After reading each text, students will need to complete an entry in their reading response journal. The journal entry
follows a modified version Ogden Morse’s SOAPSTone strategy:
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Who is the Speaker? Why is this significant?
What is the Occasion? How does this shape the writer’s agenda?
Who is the Audience and why does this matter?
What is the Purpose? Give evidence from the text to support this.
What is the Subject? Relate this to the overall theme.
What is the Tone? Cite five different words or phrases that contribute to the overall tone of the
work and explain why you chose them.
List an important quotation from the work and why you found it significant.
List two rhetorical devices used by the author—cite how they were used and whether they were
effective.
Your reaction to the text (why you did or did not like it, how it relates to you).
Two vocabulary words used in this work that you would like to include in your own writing, along
with dictionary definitions of those words.
Assessment
The journal entries will be graded using the following rubric:
A
B
Assignment is completed above and beyond what was required, using specific textual
detail including quotations. Responses are thoughtful and demonstrate a deeper
understanding of the text.
Assignment is completed beyond what was required, using specific textual detail.
Responses are thoughtful and analyze the text.
C
Assignment is completed and directions followed. Used some textual detail.
D
Assignment not completed. Some portion is missing.
MRS. PICKENS’ AP LANGUAGE
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F
Assignment not completed. Significant portions missing.
After reading each text, you will need to complete an entry in your reading response journal. This analysis journal
will help prepare you for the AP rhetorical analysis essay.
Your journal entry will need to consist of two paragraphs.
Paragraph one is an introduction. Put SOAPSTone in your introduction and follow this format:
Sentence 1: Speaker, Occasion, and Subject
Sentence 2: Purpose
Sentence 3: Tone, Audience
(See handout on rhetorical essay for help—you might not be able to be specific about this for every essay.)
Paragraph two is your analysis of your reading. You can focus on the use of one or more rhetorical devices, or you
can work chronologically, analyzing a specific section of the essay.
Every analysis paragraph MUST:
• Identify the part of the text you are analyzing by using transition words and strong verbs to explain what is being
said.
• Identify the strongest rhetorical strategies used in that particular section. This includes incorporating specific text
examples (exact words from the text) into your own words. Do NOT try to discuss every strategy the writer uses;
pick the strongest! You must use quotations from the text!
• Clearly and specifically explain how the rhetorical strategies are used to help the writer achieve his or her purpose
and reach his audience. Also explain why the author chose the rhetorical strategy that he or she did. This is what
elevates your essay from mere summary to high level analysis.
Lastly, you must list two vocabulary words used in this work that you would like to include in your own writing,
MRS. PICKENS’ AP LANGUAGE
INTRO. DOCUMENTS
along with dictionary definitions of those words. If you desire, you may also include your reaction to the text.
I am anticipating your journals will be approximately one page, depending on your handwriting size. The same
rubric used for your SOAPSTone journals will be used for the analysis journals.
MRS. PICKENS’ AP LANGUAGE
INTRO. DOCUMENTS