The Best of APS the 2015 Week of January 12

The Best of APS…the 2015 Week of January 12

This week you wrote (you were assigned to write, some of you slacked off) THREE satirical pieces. Now you are going to read through those three pieces and rewrite one for points (I continually find it amazing that I can say, “And this assignment will be worth 75 points” and everyone gets all serious. The fact that points have so much power in the world of secondary education is weird. And I have to admit, I get a little frustrated because I can’t say, “And this assignment isn’t really any points but you should do it because you will become a better thinker, funnier and a better writer.” IF I said that, I think that I’d get work from about six of you. Sad.)

Your revised assignment is worth 40 points. See point breakdown below.

Level / Revision / Rhetorical Devices / Effectiveness of Satire / Conventions
Level 4 / ü Writer made specific content improvements (or additions) that added clarity and depth to the piece.
ü Writer corrected conventions mistakes.
ü Writer demonstrated effort in improving word choice and syntax. / ü Writer fluidly integrated the required rhetorical devices and used the devices to build on the satire. / ü The satire is clearly Horatian or Juvenalian and pokes fun at a serious social, cultural or political issue in a creative manner that promotes critical thinking. / ü Conventions show a mature handle on language.
ü Writer uses a variety of conventions to build the argument.
ü
Level 3 / ü Writer made some basic improvements to content- overall content remained similar to original.
ü Writer corrected the majority of the conventions mistakes.
ü Writer demonstrated effort in improving most word choice and syntax. / ü Writer integrated the required rhetorical devices and most of the devices build on the satire. / ü The satire is clearly Horatian or Juvenalian and pokes fun at a serious social, cultural, or political issue. The writing is creative but does not impress the audience as writing at a level 4 does. / ü Conventions usage is appropriate but not as developed as level 4.
ü Writer uses conventions accurately but usage lacks variety.
Level 2 / ü Writer made superficial improvements to content.
ü Writer corrected one or two conventions mistakes.
ü Writer put forth minimal effort in improving word choice and syntax. / ü Writer integrated some of the required rhetorical devices OR if all rhetorical devices are included they may feel forced. / ü The writer is at times satirical but at times the reader is unclear about what the writer is satirizing.
ü The writing may be vague and the topic confusing to the reader. / ü Conventions usage is at times inaccurate.
ü Conventions usage is basic and repetitive.
Level 1 / ü Writer did not make any attempt to improve content.
ü Writer ignored existing conventions mistakes.
ü Writer put forth no effort to improve word choice and syntax. / ü Writer did not include required rhetorical devices. OR if rhetorical devices are included, they do not add to the satire. / ü The satirical references are overly vague.
ü The writing lacks creativity or might be overly critical. / ü Conventions are used incorrectly.
ü Conventions are used inaccurately.

Here’s a re-cap of each assignment:

Your Modest Proposal: Based on the options below, create your own Modest Proposal (three to four paragraphs in length) Be sure to include the following elements and UNDERLINE each:

1. Your response must be satirical.

2. Your response must include two metaphors.

3. Your response must include a well-known aphorism

4. Use of connotation.

5. Deliberate persona.

6.Your response must include metonymy.

Option #1: That Ain’t No Dance Move!

It has come to the attention of school officials and students at Camas High School that the “activities” at school dances are out of hand, inappropriate, vulgar and dangerous. Despite the efforts of administration and staff, the “activities” continue and prove to cause turmoil in many students’ lives. Propose a solution to the problem.

Option #2: Park It!

At 7:30 the student parking lots are about 3/4 full. At 7:40 one is lucky to find a spot for their BMW 730 3 series. At 7:43 students gun their engines to race for that last spot. The lack of parking at CHS is an issue. Propose a solution.

I Want A….: Write a parody of “I Want a Wife” using another occupation or situation in life to replace the word “wife.” You should emulate Brady’s rhetorical style using the following rhetorical devices:

1. Parallelism

2. Repetition

3. Hyperbole

4. Anecdotal evidence

Me Talk Pretty and Other Misunderstandings: Obviously, Sedaris’s experience with language was frustrating as despite his fluency, he was still limited in his vocabulary which led to man misunderstandings and a tough learning curve. Write about at time in your life where you were the victim (or perpetrator) of a misunderstanding. Focus on the below rhetorical devices:

1. Hyperbole

2. Humor

3. Diction

4. Syntax

Staple this document to your revised satire and hand in on Tuesday, Jan. 20 (Ms. W’s birthday).