1. Reflections by Lee Teter (1988)
Warm Up: Monday, Sept. 18th
Answer the following warm up questions in your notebook.
What is this painting depicting?
Who is the man in the white shirt? What do you think his story is?
What argument is the painter trying to present?
End of US involvement in Vietnam War – 1973
Vietnam War Memorial
Turn in your homework to the tray!
Reflections by Lee Teter (1988)

2. Reflections by Lee Teter (1988)
Lee Teter Interview
Teter said that much of the impact of Reflections can be attributed to the powerful memories the image evokes. “The picture is light reflecting off pieces of paint and the canvas,” he said. “That’s the painting. The picture itself is in the mind of the viewer. The art becomes every person. It triggers memories that are very, very personal. While we all see the same image on the canvas, we don’t all see the same picture. The people it truly affects are people who have deeply buried memories, sometimes not so deeply buried. The faces they see are the faces they are familiar with, not the ones in the painting. People aren’t seeing the painting. They’re seeing reflections of their own past. That’s why they cry. It’s not my art. It’s their memories.”
Reflections by Lee Teter (1988)

3. What does the argumentative essay require of me?
Understand the nature of the position taken in the prompt (usually a statement or an idea in a short passage or quotation).
Take a specific stand—support, refute, or qualify—with the assertion in the prompt.
Qualify = you will modify, limit, or restrict your agreement or disagreement by presenting exceptions.
An essay way to qualify is to create a complex sentence, putting the lesser part of your argument in a dependent clause and the strongest part in the main clause (e.g. “Although the death penalty…,sometimes it is…”).
Clearly and logically support your claim.

4. Sample Argument Prompt

5. First Step Reminders
Read the prompt more than once! Highlight the essential elements of the prompt that tell you what your essay needs to accomplish.
Think quickly! Use the key words, phrases, and ideas of the prompt to develop a quick graphic organizer of your thoughts (list, chart, outline, etc.) that will help you decide on a position and will also dictate the structure of your essay. Categorize and group your examples into 2-3 broad categories (focus of body paragraphs).
Make your position perfectly clear in your introduction (thesis).

6. How do I support my position?
The strength of your support should lead to your position (agree, disagree, or qualify).
The best essays will incorporate no fewer than three well-developed examples. These examples should clearly reflect the author/individual’s argument (meaning) and the ways (methods) in which he/she supports those ideas. Avoid mere plot summary!
Strong writers will also consider the opposing viewpoints to their argument, or make a concession, before reasserting their position.
Sophisticated and specific examples include:
Literature / reading
History
Current events
Politics / government
Universal truths
Personal experiences (anecdotes)
Entertainment / pop culture (be careful here—it can quickly sound unrefined!)
Philosophy
Commonly accept beliefs / trends in society
Opposing viewpoints (make sure to adequately disprove them!)
Definitions / facts / statistics

7. What are some things I need to keep in mind as I write?
In your essay, you should address the opposition in order to put your argument in context and show how and why you are “entering the conversation” on the topic.
When you write about literature, you use the present tense.
You should utilize effective language in your argument. Think about the close readings we worked on last week. The authors/poets intentionally used unique syntax, punctuation, diction, and literary/rhetorical devices to support their purpose in writing.

8. AP Argument Essay Rubric
9 Papers earning a score of 9 meet the criteria for 8 papers and, in addition, are especially sophisticated in their argument, thorough in their development, or impressive in their control of language. 8 Effective Papers earning a score of 8 effectively assert an argument in response to the prompt. They develop their argument with evidence and explanations that are appropriate and convincing, and the argument is especially coherent and well developed. The prose demonstrates a consistent ability to control a wide range of elements of effective writing but is not necessarily flawless. 7 Papers earning a score of 7 fit the description of 6 papers but provide more complete explanation, more thorough development, or a more mature prose style. 6 Adequate Papers earning a score of 6 adequately assert an argument in response to the prompt. They develop their position with evidence and explanation that are appropriate and sufficient, referring to the passage explicitly or implicitly. The writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but generally the prose is clear. 5 Papers earning a score of 5 assert an argument in response to the prompt. The evidence or explanations used may be uneven, inconsistent, or limited. The writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but it usually conveys the writer’s ideas.

9. AP Argument Essay Rubric
4 Inadequate
Papers earning a score of 4 inadequately assert an argument in response to the prompt. The evidence or explanations used may be inappropriate, insufficient, or less convincing. The prose generally conveys the writer’s ideas but may be less consistent in controlling the elements of effective writing.
3 Papers earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for a score of 4 but demonstrate less success in asserting an argument in response to the prompt. The papers may show less maturity in control of writing.
2 Little Success
Papers earning a score of 2 demonstrate little success in asserting an argument in response to the prompt. These papers may misunderstand the prompt, or substitute a simpler task by responding to the prompt tangentially with unrelated, inaccurate, or inappropriate explanation. The prose often demonstrates consistent weakness in writing, such as grammatical problems, a lack of development or organization, or a lack of coherence and control.
1 Papers earning a score of 1 meet the criteria for a score of 2 but are undeveloped, especially simplistic in their explanation and argument, or weak in their control of language, or especially lacking in coherence and development.
0 Indicates an on-topic response that receives no credit, such as one that merely repeats the prompt or shifts or responds in a language other than English.
Ø B Indicates a blank response or one that is completely off topic

10. Tim O’Brien Interview Blurring the lines of fantasy and reality
Fiction vs. nonfiction
Cost of war
Soldiers then vs. now
Nature of truth