By Amanda Moulder, Assistant Instructor, DRW

Goals: To analyze characteristics of text, including its structure, word choices, and intended audience. Rationale or Purpose: Discerning the tone of a particular piece of writing is one of the more difficult endeavors for students. It is sometimes used to mean “mood” or “atmosphere” of the piece. In this exercise, tone denotes the implicit attitude of the author. This assignment could be helpful in writing any RHE or ENG essay that asks students to analyze a piece of writing, whether fiction or nonfiction. It would arrive early in the course so that students could refine their reading skills before attempting to write an essay.

Title: Finding Tone

Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Description:

Step 1: Distribute worksheets

Step 2: Before they have read the excerpt, ask students to identify the audience of the speech (which is listed at the top of the excerpt) and hypothesize about how Bush might want or need to address this audience. Encourage them to use adjectives to describe how he might address his audience and ask them to justify their hypotheses. Write the hypotheses on the board.

Step 3: Ask students to define or come up with synonyms for the “tone words” listed at the top of the sheet

Step 4: Ask for volunteers to read the excerpt aloud.

Step 5: Assign students to work in pairs or threes to answer the questions at the bottom of the sheet.

Modification: Extra time may be given if needed

Student Product: Notes about their answers to the questions

Closure: As a class, discuss the answers. Did the all come up with the same emotion-laden words? How did they answer the questions about Sergeant Denogan? Were their hypotheses about how Bush would address his audience correct? How did they answer the last question? The last question may require some content knowledge about the power dynamics of corporate out-sourcing, so students may need some help or prompting with this one.

Assessment or evaluation: Ask students to find another piece of writing (perhaps for a research assignment that they are currently working on) and answer the same questions

Extension: [optional] See “Assessment or evaluation”

Related Materials/Resources: Worksheet with excerpt from President Bush’s press release and accompanying questions.

NAMES_____________________________________ DATE_____________________________

Finding TONE

Tone is the author’s attitude towards her/his subject. Often, discerning an author’s tone is the first step in discerning bias.

A TONE might be: Serious/passionate, humorous/amused, mocking/biting/satirical, detached, didactic, questioning/curious, bombastic/superior, romantic/idealistic, emotional, exigent/urgent, righteous

The following is an excerpt from “President Discusses American Dream,” a speech by the President via Satellite to the League of United Latin American Citizens Annual Convention, made on July 8, 2004. Read the speech and answer the questions that follow.
We have many issues to discuss, but I want to end on this important issue. The third commitment of an opportunity society is a policy of fairness and justice toward those who have come to America to live and work. Our country must confront this basic fact: Jobs being generated in our growing economy are not being filled by American citizens, and these jobs represent an opportunity for workers who come from abroad, who want to put money on the table for their children. Yet current law says to those workers, you must live in a massive, undocumented economy.

And so we've got people in America working hard who live in fear and who are often exploited. And this system isn't fair and it's not right. So I proposed reforms that will match willing foreign workers with willing American employers when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs; a system that would grant legal status to temporary workers who are here in the country working; that will increase the number of men and women on the path to American citizenship.

The reason I do so is because I know this proposal is good for our economy, because it would allow needed workers to come into the country under an honest, orderly, regulated system. And the reason I made this proposal is because it's humane. It would bring millions of hardworking people out of the shadows of American life. This proposal reflects the interest and best values of America. And Congress should pass it into law. (Applause.)

As a citizen of Texas and the governor of Texas, I have been privileged to see the many contributions of Latinos to our economy, to our state, to our culture and to our nation. As President and Commander-in-Chief, I've seen other great contributions. Some 85,000 Latinos have served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. More than 100 have given their lives. Over 400 have been injured in combat. Our nation will never forget their service and their sacrifice to our security and to our freedom. (Applause.)
I want to tell you about one of the most meaningful moments of my presidency, if you've got a minute. I had the privilege of meeting Master Gunnery Sergeant Guadalupe Denogean. Sergeant Denogean was an immigrant from Mexico who had served in the Marine Corps for more than 26 years. He was wounded in combat in Iraq. When he was brought home for treatment, they asked the Sergeant if he had any special requests. He said he had two. First, he wanted a promotion for the Corporal who had helped to rescue him. And second, he wanted to become an American citizen. And I was privileged to be right there at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center the day he raised his right hand and took the oath of citizenship. I'm proud to be the Commander-in-Chief of this good Sergeant. And now I'm proud to call him fellow citizen. (Applause.)

Questions:

Who is the President’s audience for this speech?

What adjectives does the President use to talk about immigrants to the U.S.?

Circle all of the emotional words the President uses.

Why does the President include the anecdote about Sergeant Denogan?

How might the President’s audience react to the story of Denogan?

How would you characterize the tone/attitude toward immigrants? What about illegal immigrants?

How might his tone change if the audience changed (for example, if the audience was a group of unemployed steel workers in Pittsburgh, PA)?

(by Amanda Moulder, Assistant Instructor, DRW)