Preparing for the analyzing satire assessments

Preparing for the analyzing satire assessments

What? Timed in-class Q2-style analysis of satire.
When? Thursday, November 6 (long block)
How can I prepare? Read an example of a Q2 analysis of satire. In the satirical excerpt Edward O. Wilson satirizes how the two sides of the environmentalism debate characterize each other. The prompt and excerpt are here on page 12. Examples of student work with the rubric and scoring commentary are here. (<<You might be especially interested to read the scoring commentary in which the difference between an 8, a 6, and a 4 is thoroughly explained.)

Also, I've posted Wednesday's notes on in-class analytical essay writing*. These notes show how to make sure your response focuses on the satirical strategies and the purpose of the satire; the responses also show how important it is to incorporate quotations and to explain how the quotations support your analysis of how the strategies contribute to the point of the satire.

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*Wednesday's notes on in-class analytical essay writing.

Annotate the prompt.

Example:

Write an essay in which you analyze how Wilson’s satire illustrates the unproductive nature of such discussions.
(Throughout the notes the yellow highlighting relates to satirical strategies and blue highlighting relates to how the strategies are used to indicate "the unproductive nature" of the rhetoric being satirized.)

Make a note plan including support. On the left, write main ideas about how Wilson's satire illustrates the unproductive nature of such discussions. On the right, write the line numbers of the supporting details. Underline the supporting details in the text.

Write your response.

Here is an example of an okay thesis statement from a student essay. Notice how the student address both parts of the prompt (the strategies and "the unproductive nature"). Notice that the prompt could have been stronger if the students had been more specific about the techniques instead of just writing "similar techniques".

In his book The Future of Life Wilson illustrates the unproductive nature of environmentalist and people-first debates by highlighting their ironic parallels and similar techniques throughout his satirical works.

Here is an example of a good topic sentence or mini-thesis for the first body paragraph. Notice how the topic sentence or mini-thesis addresses both parts of the prompt with insight and specificity.

One of the most overarching points made is the way both sides use highly-strung and emotional appeals, rather than statistically, scientifically, or logically-based argument.

Here is an example of using relevant, precise quoted evidence and then explaining how the evidence supports the topic sentence/mini-thesis (above).

…he calls out names on both sides, calling the environmentalists “greens, enviros, environmental extremists, environmental wackos” and then on the opposing side calling people first advocates “brown-lashers, wise users, and sage brush rebels.” Name-calling is stressed as childish, insignificant, and above all unconstructive.

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Again, such diction—especially the fascist Nazi reference of “uber alles, meaning ‘above all else’”—is both illegitimate and juvenile a point now clearly made by Wilson of the two groups. Childish discussion is nearly by definition unproductive.

This conclusion is rushed but successfully returns to both parts of the prompt.

Edward O. Wilson takes the arguments of people first and environmental advocates to the extreme and puts them together to show the unproductive arguments and diction they truly share. 

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What else? A satire vocabulary quiz (similar to the rhetorical analysis (Unit 1) and personal writing (Unit 2) vocabulary quiz a few weeks ago)
When? Friday, November 7
How can I prepare? Study the satire (Unit 3) vocabulary. Click here for the words. After you click scroll down for the subject specific vocabulary definitions. After class on Wednesday you can click here for some examples that use the general academic vocabulary words.