Rhetorical Analysis Free Response Deconstruction Lesson

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1 NATIONAL MATH + SCIENCE INITIATIVE English NMSI ENGLISH AP Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Free Response Deconstruction Lesson Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 1

2 English Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. Student activity pages may be photocopied for classroom use only. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Grateful acknowledgment is given authors, publishers, and agents for permission to reprint copyrighted material. Every effort has been made to determine copyright owners. In case of any omission, the publisher will be pleased to make suitable acknowledgments in future editions. AP is a registered trademark of the College Board. The College Board was not involved in the production of and does not endorse this product. Published by: National Math + Science Initiative 8350 North Central Expressway Suite M-2200 Dallas, TX Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at

3 2015 Rhetorical Analysis Free Response Deconstruction Lesson Activity One: Understanding Rhetorical Analysis A rhetorical analysis differs from a summary in that it assumes an understanding of the main points of the piece, but analyzes how the writer has constructed the piece to convince the audience that his or her points are valid and believable. a summary explains what the author or speaker wrote an analysis examines how and why the author or speaker wrote To do the analysis, the first step is to read the piece very carefully. As you read, identify and analyze how the writer represents his or her identity in the piece. This will give you some clues about how the writer constructs his or her ethos as credible to the audience. Then work on observing and describing how the writer employs the various rhetorical strategies with which you are now familiar to persuade the audience of his point. Steps in this Assignment 1. Read the prompt carefully and identify the task. 2. Remember the acronym SOAPS. Speaker Occasion Audience Purpose Subject 3. Read and annotate the passage. Remember the argumentative appeals, use of concession, and rebuttal as well as the acronym SLLIDD TOP. Syntax Language Literary Devices Imagery Diction Detail Tone Organization Point of View 4. Plan your response. Craft a thesis statement and define the topics of the body paragraphs before writing Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 3

4 2015 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS Question 2 (Suggested time 40 minutes. This question counts for one-third of the total essay section score.) On the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., labor union organizer and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez published an article in the magazine of a religious organization devoted to helping those in need. Read the following excerpt from the article carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the rhetorical choices Chavez makes to develop his argument about nonviolent resistance. Step 1: Read the prompt and identify the task. 1. It is essential that you identify the task. On the lines below, restate the prompt. 2. What are you required to do in order to clearly address the prompt? Step 2: Remember the acronym SOAPS. 3. In the grid below, describe each category of SOAPS as completely as possible. Use your reading of the prompt, explicit and implicit, to complete this activity. Use the resource on the following page as a guide. Speaker Occasion Audience Purpose Subject 4 Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at

5 Student Resource: Analyzing Rhetorical Situation Use the questions to organize your close reading of any text. SOAPS S Speaker O Occasion A Audience P Purpose of speaker S Subject Speaker Occasion Audience Purpose Subject Is someone identified as the speaker? Can you make some assumptions about the speaker? Which class? Which political party? Which gender? Which religion? What prompted the author to write this piece? What event led to its publication or presentation? Does the speaker identify an audience? What assumptions can you make about the audience? Is it a mixed racial/gender group? What social class? Political party? Who was the document created for? Does the speaker use language that is specific for a unique audience? Does the speaker evoke God? Nation? History? Does the speaker allude to classical themes: the Fates, the Classics...? Why is the speaker using this type of language? What is the speaker s purpose? In what ways does the author convey this message? How would you picture the speaker giving this speech? What is the message? What is the emotional state of the speaker? How is the speaker trying to spark a reaction in the audience? What words or phrases show the speaker s tone? How is the document supposed to make the audience feel? What is the subject of the piece? How do you know this? How has the subject been selected and presented by the author? Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 5

