Analyze the Rhetoric!

Now that you have taken the terms and identification portion of the test, you will now analyze the SOAPS of a recent persuasive speech: President Barack Obama's 2012 Inaugural Address. Feel free to listen to his speech tonight so you can hear and see the inflection and emphasis he puts on certain words. Tomorrow, you will just have an abbreviated transcript to work with in order to label and clarify the SOAPS of his rhetorical strategy. Short and sweet Inaugural Address--PERFECT for analysis!

First Test on First Documents!

English III Classes

Forming a Nation (Foundational American Texts)
Test on Tuesday and analysis on Wednesday (Sept. 26 & 27)

Study the following documents:

• SOAPS
• Declaration in Brief
• Declaration and Crisis Packet (handout in class)
• Ben Franklin aphorisms (in textbook and in class notebook)

I Declare INDEPENDENCE!!!!

Today, we learned that the Declaration is now thought to have been performed to the people of Revolutionary America. After looking at the rhetorical SOAPS, the Declaration indeed seems to be an escalation of problems and wrongdoings by King George to convince the new nation to fight and secede from the Motherland, Great Britain. Below is the video reenacting the Declaration with many familiar faces from our modern Hollywood Era.

SOAPS and The Declaration of Independence

Convincing the world to believe a text or an advertisement is an important technique for persuasion and rhetoric. Rhetoric is the the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences. After looking at some awesome advertisements and The Declaration of Independence, we will continue with "The Crisis" Wednesday to analyze its text for the same rhetorical techniques. 


SOAPS Analysis Worksheet

Founding a Nation: Declaration of Independence

Friday, we broke down the fancy jargon of the Declaration of Independence's first few paragraphs. All in all, we now know that this document is a giant list of grievances posted by the self-imagined, foundational American people. You have each been assigned a numbered paragraph/grievance that we will summarize and share with each other. Let's see how bad that mean ole King George really is!

Your Own Informational Text Sources

Today, we are looking into informational texts that can be catered to YOUR interests, needs, and education. I have created a Symbaloo with hyperlinks and RSS feeds to various reliable and teen-friendly news sources. Heck, I even like the "teen" version as it gives clearer and more straightforward news.

I want you to leave at least one sticky on this virtual pinboard with a useful website you find for RELIABLE news sources. Make sure you leave your name on the sticky note so I can give you credit for the assignment!

You may find sources to pin or use the sources your classmates and I post to complete the News Scavenger Hunt today in class. Make sure you write down the urls (the www.... web address) so that we can access these sources tomorrow!

TESTING DAYS!!!

English III Classes (1st and 2nd Period)

Forming a Nation (Foundational American Texts)
Test on THURSDAY, Feb 7
Study the following documents:

• SOAPS
• Declaration in Brief
• Declaration and Crisis Packet (handout in class)
• Ben Franklin aphorisms (in textbook and in class notebook)

English IV Classes (4th Period)

Anglo-Saxons and Beowulf

Test on FRIDAY, Feb 8 (after the voc quiz....we will probably finish the test on Monday)

Study the following documents:

• Anglo-Saxon Literary Elements
• Comparing Anglo-Saxon Tales
• 12 Steps of the Hero Myth
• Beowulf Questions