Division/Classification Mode Presentation

Presenters: Alison Phelan, Amanda Walker, Madeline Rivera and Sandra Karon

APELAC3 P. 5

Definition of Division and Classification

Division: Using this method we

separate a whole into its elements, and examine the relations of the elements to one another and the whole.

Uses critical thinking so you can see beneath the surface of things and analyze.

Classification Helps us make sense of

our experiences and surroundings

See the correspondences among alike things and distinguish them from unlike things

Helps us name things, remember them, and discuss them with others

Reading Division and Classification

Division It peers inside a topic. Identifies the

parts, examines how all the parts relate, and leads to a conclusion about the meaning, significance, or value of the whole.

The subject in a Division essay is usually singular, a freestanding subject with its own unique structure of elements and qualities.

Principle of analysis: a framework that determines how the subject will be divided, therefore what elements are important to the essay. (depends on the writers view of the whole)

Requirements for principle of analysis -It should be: appropriate for the

topic, significant, applied thoroughly and consistently to illuminate either a conclusion or evaluation of the topic to represent it as it actually is.

Classification Separate things into their

elements using the method of division or analysis (See the ‘Division’ chapter)

Isolate the similarities among the elements

Group or classify the things based on those similarities, matching like with like

Two systems of classification:› In complex-classification

each individual fits into a separate class.

› In a binary or two-part classification two classes are in opposition to each other

Analyzing Division and Classification

Division “Mr. Richards shows off by not showing

off. He uses rhythm chords as a goad, not a metronome, slipping them in just ahead of beat or skipping them entirely. The distilled twang of his tone has been imitated all over rock, but far fewer guitarists have learned his guerrilla timing, his coiled silences. When he switches to lead guitar, Mr. Richards goes not for long lines, but for serrated riffing, zinging out three or four notes again and again in various permutations, wringing from them the essence of the blues. The phrasing is poised and suspenseful, but it also carries a salutary rock attitude: that less is more, especially when delivered with utter confidence.”

-Principle of analysis (Division): Topic sentence, elements of topic that are going to help prove the topic sentence. Ex: elements of Richards’s “not showing off”

- Elements

Classification Find the principle

of classification (the categories the information will be classified into) in the thesis

Look for those principles in the body

Developing Division and Classification Essays

Division Begin by seeking meaning or significance in a

subject When developing your own principle of analysis,

think of something whose meaning or significance fascinates you and whose parts you can distinguish and relate to the whole.

Dissect your subject, the physical things if possible. Distinguishing how all the elements and features work together.

Keep your analysis true to the subject Thesis statement is crucial in this essay,

readers need to know the purpose and structure of your analysis in order to follow your points. Answer it in a way that you state your opinion and reveal your principle of analysis of your subject.

Organizing: introduction, let readers know why your bothering to analyze your subject. Body, explain your principle of analysis. Conclusion: assembles the elements, returning to a sense of the whole subject, summarize what the essay has contributed, and its influence of the subject in a larger picture.

Classification

Forming a thesis Be sure you convey the reason for the

classification Organizing The classes may be arranged in order of

decreasing familiarity or increasing importance or size

Drafting Be sure to consider your readers’

needs (if the subject is unfamiliar, you will need to give more background)

Revising and Editing Division and Classification Essays

Division: The significance of your analysis and

your views on the subject are clear throughout the essay.

All elements according to your principle of analysis and relations to one another are identified.

Your principle of analysis is applied consistently to the entire subject. All elements reflect the same principle, and are clearly separate rather than overlapping.

The thesis is supported by clear assertions about parts of the subject, ant the assertions are supported by specific evidence.

Analysis is true to the subject. Your thesis is unforced and your analysis is fair. Your reassembly of the elements are the same as the original. Don’t leap in to a conclusion that distorts the subject.

Classification Will readers see

the purpose of your classification?

Is your classification complete?

Homework time! Read the essay Division essay titled

“Humvee Satisfies a Man’s Lust for Winches” by Dave Barry, and write a practice précis for it.

Five Points to RememberDivision:1. Disect your subject. (Remember

division and analysis are interchangeable terms).

2. For your thesis statement, apply an explanatory or persuasive purpose that you can back up with evidence, sharing the understanding with the reader.

3. In your introduction let readers know why you want to analyze your particular subject.

4. In the body of your essay: you can arrange the elements and then offer your analysis or introduce and analyze elements one by one.

5. In your conclusion be sure to assess the effectiveness or worth of the subject that you are analyzing.

Classification:1. Separate things into their

elements using Division then isolate the similarities among the elements and group the things based on those similarities

2. Write a clear outline to create a precise, structured essay

3. Create a thesis that conveys the reason for classification

4. Make sure your essay has a clear purpose

5. Be consistent in your writing in order to save readers from confusion and irritation

Practice Précis- “Humvee Satisfies a Man’s Lust for Winches”

In “Humvee Satisfies a Man’s Lust for Winches” (2001), Barry reveals that the true purpose of “grown men’s toys” is to provide men with “a (false) sense of masculinity” that serves as a cover-up for the man’s true insecurities. Barry illustrates the unnecessary features of the Humvee, (“military shorthand for Hugely Masculine VEEhickle” which contains features such as “dashboard switches that enable you to inflate or deflate your tries as you drive!” and compares the masculine reaction (“Is that cool, or WHAT”) to the female reaction (“Why?”). He utilizes the features and reactions to the Humvee’s features in order to warn men that although they may think that their new “man toy” provides a new sense of masculinity and thought process of “this feature would seriously impress women” it is greeted with “my wife….rolling her eyes” and using “300 gallons of fuel” to drive “to a shopping mall just before Christmas.” Barry directs his writings toward men and provides personal experiences with the Humvee to support his claims, revealing the military origins of the car in the Gulf War, his wife’s reaction to the car’s features (featuring phrases such as “Why” and the condemning eye-roll) and overall impracticality of the car in non-military settings.