyman to set the example of matrimony in his parish.

  Secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness.

  And thirdly, which perhaps I should have mentioned first, that it is the particular recommendation of my noble patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh! "Mr. Collins", she said, "you must marry". "Choose properly", she said. "Choose a gentlewoman for my sake, and for your own, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up too high." "Find such a woman as soon as you can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will visit her!" And your wit and vivacity, I think, must be acceptable to her, when tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite.

Yes. So much for my general intention in favor of matrimony.

Now, as to my particular choice:

My dear cousin, being, as I am, to inherit all this estate after the death of your father, I could not satisfy myself without resolving to choose a wife from among his daughters. And now nothing remains, but to assure you, in the most animated language, of the violence of my affections!

              (Elizabeth: Mr Collins, please... - To fortune I am perfectly indifferent.)

I'm well aware that  pounds in the four per cents is all that you may be entitled to, but rest assured, I shall never reproach on that score when we are married!

              (Elizabeth:You are too hasty, sir! You forget that I've made no answer. Let me do so now. I thank you for your compliments.I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to accept them.)

    

 I am by no means discouraged. Indeed not. I understand that young ladies often reject the addresses of the man they mean to accept, when he first applies for their favor, and therefore I shall hope, my dear cousin, to lead you to the altar before long.

              (Elizabeth:Upon my word, your hope is an extraordinary one in view of my declaration. I was perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am the last woman who could make you so.)

      

 My dear Miss Elizabeth, my situation in life, my connection with the noble family of de Bourgh, are circumstances highly in my favour. Consider that it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may be made to you. You cannot be serious in your rejection. I must attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense,  in the usual manner of elegant females.

              (Elizabeth: I assure you, sir, that I have no pretensions to the kind of elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I thank you for the honour of your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings forbid it in every respect.)

        

Can I speak plainer? - You are uniformly charming! And I am persuaded that when sanctioned by your excellent parents...my proposals will not fail of being acceptable.

we few, we happy few!

Isn't that speech from Henry V the best ever? Gets me every time.

Okay, so business first: For next Wednesday, review chapter four in Writing and Rhetoric, as we will continue talking about ethos/pathos/logos, as well as the fallacies. (Also, just to clarify what I said in class: you don't need to complete the grammar quizzes for Wednesday, but they are due on Monday Jan. 23rd so it might be best to get a head start.)

Due on Wednesday is your first official blog post. The prompt is twofold.

• First, I want you to identify ONE fallacy (found in chapter four) from the news, or from politics, or from Facebook, etc. I want you to quote the example in your post, tell us where it comes from, identify the fallacy committed, and explain why it's a fallacy. 
• Second, I want you to analyze another speech from Henry V. Identify TWO examples (each) of ethos/pathos/logos. (In other words, two examples of ethos, two of pathos, and two of logos) You'll want to review the concepts in your book because, as we discussed in class, there are multiple ways to appeal to ethos, pathos, and logos. 
• Click here to watch the youtube clip from the movie, and
• Here's the transcript: 

SCENE III. The same. Before the gates.

The Governor and some Citizens on the walls; the English forces below. Enter KING HENRY and his train

KING HENRY V

How yet resolves the governor of the town?
This is the latest parle we will admit;
Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves;
Or like to men proud of destruction
Defy us to our worst: for, as I am a soldier,
A name that in my thoughts becomes me best,
If I begin the battery once again,
I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur
Till in her ashes she lie buried.
The gates of mercy shall be all shut up,
And the flesh'd soldier, rough and hard of heart,
In liberty of bloody hand shall range
With conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass
Your fresh-fair virgins and your flowering infants.
What is it then to me, if impious war,
Array'd in flames like to the prince of fiends,
Do, with his smirch'd complexion, all fell feats
Enlink'd to waste and desolation?
What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause,
If your pure maidens fall into the hand
Of hot and forcing violation?
What rein can hold licentious wickedness
When down the hill he holds his fierce career?
We may as bootless spend our vain command
Upon the enraged soldiers in their spoil
As send precepts to the leviathan
To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur,
Take pity of your town and of your people,
Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command;
Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace
O'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds
Of heady murder, spoil and villany.
If not, why, in a moment look to see
The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand
Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters;
Your fathers taken by the silver beards,
And their most reverend heads dash'd to the walls,
Your naked infants spitted upon pikes,
Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confused
Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry
At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen.
What say you? will you yield, and this avoid,
Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroy'd?

Good luck! Have a fantastic long weekend.  

a few items of business

Good luck on your first drafts! I recommend eating chocolate before you start writing--that always helps me (: If you have any questions about the paper, consult the Supplemental Guide first. That has all of the information you need, and you should review it frequently. I grade straight from the rubric found in the chapter on Opinion Editorial, so you should also be familiar with that.

