1. Week 10
Tuesday - March 19, 2018
English 1301

2. During Spring Break, I … Gave you a midterm grade.
You got a temporary participation grade.
You got an Eli Review grade.
I added absences + tardy penalties.

3. BIGGEST ISSUES
Many of you went from passing to failing because of these two things:
Attendance and Tardy penalties
Eli Review participation

4. BIGGEST ISSUES
Eli Review Participation only includes assignments completed and any late work submitted. For your final Eli Review grade at the end of the semester, I will add grades based on the feedback you give. (Remember: Describe / Evaluate / Suggest)

5. March 28, 2018 – Final week of March
Last Drop date
March 28, 2018 – Final week of March

6. Talk to me in my office or during conferences.
Should I Drop?
Talk to me in my office or during conferences.

7. CONFERENCES

8. CONFERENCES
1.) Sign in using TTU username / password.
2.) Click spot you want to put your name.
3.) “Edit Workbook”
4.) Add name.

9. These meetings are mandatory.
CONFERENCES
These meetings are mandatory.
1.) You must sign up for a time.
2.) If you do not show up, it is an absence.
3.) If you arrive late, it is an absence.
4.) IF you don’t sign up at all = absence.

10. CONFERENCES
I will only show up to time slots that have been signed with your name. I will not be in my office unless you sign up with me.

11. CONFERENCES Bring a draft of your rhetorical analysis.
Bring your introductory paragraph.
Bring your thesis statement.
Bring an outline of some kind.
Bring SOMETHING for me to check. I want to help you do well on your rhetorical analysis.

12. Another Spring Break? No class on Monday, March 26.
No class on Tuesday (March 27) & Thursday (March 29)
We will have our meeting in my office. Sign up no later than Friday or Saturday of this week.

13. The Rhetorical Analysis
Today, you will learn:
4 Steps to Writing
a strong Introduction
What to include in a thesis statement.

14. The Rhetorical Analysis
Found on WordPress
The Rhetorical Analysis

15. Thesis Statements
A “thesis statement” is a fancy way of saying “your argument.”​
A thesis statement states the main idea of a piece of writing.​
A thesis statement lets readers know what the writer will discuss in the paper.​

16. Strong and Weak Thesis Statements
Characteristics of Strong Thesis Statements
Characteristics of Weak Thesis Statements
Avoid using the first person or phrases like “I believe” or “I think”
Serve as a guide to your paper for your reader
Assert your conclusion and take a stand on the author’s rhetorical strategies.
State what rhetorical choices you will be analyzing (2-4)
A simple statement of your topic that does not state an opinion or analyze the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the author’s rhetorical strategies
A summary of the author’s article you are analyzing
Not specific

17. Writing a Good Thesis Statement
Albertson effectively persuades his audience that dumping trash into the lake is dangerous to the local ecosystem through his use of personal anecdotes, his appeal to expert opinions, and through the use of statistics. State author’s name, effective/ineffective, audience (specific or not), purpose, rhetorical choices (2-4 listed).

18. Pretend you are grading a student’s paper
Pretend you are grading a student’s paper. Consider this thesis statement:
Mark Brown effectively uses tone, diction, and imagery in his article “The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered.” These elements make the article by Brown a useful article to encourage states and legislators to lower the drinking age.
On your notebook paper and as a group, write down and discuss:
Strengths?
Weaknesses?
Comments? What advice/feedback would you give this student?

19. Let’s try this one:
Gawande uses clear reasoning and direct language to convince readers that it is. The combination creates an effective argument that is full of energy and difficult to argue against.
Strengths?
Weaknesses?
Comments? What advice/feedback would you give this student?

20. One more … Strengths? Weaknesses?
I really think that Garcia’s essay, “Recollections from Jail,” really informs readers about what life in jail is like. I believe that by writing about his stories, he gives readers some insight on the issue he references a lot.
Strengths?
Weaknesses?
Comments? What advice/feedback would you give this student?

21. Introduction Paragraph
Put the following components in your introductory paragraph (in this order):
A one-sentence summary of the article. Begin your introductory paragraph with a one-sentence summary and make sure that you identify the author and article by name.
2. Discuss briefly the author’s credentials and the original context in which the essay was first published.
3. Identify the audience and purpose of the essay.
4. Conclude your introductory paragraph with a thesis statement.

22. Sample of “B”-Tier introductory paragraph
In “How to Think like Shakespeare,” author Scott Newstock urges his audience to adopt Shakespearean attitudes towards education so that they can be successful in college and beyond. Newstock is professor of English literature at Rhodes College who specializes in English Renaissance literature. He published this essay in The Chronicle of Higher Education, a publication that provides higher-education news to college and university faculty members, administrators, and students. According to Newstock, primary and secondary education has failed incoming college students thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act. Consequently, the author believes that it is up to his audience to take matters into their own hands so that they can have an enlightening college experience. Throughout the essay, Newstock uses paradox, anticipating objection, and appeal to pride to effectively convince his audience to adopt Shakespearean attitudes towards education that are still relevant in the 21st century. By using these rhetorical choices, Newstock argues that if new college freshman can learn to think like Shakespeare, they can improve their critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration skills, all of which are necessary for success in college and life afterwards.

23. Why was this introduction considered b-tier?
There is no specification of a specific, intended audience.
The purpose is a little vague. What does the writer mean when he says that the audience must “take matters into their own hands”?
Thesis statements can be 1-2 sentences long. In this case, it would be better to combine both final sentences into one clear statement.

24. For Next Time: By class time:
Please read the documents on the WordPress site: