Hornet Toolbox. Handbook for Analytical Reading and Academic Writing

Transcription

1 Hornet Toolbox Handbook for Analytical Reading and Academic Writing Enterprise High School 3411 Churn Creek Rd, Redding, CA (530)

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Resource Page Number How to annotate 3-4 SOAPSTone directions and example 5 Rhetorical summary directions, template, example 6-8 Essay outline and writing tips 9 Essay example Works cited page example 13 Persuasion terms 14 Literary terms Page 2

3 HOW TO ANNOTATE Purple Ink: personal annotations Blue Ink: academic annotations Page 3

4 Page 4

5 SOAPSTONE Subject Directions The subject is the topics of the text or the main ideas. Be specific and accurate. Do not just get the general idea; be precise in your description of the subjects that the text covers. Example Answers The subject of Lincoln s letter is himself: his childhood, background, and growth as a politician before he became a popular figure in American politics. Occasion The events that inspired the author to write the text; can be a specific or general event. After the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, an author may write a piece criticizing police procedures. Other times the occasion is a general event, like the change in American culture over the last 30 years, so an author may write about how beliefs about gender equality have changed. Audience The audience is the specific group of readers that the author is trying to target, impact, entertain, or inform. Never say the audience is the readers; that is far too broad. His friend, Jesse W. Fell, asked him to write about himself, so Fell could share it with the public. Certainly the occasion is because Fell asked him to write the letter, but the American public must have been putting some pressure on Lincoln to share some of his background with them. The audience is Fell and the American public in Obviously, Lincoln did not intend the letter to be published directly because he crossed out some words, so it can be assumed Lincoln trusted Fell to proofread the letter. Purpose Speaker Tone The purpose of the text is the goal the author has in mind. The author probably wants the reader to take action and/or change their opinion. The speaker is the author of the text. Identify the credibility (trustworthiness) of the speaker and the bias of the speaker. The tone is the attitude of the speaker toward the subject. The author may have one consistent tone, or a shifting tone throughout the text. See list of tone words in appendix A. The clear purpose was to inform the public of Lincoln s past and familiarize him with them. The speaker is President Abraham Lincoln. He seems to be honest and trustworthy -- he is open about his humble beginnings and lack of education. The author is detached, and direct. The author s tone is detached in the way he gives details about the deaths of his family and he is direct in the way he gives details about his education, career, and appearance. Page 5

6 RHETORICAL SUMMARY What is it? A rhetorical précis is a four-sentence paragraph that summarizes the important persuasive elements of an argument. It does not include your opinion or quotations. DIRECTIONS Sentence One Name of the author, a phrase describing the author, the type and title of the text, (the year published), an accurate verb (such as argues, suggests, implies, claims, questions) and a phrase that summarizes the author s main point. Sentence Two A three-phrase explanation of how the author supports his/her thesis. (For instance, comparing, contrasting, explaining, illustrating, defining, appealing, etc). Do not simply state what the other does; also explain why. See the example. Sentence Three A statement of the author s purpose followed by in order to and an explanation of what the author intends the audience to do or believe as a result of reading his/her work. Sentence Four Two or three specific audiences the author targets and a description of the tone of the author toward those audiences. Page 6

7 RHETORICAL SUMMARY TEMPLATE Sentence 1,, in his/her (author s first and last name), (a phrase describing the author), (year), (the type and title of the text), that (an accurate verb) (a phrase that summarizes the author s main point). Sentence 2 He/she supports his/her by first (same verb as above) (comparing, explaining, redefining, etc.), then by, and finally by. Sentence 3 s purpose is to (author s last name) (criticize, persuade (someone) to, prove that ) in order to (To accomplish what? A change in what?). Sentence 4 He/she a(n) and tone (adopts, establishes) (two tone words like: informative, critical, sarcastic, infuriated, sympathetic) for the audiences of the and. (target audiences the text is directed at - the reader is not specific enough!) Page 7

8 Student Name Mr. Reid CP English II 5 May 2017 Example Rhetorical Summary Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, in his letter to Jesse W. Fell (1859), explains that he has a modest background and that he does not want to draw unnecessary attention. He supports his explanation by first describing his troubled childhood with the death of his mother and grandfather to demonstrate a sense of loss, then by listing his limited education, military experience, political accomplishments, and experience in law to reveal his shortcomings, and finally by giving a clear and direct physical description of himself to appease the public s interest. Lincoln s purpose is to inform the public of his background in order to satisfy their interest and put the public at ease with his leadership. He adopts a detached and direct tone for the audience of his friend, Jesse W. Fell, but also the American public in Page 8

