Texts

The Language of Composition Chapters 1 and 2

CED Unit 1 and CED Unit 4

CED Unit 1

CLE-1: Writers make claims about subjects, rely on

evidence that supports the reasoning that justifies the claim, and often acknowledge or respond to other, possibly

opposing, arguments.

RHS 1.A Identify and describe components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context and message. 

CLE 3.A Identify and explain claims and evidence within an argument.

CLE 4.A Develop a paragraph that includes a claim and evidence supporting the claim. 

CED Unit 4

RHS 1.A  Identify and describe components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context and message. 

RHS 2.A Write introductions and conclusions appropriate to the purpose and context of the rhetorical situation. 

CLE 3B Identify and describe the overarching thesis of an argument, and an indication it provides of the argument’s structure. 

CLE 4B Write a thesis statement that requires proof or defense and that may preview the structure of the argument.

REO 5C Recognize and explain the use of methods of development to accomplish a purpose.

REO 6C Use appropriate methods of development to advance an argument.

COMMON TASKS FOR THIS UNIT

Close Reading: Professional Text

1. What is the exigence or motivation for this text?
2. What does the speaker hope to accomplish? How do you know?
3. What claims does the speaker make and what evidence supports those? 

For each text you will do the following:

1. Read and annotate the text. 

2. Identify the central message/purpose, audience; appeals, ethos, pathos, logos in the text.

3. Work with archaic and modern language.

4. Recognize irony & satire.

5. Recognize rhetorical devices and strategies.

6. Imitate prose styles.

This unit will give students frequent practice in crafting a claim and defending it with textual evidence. Students will read closely for evidence and then cluster evidence to construct a claim that requires defending. Each day, students will practice assembling evidence and developing claims starting with one paragraph that includes a claim with evidence and then generating several claims about a subject, each communicated in its own paragraph with supporting evidence.

Students will have learned how to evaluate evidence and develop a thesis statement and organize an argument. Now the focus is on improving the quality, interest and power of the argument by crafting introductions and conclusions that demonstrate a real understanding of the rhetorical situation.

1. Students will read and annotate a text. 

2. Students will complete a SPACECAT graphic organizer of the text. 

3. Students will analyze the diction of the text on says/does chart. 

4. Students will write a rhetorical analysis precis of the text. 

5. Students will write a rhetorical analysis of the text.