1. TODAY’S GOALS Discuss strong response structure and thesis strategies Examine previous successful strong response essays Evaluate the first draft of your strong response essays

2. STRONG RESPONSE ESSAY STRUCTURE Every strong response essay should have an appropriate introduction and conclusion paragraph(s). However there are several different options for structuring the body paragraphs of the essay: Sequential : body paragraphs evaluate the essay point by point, responding to the rhetoric and ideas and reflecting on each section of the article Response types: includes one section on rhetorical analysis, the next section on ideas, and the next section on reflection. The three different strong response types are kept separate in the body paragraphs Rhetorical focus: the body paragraphs are organized according to the rhetorical appeals or other rhetorical concepts (like angle of vision or style). The ideas and reflection are worked into these where appropriate

3. GROUP ACTIVITY 1: EXAMPLE STRONG RESPONSE ANALYSIS In your debate groups Read through the example strong response essay provided and answer the questions below: 1.Does the essay’s introduction grab the readers’ interest and present the topic in an interesting way? What kind of strategy does it use to do this? 2.What is the writer’s thesis (take this directly from the text if possible)? Is it located in a suitable part of the essay? Does it include a response to the article as well as mention the rhetoric within? 3.How are the body paragraphs of the essay structured? Do these align with the order presented in the forecasting? Try to identify one of the three strategies we discussed. 4.How does the author respond to the rhetorical techniques in the essay they have chosen to examine? Are all three rhetorical appeals explored? 5.How does the student author use ethos, pathos, and logos to support their claims? If they are missing any of the rhetorical appeals, offer a suggestion as to how they could use that appeal.

4. STRONG RESPONSE: THESIS AND FORECASTING Should include both the writer’s reaction to the article as well as a brief comment on the article’s rhetorical techniques (remember: the rhetorical critique should be the most important part of the strong response) Should occur near the beginning of the essay, most commonly in the last few sentences of the first paragraph Should be strongly stated and easy to identify It is ok to have first person in the thesis for this essay (although not usually in closed form prose) Avoid tensionless statements, like “this article has good and bad points.” Take a stance!

5. EXAMPLE STRONG RESPONSE THESES “In reality multilingualism and the influx of Spanish speaking immigrants strengthens the nation more than actually hindering society like Franklin Raff claims in “American ‘Multilingualism’: a national tragedy” “I do not agree with Raff’s views in this article. The articles shows bias, contradiction, weak rhetoric, and Raff openly being close minded while he writes this article.” “While I agree with Holt’s stance on increasing the country’s education on foreign language, I disagree with Holt’s reasoning and argument for why we should emphasis the nation’s education on foreign language.” “For someone to say that multilingualism is destroying America, they must not be looking at the positive effects, like the Author of “American Multilingualism: A National Tragedy” who has poor rhetoric and no concrete facts to back up his accusations.”

6. GROUP ACTIVITY 2: STRONG RESPONSE FIRST DRAFT EVALUATION In pairs of two students (3 iff one student does not have a draft) Read each strong response essay provided and answer the questions below: 1.Does the essay’s introduction grab the readers’ interest and present the topic in an interesting way? What kind of strategy does it use to do this? 2.What is the writer’s thesis (take this directly from the text if possible)? 3.Which of the strong response essay structures does the essay follow? Does it have forecasting and sufficient transitions to make this easy to follow? 4.What is the student’s evaluation of the articles’ use of rhetorical appeals? Does it provide an example of ethos, pathos, and logos? 5.Which parts of the essay are completely finished? Which still need revision?

7. GROUP ACTIVITY 3: FINAL DEBATE PLANNING In your debate groups Answer the following questions to ensure your preparation for the class debate 1.What is each student’s speaking point? How is it supported? (Identify the speaking point for each student and give 2-3 examples of supporting arguments that the student will make) 2.For each speaking point, identify a “backup speaker” who is familiar with the argument and can take over in case that main speaker is not present 3.For each of the speaking points shared by your opposing group (during Monday’s class), identify a strategy you could use to refute that argument. Note: this is our final debate planning activity. If you have unresolved issues or questions or strategies, make sure to resolve these with your group members now

8. HOMEWORK: Strong Response second draft Due Monday 7/20 to Turnitin.com as well as a printed copy brought to class 750+ words Should include the rhetorical critique, ideas critique, and reflection