Introduction to the Analytic Essay:

Today you are going to draw what you wrote your first paper about. Don't talk to your neighbors about what you are drawing because figuring out your picture is the next step in today's lesson. While you draw think about what symbols and colors will help tell about your drawing. If your paper is about the first time meeting a boy/girlfriend don't use dark colors, use bright colors and maybe hearts. If your paper is about breaking your leg in soccer, you would probably not want to use bright happy colors and happy symbols.

You will trade pictures with someone who has not read your paper or know what it is about. After you have this new picture in hand look at it carefully and try to figure out what the paper is about.

Flip the paper over and:

1) Write what you think is going on in the picture - what do you think your peer wrote this paper about?

2) Now number your paper 1-3 and write three reasons why you have drawn these conclusions.
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Everyone will have the opportunity to show the class the picture they analyzed, and explain what you wrote on the back.

In step #1 you were summarizing your ideas
In step #2 you were analyzing

This relates to how you will write the Analytic Essay, the final paper that goes with each unit. This paper analyzes everything you have done in this unit. The analysis paper should not be a mere retelling of what you did to write this paper. It should, rather, show that you have looked at each phase of your writing process and analyzed its merits and weaknesses. What worked for you? What would you do differently if you could? How was this process different (or similar to) the writing process you have done in the past? Think about some of these questions as you write your analytic essay. Remember, this paper is for analyzing, not summarizing. I do not want you to write, first I wrote two discovery drafts, than a first draft, then I drafted revision questions…. etc.

When writing the Analytic Essay, it always helps to stop and ask yourself, why? This will lead you to further analyzing. Before you start drafting look at an example student analysis in the Course Guide on page 73.

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