TAR Review

Textual Analysis Response (TAR)

Poll

How confident do you feel about writing the Textual Analysis Response?

• Very confident!

• I'm ok, but I could use the practice.

• Meh.

• I don't feel confident at all!

Multiple Choice

What is the highest score you can earn on this type of writing?

• 4 points

• 6 points

• 8 points

• 24 points

The Textual Analysis Response (aka TAR aka Part 3) worth up to 4 points.

(it is graded on a 0-4 point scale)

Multiple Choice

After your TAR is graded on a 0-4 point scale, it is multiplied by ___ to give you a total possible score of ___

• 2, 8

• 4, 16

• 5, 20

• 6, 24

On the Regents exam, your TAR is multiplied by 2 for a possible 8 points

(the lowest point value of any section)

FYI:

On the Regents exam

• multiple choice is worth a total of 24 points

• argumentative essay is worth a total of 24 points

Fact: you've had more practice on the TAR than on any other type of writing in high school.

You wrote it in ninth and tenth grade AT LEAST 6 times.

You wrote it this year AT LEAST 3 times.

(not to mention all the times your teachers had you practice)

The passage is probably going to be boring.

• Mind hack:

• Pretend it is being told to you by the person you have the BIGGEST CRUSH ON.

• Seriously, you can fool yourself into being interested.

Open Ended

So... what is it that you are looking for?

(what three elements make a TAR)

Know what you are looking for AS you read:

• controlling idea (the overall message of the passage)

• ONE literary element

• textual evidence that shows how the literary element is used

Read the passage!

(remember to trick your brain by telling yourself that you are REALLY interested in the passage)

Still struggling with the passage?

Remind yourself that it's ONLY AN EXCERPT (a part of a larger work).

You can get through it!

Formulate a central idea.

A central idea is just a fancy way to say "the author's message" or "the author's purpose."

What did the author want his/her reader to take away after reading it?

Identify ONE literary element

JUST ONE

Let's pretend your reading passage was from Goldilocks and the Three Bears

(no luck, it won't be, but let's pretend)

Think about the LESSON, TAKE AWAY, OR MORAL the author is trying to teach you...

(seriously, it's this easy)

Multiple Select

What lesson or moral or take away does the author want the reader to learn from reading "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"?

• People should not take what isn't theirs.

• If you don't want someone to trespass into your house, you should probably lock the door.

• Humans feel entitled to taking whatever they want, no matter how it inconvenience others.

• "Just right" is a relative concept.

The "central idea" isn't ONE answer.

As long as you can back up your opinion here with textual evidence, you're all good.

Multiple Select

What's the best literary element to use when writing a textual analysis response?

• confict

• characterization

• tone

• symbolism

AGAIN, there is no BEST.

As long as you can find textual evidence to support your literary element, you guessed it...

Find Evidence

This is the easy part. Just find a word or phrase or two that supports your analysis.

You MUST give the LINE NUMBER where you got your info from...

if not, the highest score you can get is a 2 (and that's not a passing score)

As long as you include those three elements in a logical and grammatically correct way, there is no set way.

• However, here is a handy, dandy guide

REMEMBER: this is a RESPONSE, not an essay

• 2 paragraphs minimum

• 3 paragraphs maximum

Paragraph 1

• Hook sentence/rhetorical question

• Title, author, genre

• Summarize the text

• Central idea (theme + so what?)

Hook sentence

• Start with an interesting question

• Makes an assertive claim about your topic.

• Give a fact or statistic

• Use a metaphor or simile

TAG

• Title (will be at the end of the text)

• Author (will be at the end of the text)

• Genre (if you can't figure it out, say "text")

In your own words, tell your reader all about the passage.

(1-2 sentences minimum)

The last sentence of paragraph 1 should be your central idea.

What is the take away and why is it important?

Breakdown

HOOK: Have you ever taken something that doesn't belong to you? TAG: In the short story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" by Robert Southey, SUMMARY: a little girl repeatedly takes what does not belong to her. She enters the empty home of three bears and eats their food, breaks their furniture, and ultimately falls asleep in one of their beds. When the bears return, they case her off (and in some versions of the story, eat her!) CENTRAL IDEA: The central idea of this story is that a person should get permission before using something that does not belong to them.

Paragraph 2

• literary element

• Example (line #)

• Explain

• Second example (line #)

• Explain

• Concluding sentence

Write

"One literary element the author uses that supports this central idea is ____" and write ANY literary element.

Write

• "One example that supports this is...

• write a quote or phrase from the text (Line #)

• EXPLAIN

• "Another example that supports this is..."

• write another quote or phrase from the text (LINE #)

• EXPLAIN

Give ONE sentence of conclusion

Say your central idea in different words

Goldilocks example paragraph 2 breakdown

LITERARY ELEMENT: One literary element Southey uses to support this central idea is characterization. Goldilocks is characterized as bold and self-centered. EVIDENCE: One example that supports this characterization is "so she made up her mind to go in boldly, and look all about the place" (line 7). EXPLANATION: Goldilocks does not think about others but instead only tries to satisfy herself.

Goldilocks example paragraph 2 continued BREAKDOWN

SECOND EXAMPLE: Another example of how she is characterized is "she ate all [the porridge]" (line 12). EXPLANATION: This shows her as selfish because she didn't consider the food she was stealing from others. CONCLUSION: Instead of asking permission to sit in the bear's chair, eat their food, and sleep in their bed, she only took her own wants into consideration.

Poll

How confident do you feel about writing this response now?

• Very confident

• I still need some practice

• I still am very unsure about this.