Speak Editorial Assignment

Speak Editorial Assignment   75 points
    
    Your major writing assignment for Speak is partially a reaction to Speak and partially a persuasive essay reflecting on the world you live in.  
      Your goal is to create an editorial.  An editorial, usually written by a member of the newspaper staff or a highly qualified writer, analyzes the world around them, pushes for a specific kind of change, or supports a specific person, action, or group.  
Almost every paper has an editorial page.  Here is the Washington Post’s , New York Post’s, and The Guardian’s.  They often debate complex national matters.  Sometimes papers discuss local matters.  A type of editorial, a great tradition in American democracy, is the letter to the editor.  Here are the letter to the editor pages for The Daily Record and The Star Ledger.  Use all of these sources for context and format.  
Specifically though, we are looking at our own communities in a season of change and hope.  I would like you to look specifically at the world around you.  At times the structure of this world creates pain for the people in it and not necessarily because of ill-will.  I want you to identify that structure, or mechanism, or habit, argue why its a problem, and look for a solution.  Don’t worry if your solution is as simple and “wishy-washy” as something like awareness or sensitivity (obviously, the more definable the solution the better, but I’m not asking for a step-by-step plan on how to end world hunger).  
Your focus may be as wide as our overall culture, it might be as specific as something you see in your group of friends, or your school, or your town.  You may be a part of the problem or part of the solution--it doesn’t matter.  
Keep in mind, these will be read by lots of people.  You don’t want to say anything that might be taken personally.  Avoid mentioning specific people.  Also avoid making wide generalities, as they are rarely helpful.  (”All athletes do this.”  “All rich kids do that.”)
        The best two pieces will be published in the Notre Dame Academy school newspaper.  

Your piece must be between 300 and 500 words.  

You will be graded on:
Clearly stating the problem your piece is trying to confront: 10 points
Developing your main idea with support throughout the body paragraphs: 10 points
Having a cleanly organized piece with good paragraph use: 20 points
The effectiveness of your argument: 20 points
The writing style and grammar of your argument: 15 points

Rhetorical Strategies and Literary Terms

Rhetorical Devices Cheat Sheet

Devices found in every piece: Devices found in most pieces:

Punctuation Imagery
Diction Metaphor
Mood Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance
Point of View Parallelism
Setting
Tone

Figurative Language--Means something other than what it says (You have to figure it out) Imagery--Relating to one of the five senses.
I walked outside and the cool grass brushed against my bair feet.   Metaphor--Comparison of two unlike things. (Make sure that the comparison is not actually real. For instance, I don't actually have an iron heart. If the line said Mr. Flynn has a "beating heart," that would just be a description.)
Mr. Flynn has an iron heart. Simile--Comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as”
I run like an antelope. Personification--Giving objects human characteristics.
The sky looked angry. Allusion--A reference to something outside the text
Call me Ishmael.  (Ishmael is a Biblical name) Symbol--When an object has a meaning larger than itself

Frederick Douglass Project

Frederick Douglass Project

Create a prezi in which you present the following:
(Prezi.com) ← Mainsite
(prezi.com/learn) ← Teach yourself Prezi
Example

3 arguments that Douglass makes against Slavery.

-These should be factual, in your own words, type of statements. For instance, if I were doing this for Into the Wild and nature, I might say that “Chris McCandless states that nature is a place where man can challenge himself and bring out the truest version of his humanity.”

-They must be backed up BY QUOTING THE TEXT
-The text must be close read, and unpacked. In the close reading (2-3 sentences) there should be an explanation of why the text leads you to believe that Douglass is making the argument you have previously identified.

3 different “rhetorical strategies” that Douglass employs to deliver this argument
(Note, the strategies do not have to match with the arguments.)

-It’s one thing to state an argument, it’s another thing entirely to sway others to your point of view. To do so takes craft and skill as a writer. Here is a list from the almighty AP board:

Diction, Syntax, Imagery, Tone, Selection of detail, Irony, Satire, Point of View, Structure, Humor, Sarcasm, Analogy, Soliloquy, Persuasion, Oxymoron, Onomatopoeia, Parallel Structure, Contrast, Comparison, Metaphor, Simile, Personification, Symbolism, Assonance, Alliteration, Paradox, Anecdote, Attitude, Juxtaposition, Hyperbole, Exaggeration, Repetition, Punctuation, Quotations, Foreshadowing, Characterization, Flashback, Rhetorical questioning

(We’ve already gone over a number of these strategies both as vocabulary and within our own close reading work.)