6 Step 3: Annotate the passage for rhetorical strategies that develop Chavez s purpose. Meaningful annotation rises from the literal level of the text to the figurative and thematic. Often, it can be difficult to move from literal to figurative/thematic. Examine the difference between both categories below. Literal Level: Weak Annotation Notes that answer the question What was said? Notes that restate events, setting, and character descriptions Plot-level outcome of speaker s actions or words Read the first paragraph of the passage for the 2015 rhetorical analysis. Then, construct one-two annotations that only accomplish a literal level reading. Dr. King s entire life was an example of power that nonviolence brings to bear in the real world. It is an example that inspired much of the philosophy and strategy of the farm workers movement. This observance of Dr. King s death gives us the best possible opportunity to recall the principles with which our struggle has grown and matured. In other words, weak annotation is a paraphrase or summary of the passage. We want to move beyond understanding just what the author said and note how he or she chooses to say it and consider why: how do his or her words develop his or her purpose and what is the intended effect on the audience? Figurative and Thematic Level: Purposeful Annotation and Written Response Notes that identify strategies employed by the author Notes that make inferences from the author s words Observations about the speaker s ethos Evaluation of the audience s response Identification of tone and possible shifts in tone Recognition of patterns in the writing of the passage as a whole Now, reread the opening paragraph of the passage and construct one-two purposeful annotations. Use the bullets above to focus your annotations. Dr. King s entire life was an example of power that nonviolence brings to bear in the real world. It is an example that inspired much of the philosophy and strategy of the farm workers movement. This observance of Dr. King s death gives us the best possible opportunity to recall the principles with which our struggle has grown and matured. 6 Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at

7 Annotating the Passage Read and annotate Chavez s article from the 2015 free response question on the next page. Consider Chavez s purpose and how he used language to achieve that purpose. Use the SLLIDD TOP acronym to organize your annotations. Student Resource: Analyzing a Passage Annotating for SLLIDD TOP Syntax Language Literary Devices Imagery Diction Identify and discuss effective sentence structure. Identify the type of language or words/phrases the author employs to connect to his/ her audience. Identify and discuss devices such as metaphor, personification, hyperbole, etc. Identify and discuss the importance of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory imagery. Discuss the connotations or implications of the author s word choice. Detail Identify and discuss the concrete aspects of the passage. Tone Organization Point of View Identify and discuss the author s tone and how that tone is revealed. Examine and discuss how the author s thoughts are organized. Examine movement between arguments and sections of the text. Identify the type of perspective the author brings to his/her topic. Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 7

8 Dr. King s entire life was an example of power that nonviolence brings to bear in the real world. It is an example that inspired much of the philosophy and strategy of the farm workers movement. This observance of Dr. King s death gives us the best possible opportunity to recall the principles with which our struggle has grown and matured. Our conviction is that human life is a very special possession given by God to man and that no one has the right to take it for any reason or for any cause, however just it may be. We are also convinced that nonviolence is more powerful than violence. Nonviolence supports you if you have a just and moral cause. Nonviolence provides the opportunity to stay on the offensive, and that is of crucial importance to win any contest. If we resort to violence then one of two things will happen: either the violence will be escalated and there will be many injuries and perhaps deaths on both sides, or there will be total demoralization of the workers. Nonviolence has exactly the opposite effect. If, for every violent act committed against us, we respond with nonviolence, we attract people s support. We can gather the support of millions who have a conscience and would rather see a nonviolent resolution to problems. We are convinced that when people are faced with a direct appeal from the poor struggling nonviolently against great odds, they will react positively. The American people and people everywhere still yearn for justice. It is to that yearning that we appeal. But if we are committed to nonviolence only as a strategy or tactic, then if it fails our only alternative is to turn to violence. So we must balance the strategy with a clear understanding of what we are doing. However important the struggle is and however much misery, poverty and exploitation exist, we know that it cannot be more important than one human life. We work on the theory that men and women who are truly concerned about people are nonviolent by nature. These people become violent when the deep concern they have for people is frustrated and when they are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. We advocate militant nonviolence as our means of achieving justice for our people, but we are not blind to the feelings of frustration, impatience and anger which seethe inside every farm worker. The burdens of generations of poverty and in the fields of America. If we fail, there are those who will see violence as the shortcut to change. It is precisely to overcome these frustrations that we have involved masses of people in their own struggle throughout the movement. Freedom is best experienced through participation and selfdetermination, and free men and women instinctively prefer democratic change to any other means. Thus, demonstrations and marches, strikes and boycotts are not only weapons against the growers but our way of avoiding the senseless violence that brings no honor to any class or community. The boycott, as Gandhi taught, is the most nearly perfect instrument of nonviolent change, allowing masses of people to participate actively in a cause. When victory comes through violence, it is a victory with strings attached. If we beat the growers at the expense of violence, victory would come at the expense of injury and perhaps death. Such a thing would have a tremendous impact on us. We would lose regard for human beings. Then the struggle would become a mechanical thing. When you lose your sense of life and justice, you lose your strength. The greater the oppression, the more leverage nonviolence holds. Violence does not work in the long run and if it is temporarily successful, it replaces one violent form of power with another just as violent. People suffer from violence. Examine history. Who gets killed in the case of violent revolution? The poor, the workers. The people of the land are the ones who give their bodies and don t really gain that much for it. We believe it is too big a price to pay for not getting anything. Those who espouse violence exploit people. To call men to arms with many promises, to ask them to give up their lives for a cause and then not produce for them afterwards, is the most vicious type of oppression. We know that most likely we are not going to do anything else the rest of our lives except build our union. For us there is nowhere else to go. Although we would like to see victory come soon, we are willing to wait. In this sense, time is our ally. We learned many years ago that the rich may have money, but the poor have time. 8 Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at

