ENGL 6166: Rhetorical Theory » Rhetorical Theory Assignments

Rhetorical Theory Assignments

Canvas Responses (Weekly)

250-word posts every week, and the 250 words do not count quotations. It would be a good idea to set a weekly reminder that these are due every Wednesday by Noon. Post them on Canvas.

Midterm Mini-Rhetorical Analysis (Due Friday, 2/27)

This is a rhetorical analysis of discourse. It’s short–5 pages–but it should be well thought out. You are analyzing discourse in order to explain how (not just what) a speaker/author conveys a message. Of course, there’s always text and subtext in any message, so you have lots to work with. Consider media segments, speeches, printed arguments, YouTube diatribes, etc. Just explain how the text, segment, or discourse carries meaning. You’ll be looking for obvious rhetoric–persuasive phrases and images–but you should also look for a priori meaning–the values, attitudes, myths, and ideas–built into or associated with the segment’s topic. For instance, the word “freedom” isn’t a universally agreed-upon concept, so you may need to explain, briefly, the context under which a particular group might interpret (their preconceptions of) freedom. Ideally, I’d like you to focus on a shorter message and explain the many rhetorical “layers” you find as opposed to analyzing a longer piece and covering just one or two layers. Below are the format logistics:
  • Typed, double spaced (except heading), 12 pt font
  • 1-inch margins all around
  • Page numbers (anywhere) A title other than “Rhetorical Analysis”
  • In-text citations: you must use quotations from the course reading and, if you choose, outside reading. I will not accept a paper that doesn’t have quotations from our class readings.
  • Works Cited/References page (I don’t care which style–MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.–you use for your paper, but please choose one)
Do not pad your essay with long quotations in order to reach 5 pages. You may use long quotations, but they don’t count towards your page requirements. Provide a link or pdf to the work you’re analyzing along with you submission (on Canvas). This is in lieu of an in-class midterm, so we won’t workshop these essays. However, please start thinking about rhetoric as you read or consume media. Please don’t email me a draft and say “look at this.” Please come to my office or schedule a zoom meeting well in advance, so I may ask better questions. Because of the wealth of material on these following speeches, please do not choose one of them:
  • John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address
  • Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech
  • Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
    • There are 1,000s of other civil rights text/speech acts from which to choose
  • Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”
If you’re wondering whether or not one particular text would be better over another, please ask, and I’ll offer some advice.

Rhetoric/al Project (Due 4/29)

This is a big project that should be considered as a submission to an academic journal. It may be limited to a single course reading or several, or it may focus on a particular problem (“ethos” on the internet; the rhetoric of science textbooks; the nature of metaphor), or it might be more historical. Regardless of your choice of project, you MUST cite works from this semester AND include outside resources. Cite scholars, philosophers, authors, etc. who help support what you’re doing. You can’t do any of these projects without incorporating outside research of some kind. I am encouraging you to write this for a particular academic journal, and I’ll have suggestions later in the semester. Although a particular journal you have in mind might have different requirements, below are the usual formatting logistics:
  • Typed, double spaced (except heading), 12 pt font
  • 1-inch margins all around
  • Page numbers (anywhere) Approximately 15 pages
  • A title other than “Rhetoric/al Project”
  • In-text citations: you must use quotations from the course reading and several sources outside class readings. I will not accept a paper that doesn’t have quotations from our class readings.
  • Works Cited/References page (I don’t care which style–MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.–you use for your paper, but please choose one)
This assignment might evolve over the semester, but I’ll let you know more about it later.

Rhetoric/al Project Presentation (5/6–final exam day)

Here’s your chance to get up and present on your rhetoric/al Project. In 10 min, please give us the highlights and connect your presentation back to a key figure or two (or more) we’ve read this semester. Besides making sure you’re making smart arguments, consider the following grading criteria:
  • Relevance (how sound are your points; how do you connect back to our authors and theories)
  • Eye contact (look at us, not the screen)
  • Appearance of preparation
  • Voice projection
  • Time (don’t go under 9 min and don’t go over 10)

Participation (Throughout the semester)

This is not a drill-and-skill type of course. I expect everyone to be involved in class discussions, which are extremely important for critical thinking. You must contribute to class discussions. Thirty percent (30%) of your grade is based on participation. This is a small seminar class, so there will be ample opportunity to contribute. Maintaining silence just shows you don’t care about thinking, which means you don’t care about learning. Non-participating students will essentially fail this course because 70%, a grade of ‘C’, won’t count towards your degree, meaning you’ll need to take another theory-intensive course. Please see me ASAP if you’re concerned about your participation grade because you’re shy or if you don’t understand these requirements. Telling me at the end of April that you didn’t participate because you’re the quiet type or because you didn’t understand what “thoughtful” meant will be too late. Even worse, e-mailing me after the semester is over to complain that participation isn’t a “valid” class assignment is too late. The purpose of discussions is for students to have control over their own learning and to reinforce critical thinking generally and dialogic exchange of ideas specifically. I am willing to provide a quasi-alternative to supplement a student’s participation grade, but please note that discussion, which allows speakers to exchange ideas, is an extremely important component of critical thinking. One alternative is to do class reflections you post online. Please discuss this alternative with me early in the semester.