-However, you might also think about rhetorical strategies in a more general way and come up with your own concepts. For instance, you might claim that Jon Krakauer uses “mystery” when he presents McCandless as an anonymous hitchiker on the side of the road sporting an odd nickname. You might build on a term from above and discuss how Abraham Lincoln uses “Religious Allusions” when he writes about “the better angels of our nature” in the First Inaugural Address.

-Again, once you state the rhetorical strategies you MUST QUOTE THE TEXT you’re referrring to.

-Additionally, you must close read the text (2-3 sentences) and explain the rhetorical strategy and why the strategy is effective.

2 different myths that Douglass attempts to dispel with his Autobiography
-Be sure to include the myth and how Douglass attempts to dispel it.
-As always, you need a statement, a textual example, and a close reading.

2 different examples of emotional appeals that Douglass makes to the reader
-Not everything that Douglass tries to do is rational. At times he tries to make the reader FEEL something.
-Explain what he makes us feel and how he gets the feeling across.
-As always, quote the text and analyze it.


Grading: 100 points

10 points for each argument, rhetorical, myth, or emotional appeal strategy
-Proper label for the argument and rhetorical strategy (2 points)
-Textual evidence (2 points)
-Close reading that refers back to the quotations and the particular argument and strategy (5 points.
The key to this project is to explain clearly HOW Douglass gets his point across. This is where rhetorical analysis and close reading comes in.
-Perfect grammar (1 point)

ITW Blogging Assignment

ITW Blogging Assignment--Non-fiction Reporting 50 points
Due Friday October 28th at 11:59 PM

One of the most compelling parts of the novel is how Jon Krakauer builds a non-fictional character using a number of different strategies.
   
As we’re learning in our McCandless Presentation Projects, Krakauer uses setting, actions, writings, influences, effects, different points of view, and family influences in an attempt to explain why Chris does what he does. The effect is a multifacated, intriguing mosaic--a deep picture of a man.  
   
In an attempt to understand this style, I would like you to copy it.  
   
Pick a real person. It can be any person, living or dead, and describe him or her in a compelling way using at least two of the above characterization strategies. If you want to use a characterization strategy that Krakauer doesn’t use, that’s fine, but you should have at least two different ways of “framing” your subject.  
    
You are going to have to do some research. Not academic research, gathering facts in an effort to frame your idea.      
    
This post should be a little bit longer--around 500 words at a minimum. It will also be given a slightly larger grading weight. 50 points.

Grading:
30 Points--Graded as a normal blog post
20 points--How effective are the characterization strategies? Are there two distinct ways of framing the subject? Do the strategies work together or is the piece disjointed and jumbled? At the end of the day, how effective is the piece at presenting the subject?

A post by Eric LeGrand

This is a recent blog post by Eric LeGrand, a Rutgers linebacker who was paralyzed a little over a year ago.  A great example of strong, personal writing.  And just a great story.  Taken from si.com.

     My sophomore year at Rutgers, I bought a black Nissan Altima. I had been saving up for years to buy that car. Over the winters, I had a job hauling Christmas trees. The money I made went toward the car. Over the summers, I worked on the Rutgers grounds crew. Those paychecks, too, went into the "car account."

     The day I finally took ownership of the car, it started to rain. I was driving in southern New Jersey near the dealership and stopped short when the car in front of me screeched to a sudden halt. The driver behind me either wasn't paying attention or forgot that his car came equipped with brakes. He rear-ended me so badly that the hood of his car was practically in my back seat. No one was hurt, thankfully. But after owning that Altima for a grand total of two hours, suddenly it was totaled. My mom was going crazy. I tried to be cool. I told her, "I guess it just wasn't meant to be." And you know what? I was right. A few months later, we got the insurance money and I bought another Altima, silver this time. It was the same price as the first one, but with 30,000 fewer miles.

      I've thought of that story often over the past year. On October 16, 2010, I was a junior playing special teams for Rutgers during a midseason game against Army. We were playing at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., not far from our campus. With the game tied at 17 and about five minutes left in the fourth quarter, I ran downfield after a kickoff and collided with the returner, Malcolm Brown. I hit him pretty good -- I learned later that he broke his collarbone on the play. But I tucked my head. If you have a strong stomach, you can watch it for yourself. (Personally, I do it all the time. It's the last football play I ever made. I figure I might as well watch it.)

The Chris McCandless Project

Your task for the following project is to create a Google Presentation that answers the following question: Who is Chris McCandless?