9 Step 4: Plan your Response 4. Discuss what motivates Chavez to write this article, aside from Martin Luther s death, and identify Chavez s purpose. Remember to use your own diction to reinforce your understanding of Chavez s goal in this article. This will function as your thesis. You may need several sentences to write a fully developed thesis. Organizing the Body of Your Essay There is no single correct way to organize your essay. Writers have many different approaches. One of the most sophisticated methods that best reveals your understanding of the passage as a whole is to define Chavez s points, then construct paragraphs that pull evidence from wherever in the passage is appropriate. Another possibility is to examine the passage chronologically, looking at how Chavez constructs his argument, and assessing the strategies employed in each section of the passage. In either case, once you have decided on the topic of a body paragraph, you must develop it with specific details from the text, identifying the rhetorical strategy used, and discussing its function and effect. 5. Let s consider the first method: define Chavez s points. What are his reasons for advocating for nonviolent protest? Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 9

10 6. Here is a planning chart. Let s consider that one idea Chavez needs to establish is the number of people suffering, their experiences, and their feelings. Write a topic sentence for that body paragraph. 7. Now, using the grid below, prewrite your supporting evidence for the assertion Chavez made. How did the speaker/author reveal this idea through rhetorical strategies/techniques? Quote from Text Choose a brief quotation from the text. Rhetorical Strategy Explain how Chavez is employing language. Function/Effect Explain how Chavez s style relates to his purpose. 10 Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at

11 Activity Two: Revising Strategies and Appropriate Quote Integration Now that you have completed prewriting, let s first review how to best integrate quotations. Avoid dropping quotations into your essay without warning. Provide clear signal phrases and context to prepare readers for the quotation. Dropped Quotation Example The speaker talks about protests. Freedom is best experienced through participation and self determination. As you can see the quote is isolated and is not integrated into the first sentence. As such, the cohesion of the sentence is clunky and confusing. Often, students drop a quote because they don t understand how to appropriately integrate citation within a sentence. An easy way to combat dropped quotations is to use the acronym ICE as you work on appropriately integrating quotation within your writing. This forms a chunk of writing in which you introduce the quote, cite the specific quote, state the strategy or device used, and explain the significance of the quote to the overall meaning. See the example below. Introduce, Cite, Explain (ICE) Introduce: Asserting that protests return power to the people, Chavez argues that Cite: [f]reedom is best experienced through participation and self-determination. Explain: The speaker s diction implies that the poor and powerless must be actively involved in dissent in order to earn their independence. Complete Example: Asserting that protests return power to the people, Chavez argues that, [f]reedom is best experienced through participation and self-determination. The speaker s diction implies that the poor and powerless must be actively involved in dissent in order to earn their independence. It can also be help to have a variety of ways to introduce citation so that it does not sound tired. Use the example signal phrases below as you revise your writing. In the words of the speaker The speaker acknowledges that. The speaker observes that. The speaker argues As the author puts it The line,.., suggests. The speaker realizes. According to the speaker The image of the Signal Phrases to Introduce Quotes Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 11

