Write!! Revise!!!!

Just a quick reminder that your JFK papers are due tomorrow (Wednesday October 1st) as is your Summer Assignment.  Remember that after the 1st, all missing summer assignments go to irrevocable zeros.

Remember as you revise your papers, think about how each sentence flows into the next and how each paragraph leads into the next.  Make sure each paragraph serves a purpose in your paper, jsut as each sentence must serve a purpose in your paragraph.  Sometimes subtraction can do as much or more than addition to make your paper better.

Obama / McCain Debate #1

Note to both classes:  We’ll meet in the Study Hall computer lab.  We’re in for the whole time 3rd period, but in 2nd period we’ll have to switch to the Library lab halfway through.  Sorry, but it’s the best we could do to get you the time.

Since we’re watching the debate, you might find it interesting to check out some of the fact-checking sites out there to see how accurate both candidates were the other night.

• Factcheck.org
• Yahoo News
• Washingtonpost.com
• Politifact.com (This is where the Tacoma News Tribune got the information for their website)

La Victoire Douce!

Remember that your papers are due on Wednesday.  Not by design, your summer assignments are also due Wednesday.  Remember that after that date, missing turns to a zero in the grade book.  That’s a firm deadline.

As you write your papers, keep in mind the tone t-chart we talked about.  It will help you figure out what you want to write.  Have a good weekend.

Everyone gets a horse in Camelot…

Work on your JFK papers tonight.  We will meet in the Study Hall Computer Lab both periods to maximize your writing time.  Oddly, we didn’t talk about this in 2nd period, but 3rd period, as promised, here is the length requirements:  900-1200 words.

As I said in class, that is what we had last year and it seemed to work pretty well for students.  Use the notes we’ve been compiling all week to their best advantage to help you garner the evidence for this paper.

This paper is due on Wednesday, October 1. 

When you’re stuck and wondering what to do, the paragraphs right after the sample thesis on page 57 of your text are very good.  They explain exactly what I’m looking for in your papers.

Here’s to productive writing this weekend. May your whiny inner editor leave you alone and let you get your ideas on paper for he/she to look over later.  See you tomorrow!

Diction/Syntax Reflection

Blog your observations and analysis of how diction and syntax create tone in a piece of writing.  Then record your thoughts as to how (there’s that word again, Megan) one might write about tone in a paper.

As Kristi pointed out, if a group hasn’t started the syntax questions, they won’t have much to say about tone.  In that case, limit your reflection to diction.

Journaling on JFK

Create a dialectical journal on JFK’s inaugural address in which you analyze at least 5 passages that you find to be important in some way.  If you forget how to do a dialectical journal, refer to pages 42-3 of Langauge of Composition.

There are many copies of this speech on the internet.  Google “JFK inaugural address” and you’ll have many copies to choose from.  I recommend cutting and pasting your selections into a table.  Don’t forget to indicate the paragraph number of your selections.  If you blog it, use the paste from Word button and it will work like a charm.  If you forgot how to do that, ask Brett Howell; he’s got it down.

Presidential Rhetoric

Read the article at Slate.com entitled “The Hottest Rhetorical Device of Campaign ‘08″.  Evaulate the article for it’s ability to engage the average person with an obscure rhetorical device.  Then, try your hand at creating an example of antimetabole that you’d like to hear one of the candidates use (as in the invitation at the end of the article, but post it to your blog, don’t email them to Slate.com).

DGP

I forgot to remind you in class, but remember to have the Monday work done for DGP sentence number 3 on Monday.  Have a great weekend!

PS Ask me about the PSAT on Monday.  I have some information for you.

and the number of the counting shall be…three!

Okay, light homework tonight.  Read pages 10-11.  It’s only half a page of text on each page so you’re really only reading one page.  Then, do the assignment on page 12.  I’d like you to fill in the rhetorical triangle in a similar manner to what we did in class today when discussing Mr. Collins’ unfortunate proposal.  Then write up a short analysis that considers the classic appeals as well (Logos, Ethos, and Pathos).  It can be blogged, but your welcome to bring it on paper. We’ll project them from my computer if they’re on the blog or on the document camera if they’re on paper.  Either way, be ready to talk the class through your reading of your political cartoon.

Arranging your life, er…essay

Your homework tonight consists of reading pages 13-26 in your textbook and blogging the short assignment on page 26.  The early part of the chapter discussed the classical arrangement with an example.  We’ll take a brief look at that tomorrow along with the Rogerian arrangement that isn’t in our text.

Sorry that you’re getting hit with so much information right now.  We’ll be done with that phase soon and then we’ll get quite a bit of practice using what we’ve learned.  So far, you are doing very well!

Go ahead and blog this assignment if you haven’t done so already.