To do this we must study how Krakauer builds the character of McCandless. In your presentation you need to include a quotation and a close reading from the following elements:

Setting--How a place affects McCandless/How it shows us something about him/How he interacts with his setting/Why setting is important to McCandless/Why does he want to go to the places he does? (3 examples)
Points of View--We get many different opinions on Chris: readers, friends, family members, people who knew him and people who didn’t. What perspective do these points of view add? Be sure to discuss the source’s credibility or lack of credibility. (2 examples)
Writings--What McCandless’ actual words and reflections tell us about him. (2 examples)
Actions--What McCandless’ actions tell us about him. (2 examples)
Inspirations--How the books/ideas/theories shaped McCandless’ life. (1 example)
Influences--How McCandless shapes and influences the people around him/what his friendships, and lack of friendships, tell us about him. (1 example)
Family--How McCandless’ family life, especially his relationship with his sister, mother, and father, formed him. (1 example)



As a summation, include a final slide that draws on evidence from the previous slides, and attempts to answer the question: Why does Chris McCandless travel to Alaska?

Walden Wordle

 Why does Thoreau escape?

Why does Thoreau escape to the woods?  What does he find there?

From Walden (1854) by Henry David Thoreau

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to "glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Peer Editing and Revising via Google Docs

Writing Group Commenting Assignment (30 points)
       Due: Comments are due Tuesday October 10th

1. Write three questions to your own writing that you’d like addressed as comments.
Examples: Could my thesis be worded more clearly? Does my analysis connect to my thesis?

2. Assign roles for each group.

Each editor will look specifically at either structure or grammar. Each paper should have someone in both disciplines, and the editor should switch roles so that he gets a chance to look at both structure and grammar.

Structure
Is the thesis clear/unified/specific/answer a why question/contain all the elements of the paper?
Is the thesis the first sentence of the paper?
Are the quotes introduced? Are they introduced well, in a way that highlights important features about them and provides context?
Does the analysis refer to details in the text and not just restate or paraphrase the quotation?
Does the analysis get linked back to the thesis?
Is there plot summary that can be eliminated?
Are there points that don’t relate to the thesis?

Grammar/Style/Formatting
Does the paper follow the guidelines for title and formatting?
Are the quotes cited properly?
Are there unnecessary long or unclear sentences?
Does every comma relate to a SINIFAC rule?
Are the quotes 5-10 words?
Does the writer repeat his sentence structure?
Are the margins/spacings/font and all that junk the way they should be?


3. Add comments to the document
You are responsible for substantial, lengthy feedback in your area. You should make at least 5 specific comments to both of your peers’ papers (Use the “Comment” feature under “Insert”.)

Avoid making corrections in the actual document. Instead, suggest possible corrections. As an extension, try to avoid being critical without offering a potential solution.

4. The original writer is then responsible for responding to the comments by replying and MAKING CORRECTIONS WITHIN THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT. I want to see actual work, time, and effort spent into perfecting structure and grammar. Note: I can see everything you do within the document.

Grading:
5 specific, helpful, substantial comments for each paper that in your writing group --10 points
Thoughtful revision of your paper -- 10 points
Total -- 30 points


How to Comment on Google Docs

Alexie Tweet of the Day

 "Sherman_Alexie: About basketball and aging: I haven't touched the rim since the first Bush was President."

Writing Fiction to Understand Fiction

    We read too much as readers and as students.  We need to start reading as writers, true writers.  And to accomplish that we need to write.  We need to write fiction to understand fiction.

FICTION!!!! NOOOO!!!!!!

     So you're going to write a personal narrative, similar to Alexie's Absolutely True Diary.  A personal narrative is distinguished by a strong first person voice and action centered around one character's thoughts and emotions. TODAY YOU ARE  GOING TO SPEND TWENTY OF THE HARDEST MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE TO WRITE FICTION!!!

      Technique-wise, think about two things.  First, I'd like you to start with a line from True Diary.  Here are a few to begin: 

I was born with ____________ on the brain.

Traveling between ___________and _________, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger.  

Nobody knew the truth.  

I almost didn’t try out for the team.  

I was a joyous freak.  

She was trying to live out her dream.  

I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my _________ are like lifeboats.  

Second, think about the strategy of show, don't tell. Show the reader ideas, don't just spoon-feed them where you want them to go. Here's a good explanation of show, don't tell from @GrammarGirl on twitter.

Your writing will act as a first draft for your third blog assignment.

     

Semicolons, Colons, Elipses, and the Like

Other Punctuation

Semicolons
Can be used:
           to correct a “comma splice”
        I went to the football game, it was fun. ← Wrong
I went to the football game; it was fun.  ← Right

           to separate two independent clauses without a fanboy
          Mr. Hartle teaches Math; Mr. Thompson teaches History.

to replace a period

Mr. Hartle teaches Math.  Mr. Thompson teaches History.

           

to link two independent clauses with an independent clause marker.

