Overachieving

Don't forget that a rhetorical toolbox quiz is coming sooner or later. Make sure you have your toolbox with you in the upcoming days as you will not be allowed to go fetch it once class starts.

1: After copying down Unit 12 vocabulary and learning of your new expert assignment, we returned to the world of Julie and how author Alexandra Robbins presents her in The Overachievers. As per our discussion, the author utilizes many organizational and rhetorical strategies to show us a multifaceted characterization of Julie. Following our full class analysis, you were assigned one of the remaining Overachievers, analyzed the related strategies in their presentations, and shared your findings with classmates. Overall, the significance of time and chronology with Audrey shows her perfectionist qualities. And, the inclusion (or takeover) of Mrs. AP Frank adjusts the tone, diction, and syntax of the situation as AP Frank disappears under his mother's ideals.

To end class, you received the group rhetorical analysis assignment. To highlight, you will read a 1-2 page letter or essay and construct a verbal essay regarding purpose and rhetorical strategies. For homework, you should have completed a close read for purpose and strategies and brainstorm hook ideas to help your group preparations on Friday. During the majority of Friday's class, you will have prep time to work on the presentation, which will occur on Tuesday.

3: We began vocabulary with a word from your toolbox list: malapropism. At that point I hijacked vocabulary experts and began a presentation detailing the history of  malapropisms and examples of this comic, humorous device in writing and real-life scenarios (Jesus instead of genius was very effectual in class today). And since the presentation included zeugma and anadiplosis, we also learned about these two devices and how these can be utilized in writing to create tone and meaning. Back to vocab experts, we finished with the remaining three words today.

For the remainder of the class, we worked on identifying strategies, organizational patterns, and modes of discourse in passages from The Outliers and The Overachievers. In both circumstances, it is beneficial to look at patterns in the whole text and identify what strategies help the author to create this pattern and, ideally, the purpose of the whole text. Using your own Overachiever analysis, you met with classmates to discuss your findings and complete your picture of rhetorical analysis for this text. For next class, you will find out more about the group verbal rhetorical analysis presentation that first hour received today.

7: We finished the paper meetings! Actually, I find these meetings very helpful in ascertaining what you need to work on for the next rhetorical analysis. Afterwards, you were assigned your next vocabulary expert word, which will be needed for Friday's class. Then, we worked with identifying rhetorical strategies, modes of discourse, and organization in selected passages from The Outliers and The Overachievers. How wonderful to hear you gain in confidence with your rhetorical strategies! Enumeration! For homework, read through your assigned Audrey or Frank passage, jot down strategies, modes of discourse, and organization, and be ready to share these on Friday!