Analyzing and Developing Effective Body Paragraphs: Theory, Practice, and Application in Visual Rhetoric

Blog 8 – Instructions:

As we continue making progress working with some of the essential components of the 2nd Paper (locating visual texts, discussing them for the same of preparing to analyze, and focusing on the thesis statement), let us turn our attention to the body paragraphs.

Body paragraphs will be crucial in the 2nd Paper, for they will be home to the analyses that comprise the bulk of the 2nd Paper. With that in mind, I’d like us to spend time this week working with body paragraphs–both in sort of theory, as well as in practice.

(Also, if you have not already begun work on the 2nd Paper, allow me to strongly encourage you to do so soon! Peer Review is next week!)

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PART I: Analytical Body Paragraphs

To compose effective body paragraphs in an analysis paper, there are a few elements that require our attention. In other words, effective body paragraph will necessarily consist of: 

1. topic sentences,
2. examples from the source of analysis (eg quotes/paraphrases or other evidence or “proof” that is intrinsic to your source), and
3. elaboration as to why and how the examples from the source are analytically (ie rhetorically) significant.

For this part of your blog, please use your textbook, class discussion/notes, my comments and feedback, the internet, etc., in order to substantively explain…

• 1. what is a topic sentence; why is it crucial to a body paragraph/the paper overall; what might be the consequence of neglecting topic sentence development?
  2. what is the point of taking examples from our source(s) and placing them in our body paragraphs; are there more effective ways than not of integrating source material (eg quotes/paraphrases), and, if so, what are they; why have I referred to this move in a paragraph as “evidence” or “proof“?
  3. what do I mean when I say that why and how will be integral to the development of effective analytical discussion of rhetoric of a body paragraph.

(NOTE: Another thing to not lose sight of is your voice. As you consider how an analytical body paragraph may unfold for this 2nd Paper, realize that you and your voice still belong as part of this discussion–if you deem it necessary (and I hope you do). One of the more effective ways of amplifying quality analysis is by augmenting it with personal reflection, keen insight, and/or relevant experience. This doesn’t necessarily mean that one must always and at all costs force “the personal” into analytical discussion or, even less effective, substitute in our opinions for effective analysis. There is a balance that must be struck when it comes to supplementing our analyses with our voices. What I am talking about is not at all dissimilar from what we have been working with in terms of strong response or “speaking back.”)

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PART II: Quasi-Norming (re: Visual Rhetoric)

With this part of our Blog #8, I essentially want you all to have an opportunity to examine a past paper written in response to a somewhat similar assignment as your 2nd Paper (like we did with our 1st Paper), and then learn from it by engaging with one another and discussing it. 

NOTE: as I explained in this week’s announcements, there may have been a bit of a misunderstanding with the quasi grade norming from the 1st Paper, so I do not want to duplicate it here with the 2nd Paper. In particular, I am not offering these Example Papers in order for you to have a template or to mimic. That would be a mistake, as there is plenty of underdevelopment often in these Example Papers. While there are some things they do rather well, I mostly provide them for us to critique and learn from. Bear that in mind as you engage with this 2nd Paper Example.

In the same place, in the left navigation margin where the prompt for the 2nd Paper lives, there is another document called, “Example 2nd Paper.” 

(Before beginning, notice that it is only a partial paper; that is, it only includes the first few pages. This is intentional, for I only want us focusing on the introduction and the first few body paragraphs for this blog assignment. Notice also that this example paper does not include a summary like we will be including in our 2nd Papers. Do not worry about this; the assignment for this past paper was a bit different from your assignment in the 2nd Paper.)

Once you have located the Example 2nd Paper,

• read it over once.
• when you are finished reading it, read it again; however this time, read it more carefully and “grade” it.
  • using whatever method or criteria or rubric you want, make copious notes–something similar to, say, comments and/or feedback that you receive from your professors on your graded papers. (Here, you do not need to make notes on the actual Example 2nd Paper document; just have the Example 2nd Paper up on your screen and makes notes on a separate paper/document that you might later type out as part of your blog post, for example.) NOTE: try to take this note-taking part seriously because it will probably become a significant part of this part of your blog post.
    • what worked well in the paper? what did not quite work so well?
    • how was the paper successful? how did it fall short?
    • Use the above questions, as well as perhaps the expectations laid our in our 2nd Paper prompt, as something of a guide for this part of your Blog #8. Perhaps you could even use our past Peer Review question worksheet for inspirationas to what you might include in this part of your blog post?
    • Additionally, I’d like us to focus on the development and efficacy of not only the introduction–since that has been an important part of our class materials recently (such as our .ppt “lecture” on introductions…that many of you might benefit from studying further)–but also the development and efficacy of the body paragraphs, especially in light of your work in Part I of this blog assignment.
  • after you read and “grade” the example paper by providing comments/feedback, spend some time justifying your comments that need justification. In other words, provide rationales for the things you point out in the paper. (You might want to consider using “because” statements; “I think this because of such and such reason.”)
    • imagine your intention is to help the student who wrote this example paper develop as a writer: would your comments/feedback stand on their own, or would you need to elaborate some of them in order that they be most effective to the student?
  • You should write out responses to the above for this Part II of your Blog #8 post. (You need not respond to each and every prompting, and you may even contribute other responses not listed here. Whatever you do, please make sure it is substantive and meaningful to making progress on our 2nd Paper.)