Rhetorical analysis is usually taught with speeches and essays, but a memoir has plenty to analyze. Albom writes to persuade readers of something, even if he never states it that way. Students who learn to see that argument are practicing a skill that AP Language students, and many college writers, need.

Morrie's conversations are full of persuasive moves. He uses stories, appeals to shared experience, direct commands, and short, memorable sayings. Students can identify each move and ask what effect it has on Mitch and on the reader of the book.

Albom's own choices are worth analyzing too. He organizes the book like a class, complete with a syllabus, and he places long scenes next to brief, spare ones. These decisions shape how readers receive the message.

Choose one or two short passages of a page or less for timed practice. Shorter passages leave more time to write. They also make grading faster.

What to ask students to notice

Rhetorical analysis often stalls because students name devices without explaining them. Give them a short list of guiding questions and insist on the why behind each observation. The examples below fit this book well.

• Who is the speaker addressing, and what does that audience need to hear?
• How does the sentence length or rhythm of a passage support its point?
• Which appeals to emotion, logic, or credibility are doing the most work?
• What does the author include or leave out that shapes the reader's view of Morrie?
• How does the passage's placement in the book affect its impact?

Scoring the way exam readers do

The six-point structure common to AP Language rubrics, with a point for thesis, several for evidence and commentary, and one for sophistication, is a useful model even for non-AP classes. It rewards analysis over labeling. Adapting a version of it gives students a target they will see again.

Practice essays produce a lot of grading in a short time. Using a tool such as GraideMind to apply your version of the rubric to each timed write gives you consistent first-pass feedback for the class, which you can then refine for individual students. Speed matters here because feedback loses value fast.

The sophistication point

The last point on an AP-style rubric is the hardest to teach. It usually goes to essays that recognize complexity or tension, or that place the passage in a wider context. Students seldom get there without seeing an example.

Share a strong sample and highlight the moment where the writer notices something complicated, such as the tension between Morrie's calm and the physical cost of his illness. Then ask students to find a similar moment in their own drafts. Most will find one if they look for it.

Building toward independence

In early practice, give students structured prompts. Over time, replace them with open ones and see whether students choose useful lenses on their own. The gap between the two shows how far the class has come.

Keep a log of common weaknesses across essays. When the same issue appears repeatedly, you have a lesson for the next class period. You also have a stronger reason to revisit the rubric.