9 ESSAY OUTLINE Introductory Paragraph Hook Background Information Three-part Thesis Statement Body Paragraphs Claim #1 o Evidence* o Explanation* o Concluding Sentence Claim #2 o Evidence* o Explanation* o Concluding Sentence Claim #3 o Evidence* o Explanation* o Concluding Sentence Concluding Paragraph Thesis: Rephrase your thesis, showing you proved your point. Summary: Summarize your main claims, reminding the reader how you proved your point. Super So what? : What should the reader believe (or do) now that your argument/analysis is complete? What s the big picture? Why does your point matter to the world, society, life in general? *NOTE: Some essays require more pieces of evidence and explanation in each body paragraph! WRITING TIPS Organizing an essay: Writing a hook: Using transitions: Writing conclusions: Page 9

10 Student Name Mr. Reid CP English II 5 May 2016 Example Essay Certain people convey a naturally trustworthy feeling. President Abraham Lincoln was one of those types of people, and he used the American public s trust to try to unite the country in the middle of difficult times. In 1859, before the American Civil War, Lincoln wrote a letter to a close friend, Jesse W. Fell, about his upbringing and background. Lincoln understood that the letter would be edited and released to a newspaper so the American public could learn more about the personal life of their president. The impact of Lincoln s letter likely created more public support for him because he expressed humility, patriotism, and a strong work ethic. The tone of the letter is humble, which probably caused the public to respect Lincoln more. Lincoln shows humility with his childhood education. Lincoln admits that where he grew up There were some schools, so called; but no qualification was ever required of a teacher (Lincoln 3). At one of these poor schools, Lincoln only learned to read, write, a cipher (which is basic math), but probably nothing about business or politics. Admitting this shows his humility; he did not make himself seem more qualified that he really was, which makes the public trust and respect him more. Furthermore, Lincoln shows humility with his adult education. He confesses that he did not attend college, stating that his only additional education he picked up from time to time (Lincoln 3). It was expected that politicians should be well-educated. It is humble to admit, as the President of the United States, that he had little significant education, Page 10

11 either as a child or as an adult. This humble representation of himself makes Lincoln seem like a normal person, not some cold, politician, so this letter likely helped his public support. Lincoln appealed to the audience s patriotism, possibly improving his public support because it showed he supported the country. Lincoln was willing to risk his life for his country, which is a patriotic act. He stated this clearly: Then came the Black-Hawk war; and I was elected a Captain of Volunteers (Lincoln 3). American voters always like to have a president who was in the military, because it shows his patriotic commitment to die for the country. This must have increased Lincoln s popularity. Moreover, Lincoln shows respect for his country, which is also patriotic. He called being elected a captain a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since (Lincoln 3). Since this point, Lincoln had some big successes he was elected President of the United States! But Lincoln showed his patriotism, his honor for soldiers, by stating that being elected a captain by fellow volunteer soldiers was more of an honor. Lincoln s patriotism must have improved his public support because he did not act like a show off, but he simply stated the facts about his service to his country. Based on this letter, Lincoln appeared to have good work ethic to have perseverance, which is a quality the public must have appreciated. Lincoln s mother died when he was young. He states, My mother died in my tenth year (Lincoln 2). He could have used that hardship as an excuse, but Lincoln persevered. He lost his mother a close connection, supporter, and caretaker but he did not allow that to limit him. In addition, Lincoln grew up doing hard physical labor. He records, I was raised to farm work, which continued till I was twenty two (Lincoln 4). Farm work is tough physical labor, and it shows perseverance to work long, hard days on a farm. Lincoln could have abandoned his family s farm sooner, but he continued to work on it until he was twenty two years old, which is an act of perseverance. This Page 11

12 letter probably influenced the American public to respect Lincoln s work ethic, and view him as a worthy leader of the nation. Due to the humility, patriotism, and work ethic of Lincoln displayed in the letter to Jesse W. Fell, it likely had a positive impact, boosting Lincoln s public approval. It must be considered, though, that Lincoln was a brilliant speaker and lawyer, so he knew how to use language to paint a good picture of himself, a picture that some skeptics consider to be too honest. Regardless, Lincoln will go down in history as Honest Abe, which is a desirable public image. Page 12

13 Works Cited Page Lincoln, Abraham. To Jesse W. Fell, Enclosing Autobiography. Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Association. 11 September Web. 5 May < Page 13

