Rhetorical Devices Assignment

Each weekend, you will read short passages in your Rhetorical Devices book about two rhetorical devices or research the assigned devices on Silva Rhetoricae/another online source. The exercises in the book are optional and will not be collected, although we may do some of them in class. However, during the following week, you must either find examples of people using these devices OR make up your own examples and post them as comments to the Course Site blog post corresponding with those devices. Along with each example, you should provide one or two sentences explaining the context and how the rhetorical device affects the rhetor’s message. If you made up the example, make up a context in which it could be used. Write about at least two examples per device per week. You may miss one week without penalty.

Additional Guidance on Analysis:
Good analysis doesn’t just answer the question, “How is your example representative of the rhetorical device?”. To develop your analysis, consider the following questions: “What does this device add to the meaning? ” “What effect does it have on the reader/listener?” or “What does the speaker/writer gain from using this device”? “What makes it different than saying the same information without using the rhetorical device?”

Although the rhetorical device readings are listed as being due on Monday, I strongly recommend you read them as early (e.g. the preceding Thursday or Friday) as your schedule allows. This will give you more time to find examples.

Grading for the rhetorical device examples will be as follows:

0 points if you did not post.

1 point if you only posted one example per device, or if you did not provide context/analysis.

2 points if you completed the assignment.

Although each individual post is worth a very small portion of your grade, habitually not completing this assignment will significantly impact both your overall grade and your ability to do well on other assignments. The purpose of this assignment is to get you into the habit of noticing rhetoric at work around you while also learning about a wide variety of rhetorical strategies beyond the rhetorical appeals.

Optional Alternative Assignment:
For the first week, we will follow the instructions above. For future weeks, if the class votes to do this, INSTEAD of doing reading in the book and/or online each week, one student will be assigned to read/research that week and write a blog post explaining the rhetorical device to the class. The class will be required to read only their classmate’s post and then post examples.

The pros of this option: Probably less reading per week, unless someone writes a really long post.

The cons of this option: Each person completes one additional writing assignment.

First Assignment: Yourself as Reader, Writer, and Researcher

2-3 double-spaced pages on “Yourself as Reader, Writer, and Researcher” (Email to me at [email protected] OR post to our class blog if you want to share your response with your classmates too.) Due Wednesday, September 4th by class time (8:00 am).

Please submit as a .doc or .docx file, using size 12 font

Prompt:

We all have histories as readers, writers, and researchers, even if you hate these activities. For this assignment, help me get to know you by telling me about your history. Below are several questions for you to consider as you compose your answer. You do not need to address all of them, and feel free to talk about other things related to reading, writing, research, and English classes.

  • What kinds of things do you read? (Not just books!)
  • What kinds of things do you love to read or hate to read? Why?
  • What’s a really good memory you have about reading, or a really bad one?
  • What about writing?
  • How much writing did you do in high school, and what kinds of things did you write?
  • What kinds of research have you done in the past?
  • What do you find difficult or confusing about the research process?
  • What were your past English classes like?
  • How do you feel about starting this class? What would you like to learn? 

Getting To Know You Survey

Dear Writers,

Please fill out the form below when you have a moment. All of your answers will be private.

Thanks!

Olivia

Getting To Know You

While we will do group introductions on the first day of class, this form will give you the opportunity to share information you may want to keep private.

  • If your name in CUNYFirst is different from the name you go by, please provide your CUNYFirst name and the name you actually use. I will only use the name you actually use-- this is just so I know which person matches which roster name.
  • You can use IPA notation if you know it, but you can also use rhyming words or just spell out sounds as best you can. Example: Olivia Wood: O as in Ohh// Li as in Lizard// Vi rhymes with Bee // A like Uhh// Wood rhymes with Good
  • For example, I use she/her/hers pronouns. That means if you're referring to me, but not using my name, you would say "she." "My professor's name is Olivia. She sent us an online form to fill out."
  • This could include accessibility concerns and/or learning accommodations (no documentation required), life factors that may affect your ability to attend class or turn in assignments on time, etc.

Instructions for Posting

  1. If you are signed in to your Commons account, you should see a menu at the top of the page that has a button reading “+ New” , Click on this button to write a new post.
  2. Write your post! You can write in either the Block editor or the Classic editor. I like Classic better, but choose whichever one you find easier.
  3. If you’re in Classic editor, find the “Categories” section of the righthand sidebar (not “Category Sticky”) and select the appropriate category or categories for your post. If you’re in Block editor, toggle to the “Document” tab of the sidebar instead of the “Block” tab and do the same thing. You should never select “Instructor Announcement” as your category, because that’s just for me!
  4. Add tags to your post. Tags should include your name (or username, if you don’t want to use your real name), as well as any other tags you want to use (such as topics addressed in your post). Once you decide what name/username tag to use, ALWAYS use that tag for all of your posts! This will make it easier to view everything you’ve written.
  5. Choose privacy settings for your post. Our site is already semi-private. Only members of the Commons can see it. However, if you want to make it MORE private, you can. A “public” post is visible to any Commons user. A “private” post is visible only to members of our class. A “password protected” post is the most private. Only you, me (as an administrator of the site), and people you share the password with can see it. Use this option if you’re posting material you don’t want your classmates to see, such as if you’re writing something personal.
  6.  Check or uncheck the “send to group” option in the “Group Blog” part of the sidebar. If this is checked, everyone in our class will get a notification email about your post.
  7. You can choose to set a “featured image” for a post. That image will appear at the top of the post and be included in the “link preview” that appears when you share the link on social media. Only do this if you want to.

New Post!

Over the course of the semester, I will ask you to sometimes make posts on our class site using the built-in WordPress editor. Other times, I will ask you to comment on your classmates’ posts. We will do introductory WordPress training together in class.