Portfolio and Rhetorical Analysis

Portfolio Details

Second Semester

Your portfolio will include at least 3 additional final drafts (including your researched persuasion argument and rhetorical analysis essay) to show evidence of your continued use of first semester skills and new learning of the following criteria:

• Successful understanding and use of claims, reasons, and qualifiers
• Various modes to include research, persuasion, cause/effect, and rhetorical analysis
• Use of evidence to convince, including well-used and documented secondary AND primary research
• Effective and correct use of a visual in a written argument
• Variety of purpose and audience throughout the year
• Correct MLA works cited page—at 100%
• Multiple drafts with revision based on feedback
• Stylistic maturity
• Growth as a writer over the course of the year
• Growth as a reader over the course of the year

To receive an A, you must also show evidence of your own helpful feedback as a peer responder and publish one piece of writing for the appropriate audience.

So here are some more details to help you achieve that:

1. Your research paper likely covers many of these.  If your "final draft" didn't successfully achieve all of these research components (i.e. perfect works cited page), revise it so it does.  There are comments on your final draft in Turnitin that tell you where you have problems.  Revise it and include a better copy of it in your final portfolio.
2. Your rhetorical analysis will also help meet several of the criteria above.  For instance, comparing it with your Nabokov paper from first semester or even your Fast Food paper from first quarter may be a good way to show your growth as a reader (and potentially as a writer).
3. To get credit for publishing a piece, you need to get something you wrote this year to its intended audience.  Your research paper works well for this because you spent a lot of time on it and have a clear audience--and probably an argument you actually want people to hear.  To get credit for it, your teacher needs to "see" your submission.  If you're going to email it to your audience (i.e. Mrs. Stone for The Indian, the Record Herald, a legislator, etc.), just copy your teacher on the email.  If you're going to mail it in paper form, bring it in with an addressed envelope (open, please) and your teacher will even mail it for you.  If there is some other way you need to submit or publish your argument that doesn't fit one of these options, see your teacher for how to do it in a way you can get credit for.
4. You currently have TWO more pieces to write.  The Google Calendar is updated to show what we are doing for the rest of year, including lab days.  There are a few of them BUT you will ALL need to be doing work OUTSIDE of class.  This is a college class and your credit will go on your college transcript FOREVER.  This is not a time to lazy.  You have basically ONE MONTH to complete your portfolio.  Here are your deadlines:

• Start your rhetorical analysis NOW--we're giving you reading/planning days this week so USE them.
• Lab time during class:  All Wednesdays PLUS April 14 and April 28
• Optional draft due April 11 by midnight.  If you want INDIVIDUAL feedback from your teacher, you need to submit a draft to Turnitin on this day.  It can be whatever piece you like and you don't HAVE to turn one in.  We will read and give feedback on anyone's paper that is turned in BY April 12.  NO LATE SUBMISSIONS!
• Silent reading table on April 22--bring a PRINT COPY of both new pieces to class with you.
• Completed portfolio due April 28 by midnight.

Rhetorical Analysis Details

One of your 2nd semester portfolio pieces is a rhetorical analysis of your non-fiction independent reading book.  Hopefully you have completed (or at least made significant progress in) a book that you found a clear argument in.  Your job now is to write an essay in which you achieve TWO objectives.

Objectives:

• Demonstrate effective critical reading skills
• Demonstrate college-ready writing

Grading:

A   Successfully achieves all objectives
A-  Successfully achieves all objectives but some minor errors
B   Successfully achieves one objective but has some major problems with the other
C   Does not achieve the objectives; unsuccessful, unacceptable attempt

So how do you make sure you achieve both of those objectives? 

Evidence of your Critical Reading:
Identify argument, purpose, and audience
Analyze rhetorical devices and major modes used
Analyze appeals
Pinpoint BOTH strengths and weaknesses in the argument
Explain an "educated" conclusion of the argument--your opinion of whether the strengths outweigh the weaknesses or vice versa

Evidence of College-Ready Writing:
Lots of detail and evidence to back up your claims (all of them)
Correct MLA parenthetical citations
Clear organization that is easy to follow
Academic purpose and tone BUT with some appropriate personality, voice, and engaging writing
Clean mechanics