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Rhetorical Analysis Assignment

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Overview: In this assignment, students use rhetorical principles and often terminology to analyze how a particular text makes an argument.  It is designed to introduce students to basic rhetorical concepts, types of appeals, strategies of persuasion, and the complexity of rhetorical situations.

Length: 1500-1800 words; 5-6 pages. 

Sources: Preferably only 1 source; no more than 2.  Instructors take varying approaches to determining which text the students might analyze, ranging from assigning a specific text for the entire class to analyze, to allowing complete student choice (with instructor approval), to different variations in between.   The texts may be visual, verbal, or multimodal.

Student Learning objectives:  

  • Students will practice reading rhetorically, with attention to writer, purpose, and context, in order to better understand choices that shape the creation of a particular text
  • Students will engage in writing rhetorically, with attention to writer, purpose, and context, in a way that speaks meaningfully to the intended audience(s).
  • Students will demonstrate understanding of the rhetorical concepts introduced in the class
  • Students will demonstrate ability to compose a clear, well-structured essay with a clearly articulated, analytic claim supported by evidence
  • Students will explore pre-writing, drafting, rethinking based on feedback, and revising as part of the writing process

SEE EXAMPLES OF RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT SHEETS

SEE EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES TO SCAFFOLD THE RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

SEE EXAMPLES OF STUDENT RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAYS