Unit+03+Homework+Archive

** ANNOUNCEMENTS **
You may now contribute to the page on "The Art of Rhetoric" (see menu to the left) regarding the philosophies of Tzu, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. Remember that these contributions create a year-long resource for every AP Lang student! (It doesn't hurt that they figure into your participation grade, too...) There's also a page up for Plato's //Apology// (see "Major Works" at the bottom of the menu). Feel free to begin creating a page with reading notes or helpful resources you may have found as you worked to understand the text. If you have questions about the //Apology//, the discussion board on that specific page is the place to get help.
 * Friday, 10/5 (Re: Wiki Contributions)**

**1. Group Project -- Rhetorical Analysis**

 * Group annotation of text will continue through the end of class on Thursday, October 18.
 * Presentations will take place on Tuesday, October 23 and Wednesday, October 24.
 * Finished wiki pages with completed rhetorical outlines must be ready for viewing and made public to wiki by the end of school on Wednesday, October 24.

**2. Essay -- Rebuttal of //Common Sense//**

 * Rough draft by Monday, October 22
 * Final draft by Thursday, October 25

**3. Timed Essay -- Rhetorical Analysis**

 * To be completed in class on Friday, October 26. You will write a brief, thesis-based analysis of rhetorical strategy in a text from the Revolutionary period. The text will not be one that we have studied in class to date.

**Assignment #4 (Extra Credit)**
Read the textbook excerpts from "The Autobiography" by Benjamin Franklin and/or "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards and complete a maximum of 2 of the written assignments described below. Response should be about 1 page typed (double-spaced). Incomplete or severely underdeveloped responses will not receive any credit.
 * Due:** Friday, October 26

__Franklin Response #1__ Although it may seem unremarkable to us today, the first section of this excerpt from "The Autobiography" created the American archetype of the rags to riches story. What does Franklin seem to emphasize in retelling the story of his journey out of poverty? What type of details seem most important to him? Do these details suggest anything about Franklin's values or self-image?

__Franklin Response #2__ One could argue that the fourteenth virtue on Franklin's list should be self-reliance. What striking evidence of Franklin's self-reliance appears in this narrative? How does this evidence represent either a continuation or a rejection of earlier American (especially Puritan) tradition?

__Franklin Response #3__ Though Franklin was not a religious man, this excerpt from "The Autobiography" portrays him as a very moral man. How does his approach to morality exemplify the tenets of the Age of Reason as described on page fifty of the textbook? Generally speaking, what are the merits of Franklin's plan for moral perfection? What are its drawbacks? Does Franklin's approach to moral living still persist in American culture, or do contemporary Americans value morality at all?

__Edwards Response #1__ Write an analysis of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" that focuses on the ways in which the text illustrates either the myth of rationality or the rationality of myth.

__Edwards Response #2__ Select one major sub-section of Edwards' argument and write a brief analysis of its development and role in the text as a whole.

**Assignment #3: Rhetorical outline of //Common Sense//**

 * Due:** Friday, October 12

Read the excerpt attached below and complete the rhetorical outline assignment. You may download the rhetorical outline document and type your content directly into the document. For this first outline, you must identify:
 * at least three opposing arguments in the concession and refutation section
 * at least five significant examples of each of the three rhetorical appeals

//1. This is the text to read -- print out and __annotate.__//

2. //This is the assignment that must be turned in on Friday.//

3. //This is the rubric for grading the rhetorical outline.//

4. //This is a resource on specific uses of the three classic appeals. Print it out and keep it in your notebook. Use it on this and future assignments to more specifically label an author's use of rhetorical strategy.//

**Assignment #2: Plato's Apology Reading Questions**

 * Due:** Monday, October 8

We are currently setting the stage for a study of the Revolutionary era by revisiting ancient foundations for the study of rhetoric. Read the //Apology// carefully, first by reading the text to understand the explicit structures and messages of Socrates' self-defense, then by re-reading to understand the finer points of his rhetorical strategies and implied messages.



**Assignment #1: Presidential Debate**

 * Due:** Thursday, October 4

Watch the debate and record respond to the following:

1. What ethos (persona) does each candidate attempt to craft for himself? 2. What ethical constraints (think of Socrates in his intro to the Apology) does each candidate attempt to impose on his opponent? 3. Take note of at least three appeals to logic employed by either candidate and evaluate their effectiveness. 4. Take note of at least three appeals to emotion employed by either candidate and evaluate their effectiveness. 5. Identify two "zingers" and evaluate the effectiveness of each one both in the moment of delivery and upon later reflection.