AP English Language and Comp
Non-fiction Essay Assignment - MODES
McDonald 2014
In order to increase your reading comprehension, analytical, style analysis, and public speaking skills,
you will each be doing an oral presentation (in pairs) to the class in which you are the expert on a given
text that I assign. Each week, many times more than once a week, the class will be assigned an essay or
two essays to read. Each essay falls into a particular category/mode of discourse. Every student is
expected to read and annotate each text regardless if you are presenting.
Each PAIR will be responsible for doing the following as part of their presentation/lesson:
●
Conduct a close analysis of the text via annotations, which you will submit to me as evidence of
your analysis. This is worth 10 points.- BOTH students will turn this in individually.
●
Create a quick 3-5-question quiz to administer to the class prior to the presentation to check
for reading. This is worth 5 points.
●
Create a 10-point (10 question) AP style quiz. You must also provide an answer key. This is
worth 10 points.
●
Lesson: As part of your lesson, create a presentation for the class, which you will use to help
guide the students through the mode of discourse, the analysis of the text and how this text
applies to the specific mode of discourse. 10 points
You will be the teachers in the class on this day. You will be expected to field all questions pertaining to
your text and explain yourself at any point during the lesson. Your lesson should be about 20-25 minutes
long.
Total: 35 points
MODE
NARRATION
ESSAY
“Fish Cheeks”
By Amy Tan
EXAMPLE
“Arm Wrestling with My
Father”
By Brad Manning
“Homeless”
By Anna Quindlen
COMPARE/
CONTRAST
“Batting Clean-Up…”
By Dave Barry
PROCESS ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTION
STUDENTS
MCDONALD
Alana S. & Andrea
Date
ThursdayFriday 10/910/10
Monday 10/20
Nicole & Marley
Wed. 10/22
Anya & Hana
Wed. 10/22
“How You Became You”
By Bill Bryson
Julie & Shivani
Wed. 10/29
DIVISION/
ANALYSIS
“I Want a Wife”
By Judy Brady
Tiana & Laura
Wed. 10/29
CLASSIFICATION
“The Plot Against People”
By Russell Baker
CAUSE & EFFECT
“Drugs”
By Gore Vidal
Dillon & Ilana C.
Mon. 11/3
DEFINITION
“The Meanings of a Word”
By Gloria Naylor
Young & Reilly
Tues. 11/4
ARGUMENT &
PERSUSASION
“Too Much Pressure”
By Colleen Wenke
Jonny Levs & Julia
Tues. 11/4
MIXED
“A Modest Proposal”
By Jonathan Swift
Deanna & Sean
Wed. 11/5
MIXED
“The Death of a Moth”
By Virginia Woolf
John C. & Ellen
Wed. 11/12
MIXED
“Only Daughter”
By Sandra Cisneros
Olivia & Jason
Friday 11/14
MIXED
“Once More to the Lake”
By E.B. White
Christian & Griffin
Jamie & Alexandra
Monday 11/3
Wed. 11/19