As far as Friday goes, I am making the reading from New Media optional (in other words, you don't have to read "I Tweet, Therefore I Am"). I didn't announce it in class, because I wanted to reward everyone that checks the blog! Haha. Really, though, I don't think we'll get to it, so don't worry about reading it unless you want to. But you DO need to read chapter four in Writing and Rhetoric. 

One thought on claims/thesis statements: I didn't get to say this in class, but one way to make an okay argument a great argument is to make sure you are proposing a concrete solution. In other words, it is insufficient to argue that something is good or bad; rather, you need to argue what people should actually do to solve the problem. For example, if you were to argue that American Heritage is a terrible class, it wouldn't be a great argument unless you included in your argument what BYU should do to make American Heritage a better course. Does that make sense? Hopefully so.

Also, make sure that you are following this blog as well as all your classmates' blogs. Your first official post is coming up next week.

another blog to follow

Here's the final blog to follow:

http://writing150blognello.blogspot.com/

See you Wednesday!

blogs to follow and other things

Thanks for your participation in class today. I'm going to be emailing each of you about the topics you turned into me today--hopefully my suggestions will help as you select and narrow your topics. Also, make sure you give me your info sheet on Wednesday if you haven't already done so.

Here are some questions to consider for Wednesday's class:

• We're going to be talking about claims, reasons, and assumptions. Can you identify your own claim, reasons, and assumptions in the New Media article? ("Are We Facebook Friends Yet?")
• Also, try to identify your own claim, reasons, and assumptions for your Opinion Editorial topic.

And lastly, here are your blogs to follow (I'm still missing one, so I'll post it as soon as I get it!)

http://sam-rhetoricallyspeaking.blogspot.com/

http://likeeatinganelephant-wtg150.blogspot.com/

http://writerightkh.blogspot.com/

http://2012writingandrhetoric.blogspot.com/

knel117.blogspot.com

http://writingripples.blogspot.com/

alex-rasmussen.blogspot.com

http://jc10102.blogspot.com/

http://righting150.blogspot.com

camjarrell.blogspot.com

http://mnielson.blogspot.com

http://sofiawritesright.blogspot.com/

blahblahblogben.blogspot.com

www.jeffwraywriting150.blogspot.com

http://christianrocksblogspot.blogspot.com/

http://aaronrocksblog.blogspot.com

http://wovenwriting.blogspot.com/

Also, it says on the syllabus that your first official blog post isn't until next week, but before then write a post introducing yourself to your classmates--tell us a story about yourself, explain why you are so cool, etc. 250-300 words.

See you Wednesday!

things to know/do before monday 01/09

First things first, thank you for your discussion in class today. I hope that as we continue discussing in the class and in groups, we can see the usefulness of rhetoric in our everyday lives. As I mentioned, I want this class to be relevant to you.

Here are some questions to consider as you complete the reading (WR ch. 3, "Things as They Really Are"):

• Why is audience so important? How is an argument made effective/ineffective based on considering the audience?
• When you are considering a "BYU" audience, what does that mean? What kind of people are here?
• Why is it important to have a kairotic argument? How does it make an argument more/less effective considering kairos?
• Okay, so apply chapter three to "Things as They Really Are." Is this a kairotic argument? Why or why not? Also, who is the audience Elder Bednar is trying to reach?

So next, here's the link to the article from the New Media reader: Elder Bednar, "Things as They Really Are"

Have a great weekend! See you Monday.

welcome welcome!

In my experience, the first day of classes is typically long and boring and overwhelming. I hope that wasn't your experience in class today. I am looking forward to this semester; I can tell we have a great class that will work well together.

For Friday, remember to check the syllabus for the reading. You will read chapter one in Writing and Rhetoric and pages 3-20 in the Writing and Rhetoric Supplemental Guide. Also, make sure you read through the syllabus thoroughly. You will be responsible for knowing the information in the syllabus. In class, we will be discussing the definition of rhetoric as well as going over the first major paper, the Opinion Editorial. As you read, keep these questions in mind:

• As you can tell from reading chapter one, there are many definitions of rhetoric. How would you blend these definitions together into one brief definition?
  
• What is the connection between the two reading assignments? (i.e., what does the Opinion Editorial have to do with rhetoric? This may seem obvious, but I want you to think of a few different examples.)
  

As I mentioned in class, you don't necessarily need to worry about starting a blog between now and Friday--you will have to have it before Monday though. We'll briefly go over the sign-up process in class; however, you're all smart kids, and I'm pretty sure you'll be able to figure it out on your own.