Think about two movies you have watched recently, each a different genre. For example, you could choose a thriller and an action movie or a romantic comedy and a science-fiction film. Think about three ways you could break down each of them. Do they end up with the same three factors?
Exercise 2Think about a person you know or admire. It could be a relative, a historical figure, a mentor, or even someone you dislike. By what factors could you break down the person’s character so that someone could understand who he or she is?
Building on exemplification, can you think of one concrete example and details about a specific time when your chosen person has exhibited each of the traits you identified? In other words, tell a detailed story to analyze factors that make up who that person is.
Exercise 3High school English classes often have a lot of reading. Think about a book that you were assigned to read that you do not think is valuable to high school students, or, conversely, choose a book you read outside of school for your own enjoyment that you think should be in high school curriculum.
Using analysis, identify three components of your chosen book that would help make your case for its removal or inclusion.
Exercise 4Identify a cause that you care about and that you would want to share with others. Perhaps you are particularly moved by causes such as animal welfare, organic food, human trafficking, or the need for community service opportunities. Brainstorm different components of the problem or issue that you identified. What are the major parts of the problem that you could break down to give readers a clearer understanding of the issue and see the greater meaning? Draft a paragraph highlighting at least two or three components of the problem.
Exercise 5Choose a genre of music, an album, or an artist that you like. Is there someone you know who is not a fan of this music or artist? Using that person as a hypothetical audience, analyze your chosen topic by breaking it into components that would be most interesting and persuasive to your intended audience. Convince your chosen person of the merits of your selected music or artist by choosing and analyzing components that would be meaningful to him or her.
Exercise 6
Analyze this picture of baseball fans waiting for hotdogs outside Ebbets Field in New York City in 1920. In what ways do these baseball fans appear different from baseball fans attending a game at Yankee Stadium today? Based on this photo, find three factors that you can use to analyze assumptions about baseball fans from almost 100 years ago.
(Three possible responses: Their dress is much more formal than we would expect today; they are not wearing anything that identifies them as baseball fans unlike the commercialized team logos we see everywhere today; they are all men, there are no women or children in this photo.)
Exercise 7Think about your hometown, community, or state in which you grew up. In what ways would you characterize this place? Using analysis, find three factors that make that place what it is, and explain and analyze each point.