12 Examining Student Samples and Student Revision Examine the original student sample and compare it to the student revision. Then, construct your own revision using the resources from this activity. Each section where the student struggles has been numbered. Original Body Paragraph Throughout his article he supports his claim about nonviolence. 1 Chavez uses the idea 2 that nonviolence will get attention from people 3 to promote nonviolence. Anyone looking to elicit change wants just that: people on their side. Nonviolence results in gaining support. America has a conscience (25) and a yearn[ing] for justice (31). 4 Chavez convinces his audience, and any activists or social reformers, that nonviolence is beneficial to any cause. Chavez encourages his readers to learn from the past: Who gets killed in the case of violent revolution? The poor, the workers (78-79). In most cases the people who are after change are the minority, the oppressed, the poor. Chavez s use of this example dissuades the people who are considering violence to achieve their goal from ever attempting it. When looking at the consequences of violence in history, 5 he convinces his audience 6 that nonviolence is the right choice. Comments 1. The writer does not identify Chavez s claim. This is too generalized of a statement. 2. The writer must explain what kind of strategies/techniques Chavez employs. 3. The writer should have integrated a quote from Chavez s article. 4. The citation in this sentence is dropped into the body paragraph without proper incorporation. 5. A citation from the passage should be included to support the writer s reference. 6. The writer must explain how Chavez convinces his audience. Revision Practice Choose two of the sentences above that have been identified as troublesome. Revise each sentence. Area # Revision: Area # Revision: 12 Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at

13 Sample Paragraph Revised Throughout his article Chavez asserts that nonviolence enhances a movement s numbers and protects its people. 1 Chavez s diction emphasizes 2 that a nonviolent movement will attract and gather the support of millions, drawing more people to the cause. 3 Anyone looking to elicit change wants just that: people on their side. To further convince his audience through an emotional appeal, Chavez emphasizes 4 America s conscience (25) and yearn[ing] for justice (31). The audience, and any activists or social reformers, see that nonviolence is beneficial to any cause. Chavez encourages his readers to learn from the mistakes of the past: Who gets killed in the case of violent revolution? The poor, the workers (78-79). In most cases the people who are after change are the minority, the oppressed, the poor. Chavez s use of this example dissuades the people who are considering violence to achieve their goal from ever attempting it. By citing historical examples such as Dr. King s civil rights movement and Gandhi s peaceful boycotts, 5 his emotional and logical appeals 6 convince his audience that nonviolence is the right choice for any protest. Comments 1. The claim is more specific and clearly stated. 2. The writer has chosen a focus and more precise language. 3. The writer has included a direct citation from Chavez s article for clarity. 4. A thoughtful introduction to the citation helps to introduce Chavez s own words. 5. The author has better described Chavez s motivation and predecessors to establish context. 6. The writer has attempt to identify Chavez s strategies. Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 13

14 Activity Three: Revising Student Writing Before you revise your essay, familiarize yourself with the student resource Power Verbs for Analysis. Then, reread your original essay and identify four-five weak verbs. Choose appropriate verbs from the list below to use in your revision. Student Resource Power Verbs for Strong Analysis Substitute verbs for says or states writes observes notes remarks adds comments thinks explains informs elucidates clarifies suggests Substitute verbs for shows portrays depicts conveys implies reveals demonstrates exemplifies illustrates paints embodies highlights focuses stresses underscores accentuates represents exposes suggests indicates hints Substitutes verbs for argument or argues declares claims alleges affirms asserts argues repudiates refutes dispels reverts Substitute words for the function of the language itself constructs creates transcends pervades foreshadows predicts amplifies underscores 14 Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at

15 Student Revision Use the lines below to write or revise an original paragraph from your essay. Pay attention to: the claim the paragraph makes the use of specific quotations and rhetorical strategies to support your claim the introduction of quoted material or examples verbs that best demonstrate the effect of a segment of the passage Copyright 2016 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at 15

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