Essay Writing 301: Advanced Composition is a college-preparatory course in advanced textual analysis. Students bring their critical thinking analysis to examine important primary historical texts. Students develop skills aimed at:
- understanding the authorial intent
- situating the original text in its historical, social location
- considering the rhetorical structure and aim of the text
- offering a thoughtful, plausible interpretation
This class serves as preparation for academic writing at the college level and teaches students to adopt the tools of textual criticism in the multiple-page essay format.
Syllabus
Week One
Students read, discuss, and analyze the article "I Want a Wife," published in 1971 in Ms. Magazine. Students situate the article in the context of its time as they examine effective persuasive techniques employed.
Week Two
The focus this week is on examining the role of the reader in analysis as students connect personal experience to the text. Textual criticism and personal insight are then brought to the first drafted essay.
Week Three
The second primary document under examination is "The Gettysburg Address." Focus this week is on the difference between analyzing modern language versus English from another era.
Week Four
Rhetorical critique forms the basis of the second essay. Students apply all textual criticism tools mastered in the class for the final writing project.
Common Core and Academic Standards Support
What follows is a word bank and set of skills associated with this class. Use them to craft your own learning narrative for use in year-end evaluations, charter school reports, or any other accountability source.
Word Bank
- Argument
- Context and subtext
- Counterargument
- Definition essay
- Ethos, logos, pathos
- Insight and interpretation
- Literary devices
- Personal reflection
- Persuasive techniques
- Primary documents
- Rhetorical critique
- Textual analysis essay
- Textual criticism
- Thesis statement
- Writing voice
Core Skills
- Analyze source texts and apply critical thinking
- Argue with support for a particular interpretation of text
- Cite textual evidence to support conclusions
- Craft a thesis statement and support it with evidence
- Edit writing for standard English usage
- Engage in rhetorical critique of text
- Evaluate effectiveness of literary devices employed in a text
- Evaluate persuasive writing techniques
- Maintain distinct writer’s voice
- Offer insights on relevance of text in the modern day
- Revise writing for clarity, flow, order, interest, and economy of language
- Situate historical documents in time and social location
- Summarize text for analysis
- Write detailed, organized, structured original narratives
