Keeping Priorities Straight, Even at the End by Tara Parker-Pope

1. MLA Citation

2. Critically read the article.

Say

Do

1-2

Randy F. Pausch is a professor

who made a lecture that has
become popular worldwide

Introduces expectations of reading

the book, Provides insight on the
authors background

3-4

Pausch made a regular lecture

but the difference what that he
was slowly dying

Highlights the main idea of the

book, Uses quotes to show the
meaning of the lecture

5-6

Pausch was dying of pancreatic

cancer, boyish, thick red knit
shirt, thick dark-brown hair, 6
months to live, stepped down
from job

Describes Pauschs condition at the

moment of lecture

7-10

Lecture was made for his 3

children only, made it a lecture
instead of home video, became
internet sensation

Explains the behind the scenes

portion of the book, Introduces
Pauschs family by name, used
quotes to contrast what Pausch
intended versus what happened
(viral lecture)

Lecture is about what makes a

happy life and achieving dreams

Uses quotes to summarize lecture

Lecture made him famous so he

used that to create awareness
about pancreatic cancer, they
didn't have much money in
support, thought to be lying but
was backed up by cancer center

Uses quotes to make more pathos

connections, Provides examples of
outside sources

11-13

14-15

16

17-19

20

Pausch is a great man who's

passionate and rare

Describes Pausch's personality,

Uses quotes to help describe
personality

Turned down movie

opportunities, wrote a book, says
all he ever would have been able
to say in the future to his kids

Example of how he made the book,

Described the book making process

Reinstated the fact that the

lecture was meant for his kids

Uses quote to get the pathos affect

of the lecture itself

3. Write a Four-Sentence Rhetorical Prcis:

Tara Parker-Pope, writer for The New York Times, in her article, Keeping
Priorities Straight, Even at the End, she highlights the background and meaning of
Randy F. Pauschs last lecture saying that Randy Pausch was staying true to his
family even at the end. She supports her claim by first reviewing the book, then
analyses the hidden story behind the lecture, then uses quotes to give a strong
examples, and finally summarizes the meaning of the book and lecture, itself.
Parker-Pope's purpose is to use Pauschs last lecture in order to give examples of
parental advice. She creates an inspirational tone for the new parents around the
world.

4. Believing/Doubting Game
Believing: The connection to
becoming a good parent and the book
The Last Lecture is quite visible.
Staying devoted to the family you
created until the end is what was to be
taken out of it all. Having cancer had
been the turning point and so he
created a lecture to attempt to squeeze
in all of the lessons he would have
taught his kids in the next 20 years.
Parents could use this example to
based their parenting off of in the long
run for an outline of how their mindset
should be. Parenting is all about
sacrifice and being successful in what

Doubting: Parenting is not always the

same for each family. Basing parenting
on Randy Pauschs experience is a
hard line to catch. It sets expectations
that cannot otherwise be met by
families all over the world. Designating
his experience as one of the ways
parenting should be done is a
overstatement. Parents are becoming
influenced by the people who are not
even up to the norm of an average life
and it causes them to be self-doubting
on what they may perceive as
successful parenting.

comes out of it.