Mid-Term Prompts

Students will be choosing one of the following prompts. On the day of the Midterm, they will write a six-paragraph essay. (No, you don't need to choose Dr. King's essay, just because it happens to be my favorite.)

A.      In response to “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” evaluate the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther King utilizes pathos, logos, and ethos.  Evaluate whether or not King’s philosophies and strategies are relevant to today’s society. Include specific textual examples to illustrate your points

B.      Considering the ideas mentioned in “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” argue whether or not the public and/or the government are doing enough to improve the basic education of the community. What changes, if any, should be made to improve things?

C.      Using some of the ideas offered in “Why Boys Don’t Play With Dolls,” classify and evaluate the different ways in which children learn about gender roles in modern American society. Has very much changed since the essay was written in the 1980s?

D.      What do we learn about the way women are valued in “No Name Woman”? Incorporate outside resources and explore a modern day society which treats women far more harshly than their male counterparts.

Here's an example of a brief outline of a "Letter from Birmingham Jail" response: 

Introduction - hook, topic overview, thesis

Body #1 - Pathos examples

Body #2 - Logos examples

Body #3 - Ethos examples

Body #4 - Relevant to today? 

Conclusion - final emotional impact