14 PERSUASION TERMS Bias: the opinion of a speaker or the prejudice of a speaker in favor of one thing. Most speakers have bias, but simply because a speaker has a bias, does not mean their opinion is necessarily wrong. Connotation: the implications (sneaky, secret feelings or ideas) that are linked to a word. For example, both a king and a dictator are supreme rulers of their country, so their definitions are the same, but the connotation of king is more fair, kind and free, but the connotation of dictator is cruel, unfair, and restricting. Aristotle ( ) Diction: word choice. The diction of an author often reveals their bias, because they tend to use highly connotative words that show their perspective. Ethos: a persuasive argument based on values, such as honesty, credibility, work ethic, freedom, justice, peace, equality, etc. A speaker must convince the audience he has strong ethos and genuinely shares their values in order to persuade them. Logos: a persuasive argument based on logic (reasoning) and logical assumptions (inferences) Logical Fallacies: false (or flawed) logic used in an argument Pathos: a persuasive argument based on emotion, usually sympathy, anger, fear, or humor Tone: the attitude of the speaker toward the subject. Here s a short list: Negative Critical Disgusted Mocking Threatening Sarcastic / Ironic Positive Excited Passionate Patriotic Respectful Sympathetic Other Concerned Candid (honest) Indifferent Direct / Serious Sarcastic / Ironic Page 14

15 LITERARY TERMS Antagonist: the character(s) who oppose (or stand against) the protagonist. Character types: a. Static: a character who undergoes little or no inner change; a character who does not grow or develop b. Dynamic: a character who undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude. Conflict: the problems or challenges characters face: physical, emotional, spiritual, etc. Usually the conflict is in the way of what the character wants. Dialogue: conversation between characters, denoted by quotation marks. Figurative Language: non-literal language (metaphorical, symbolic, representative language). a. Allusion: a comparison or reference to a common text, often ancient literature (the bible, ancient drama, Greek, Roman, Egyptian mythology, or Shakespeare). b. Hyperbole: an exaggeration, such as I m so hungry I could eat a cow. c. Metaphor: a direct comparison between two things. Often, at first, the comparison seems odd, but upon examination the comparison has deeper meaning. d. Personification: giving attributes of humans (laughing, singing, thinking) to inanimate objects, as in saying that the sun is angry today, or the door was screaming on its hinges. e. Symbol: a thing that represents a significant idea. For example, the color white often represents purity, an apple often represents temptation, and water tends to represent life. Foil: a character who contrasts with another character usually the protagonist in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. Imagery: descriptive language that paints a clear picture in the reader s mind. Imagery is most often visual, but it may also include hearing, sight, taste, or touch. Irony: a conflict of expectations that is humorous, tragic, or unique. a. Dramatic: when a character expects (or doesn t expect) something that the audience is already aware of. This is common in Greek and Shakespearean plays. b. Situational: when a situation arises that is opposite or nearly opposite what one would usually expect, like a fire station burning down. Page 15

16 c. Verbal: when a speaker states the opposite of what they mean. This is often confused with sarcasm. Sarcasm is verbal irony used to attack a person, but verbal irony is not malicious or mean, just ironic. Mood: the atmosphere or feeling of a text. For example, gloomy, foreboding, excited, etc.. Narration: the telling of a story, not including dialogue between characters. Narration can be in first (not typical), second (extremely rare), or third person (common). First person uses I, me, my, we, us, etc. second person uses you, your, etc., and third person uses he, she, they, them, etc. to narrate the story. Plot: the series of events that makeup a story. a. Exposition: introduces the setting, characters, and conflicts of the story. b. Rising Action: problems occur that complicate the conflict or make it more difficult for the protagonist to get what he/she wants. c. Climax: the point where the conflict is at its highest point in the story. At this point, the protagonist usually makes a significant decision. d. Falling Action: the events that occur after the climax. Sometimes the falling action and the resolution overlap. e. Resolution: the part of the story that concludes the conflicts, but it is not always a happy conclusion, often it is tragic. Protagonist: the main character to whom the event of the plot are connected. Not necessarily the good guy in the story. Setting: the time (time of day, historical era, season of year) and place a story takes place. Theme: the message an author has about a subject in the text. A theme must be a complete sentence, so it is impossible to have a one word theme. Love is a subject, but love is blind is a theme. Revenge is a subject, but fascination with revenge will destroy one s happiness is a theme. See Appendix E for a list of common themes in literature. Page 16