Over the remaining sessions, JP will be completing course work ,specifically writing and revising essays . After we looked at my comments to his first set of essays, JP completed the revisions based on the comments to both the synthesis essay and the rhetorical analysis essay.
In preparation for tomorrow's AP exam, we today examined two practice essay questions: a synthesis essay and a challenging rhetorical analysis passage by Thoreau. After Matthew read the 6 sources, he practiced drafting a thesis position and identifying which sources support the thesis and which source might be cited as an element of a concession . We further discussed how to craft a thesis in a larger context so as to avoid merely copying a source thesis. We next studied the more erudite passage by Thoreau. I provided instruction on analyzing this type of essay by focusing on a line of reasoning ,here compare/contrast and metaphorical symbolism to compare societal and man-made structures with Nature. I further noted how to discuss diction as an element of tone.
In preparation for tomorrow's AP exam, we first reviewed my comments and suggestions to the essays JP drafted for the practice exam. I reviewed the range of rhetorical choices that can be referenced in the rhetorical analysis essay and based on my comments demonstrated examples of additional details JP could add to his draft. We then looked at another practice test question on the synthesis essay. After JP read the 6 sources , we analyzed how to respond to the prompt without merely repeating the claims advanced in one of the provided sources. I discussed placing the prompt question in a larger context and then using the cited sources as support. We then practiced this skill using the prompt and sources in the practice test.
We first reviewed how to construct the rhetorical analysis essay. On the board, I outlined the essay structure and identified the possible rhetorical choices a writer may employ to advance his purpose. I again emphasized the need to explain how the writer's choices are suited to the audience. Next, we reviewed Matthew's argumentative essay from a practice AP test. We discussed how the AP argumentative essay is often an evaluative essay that asks the student to advance a argument "to the extent of" . While Matthew's essay was very good, I demonstrated how to use modifiers and qualifiers to fit the prompt's requirement that the student address "an extent to which" something is true rather than as an absolute or a generalization.
