Language, Power, & Discourse CommunitiesPrep for Essay #1

Essay #1On Weds, be sure to bring:1. The essay prompt2. A bluebook (large)3. Pens (blue/black)4. Pipher’s book & any other assigned

articles5. Your sample text6. Notes

Language & PowerWhy / How is language so powerful?

Defining TermsPower (noun): 1. Capacity to do something2. Strength3. Control and influence4. Authority to act5. Persuasiveness

How does language play a role in creating these situations?

Freewrite How can language empower people?

How can language take power away? What are some powerful texts you have

encountered in your life? What is it about these texts that made them so powerful?

What is the relationship between language and power?

“Change Writing”

What does Pipher mean by “change writing”? 23, 35, 40

Does “change writing” always have to be published, widely read, award winning, etc? 22, 45, 49

What specific “change writing” have you seen, read, heard about? 27

What “change writing” have you produced? Writing Strategies

Discourse Communities?Turn to someone sitting next to you:

In your own words, what is a discourse community?

Your Discourse Communities With your partner, make a list of any

and all discourse communities you can think of. These can be ones you belong to, wish to

belong to, or hope (with every ounce of your being) that you never belong to

Be ready to share!

Discourse Communities & Their Texts Choose one of the discourse

communities brainstormed and create a list of TEXTS that belong to that discourse community. You can choose one each, or do the same

one These can be texts read by or created by

members of this community. BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE! (For ex:

titles of books, songs, articles)

Powerful Texts Now, isolate 2 or 3 texts you think are the

best representations / most significant texts of your chosen discourse community. For example: a representative, important

text of the Twihard discourse community are the Twilight series books (perhaps even more so than the movies…)

Then, discuss and determine why those texts are so important, and thus, powerful. In other words, why/how might these be

examples of “change writing”?

Be ready to share!

FreewriteLet’s revisit and elaborate on specific ideas from the earlier freewrite from earlier. What can you add, clarify, expand on, provide specific examples of from your previous ideas? What makes a text powerful? How can language empower people?

How can language take power away? What is the relationship between

language and power?

Our Powerful Texts Your Writing Strategies Pipher, Part Two: “The Writing Process”

Prepare to share at least 5 of the most interesting, useful, clever strategies you could use for Wednesday’s in-class Essay. If any strategies could be adjusted to

accommodate in-class essays, share those as well!

Brainstorming! Perform some freewriting/brainstorming

using the Questions to Consider at the bottom of the Essay prompt.

Discuss your responses with a classmate and identify possible thesis statements, essay focus, supporting claims, textual evidence, etc. You may bring these notes on Weds, as long

as they are not complete drafts or paragraphs