Many corals grow very gradually; in fact, the creation of a coral reef can take centuries.

           

to separate items in a series containing internal punctuation.

Delbarton’s most experienced teachers are Mr. Thompson, who teaches AP Euro; Mr. Hartle, who teaches AP Stats; and Mr. Devine, who teaches AP Physics.

Colons
Can be used:
           After an independent clause to direct attention to a list, an appositive or a quotation.

A typical routine includes the a number of exercises: twenty knee bends, fifty sit-ups, fifteen leg lifts, and five minutes of running in place.

Exception: If the list follows the main verb of the sentence.

Delbarton’s most experienced teachers are Mr. Thompson, Mr. Hartle, and Mr. Devine.

         

 Between independent clauses ONLY IF THE SECOND ONE EXPLAINS OR SUMMARIZES THE FIRST

                       Faith is like love: it cannot be forced.
                       There is something great about sports: they reveal character.
           

Style Project

Style Portfolio Project--50 points
On your blog, write a personal narrative (as a reference, Absolutely True Diary is a personal narrative.  This doesn’t mean you have to copy Alexie’s style; in fact, I’d like you to find a unique style.)  The piece must follow the following criteria:

YOU MUST:
1. Begin with a sentence from Absolutely True Diary.  From there, make it your own story.

2. Use the following types of sentences in your piece:
ITALICIZE THE EXAMPLE SENTENCES.  
-Simple Sentence
-Compound Sentence
-Complex Sentence
-Sentence with non-essential phrase
-A sentence with a semicolon
-A sentence with a colon
-An appositive
-A group (2 or more) of non-coordinating or coordinating adjectives
(See my writing tips section for all the handouts concerning punctuation and structure)

3. Take a selection from Alexie (it can be one sentence or a group of sentences).  Create a sentence in your piece that copies the structure of the sentence, both in terms of punctuation and parts of speech use.   

  For example:
Sample sentence: Home, where she longed to be, where she and her mother could be warm together, was far behind.
(Noun/non-essential phrase/non-essential phrase/verb phrase)  <--you don’t need to write this out, but it might help)
My sentence: The game, where I became a man, where I learned how to lose, was never far from my mind.
COMMENT ON YOUR OWN POST AND GIVE THE ORIGINAL ALEXIE SENTENCE WITH A PAGE NUMBER.

Close Reading Strategies

Types of close reading

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.

Close Reading--Problems

Close Reading, is there anything more important in English?  Let's take a look at some common issues with close reading. 

Common problems in close readings
Quotes aren’t introduced

Ahab isn’t very smart.  “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”  

Problem: The speaker and the context is not clear.

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab exclaims, “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”

Additionally, in this example, it would make it clearer to the reader if the elements of the quote that the writer wanted to emphasize were highlighted in the introduction.  

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”

The close reading begins with “this.”

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.” In this quote Ahab shows how much he hates the sun.

Problem: It’s not clear what about the quote you’re trying to reference.  This leads to very general close readings

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.” Ahab chooses to reference an object like the sun, with strong mythological connections to God, in order to display his desire to become a god-like man.  

The close reading summarizes the quote.

In “The Quarterdeck,” Ahab highlights the intensity of his arrogance: “I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”  Ahab describes how if something as powerful as the sun attacked him verbally, he would strike it back physically.

Problem: Summary doesn’t explain how the quotes help prove your idea.  I know what happened.  

There are some good opinions/analysis, but they don’t relate directly to the text quoted.

In chapter 132, Ahab begins to reminisce about his past family life and displays the fact that he wishes he had more time on land to spend with his family. "When I think of this life I have led; the desolation of solitude it has been" (Melville 405). When Ahab says this it becomes extremely evident he hates the isolation from society he has had while on the sea.

Problem: Quotes don’t speak for themselves.  You need to explain how you get to your readings because different people could come to different conclusions.  Explain yourself as if you’re talking to someone who isn’t very smart.  

In chapter 132, Ahab begins to reminisce about his past family life and displays the fact that he wishes he had more time on land to spend with his family: "When I think of this life I have led; the desolation of solitude it has been...the slavery of solitary command" (Melville 405). Ahab describes the “solitude” he has created for himself as “desolation.”  For the entire novel, Ahab has willfully separated himself, but here he reverses himself and explains that he has been a “slave” to himself, suggesting a lack of control over his own role on the ship.

Making statements and claims without quoting the text

Problem: The basis of literary criticism is that the opinions/claims that are made must be supported through analysis of the text.  This is what gives readings credibility. Otherwise, anyone could just say anything.

Note: Every substantial claim or opinion you make in your paper must be substantiated with a piece of the text.