Unit 1: Reading America
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Analyzing the Rhetoric of Spaces
I recommend preceding this lesson with my introduction to analysis. Some of the “Intro to Analysis” slideshow is specific to essays, but you can bypass those parts.
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Kairos in Action: Horror Movies
To be successful in our communications, we must learn how to extrapolate the values and fears of our audiences. This slideshow offers examples of successful horror movies that managed to do that.
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Ads for Rhetorical Analysis
Marketing executives play on cultural values and beliefs to stimulate desire. Analyzing advertisements is therefore a fairly reliable way to gauge the emotional climate of American life. I recommend preceding this lesson with my introduction to analysis. Some of the “Intro to Analysis” slideshow is specific to essays, but you can bypass those parts.
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Everything is an Argument
Because our way of creating and interpreting meaning is inescapably metaphoric and associative, learning how to consciously translate the meanings around us prevents some of the psychological harm inflicted when we process them subconsciously. I teach the “Everything is an Argument” lesson using the below slideshow. It contains insights adapted insights from the Everything is…
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Reflexive Phrases/Appositives
You can sell this activity to your students as “How to strengthen your ethos.” Together, look at page 108-109 of Everything is an Argument (or the slideshow “Everything is an Argument“) to see how Swarthmore professor Timothy Burke used reflexive statements to underscore his right to speak on a particular topic. Then divide the class…
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Rhetorical Analysis of “Snowy Day” Nike Ad
With the whole class, watch the first three minutes of this video, which show the Nike ad without the analysis. Ask them how the commercial makes them feel before you begin analysis of how these feelings are created. Use this slideshow of images from the video. Ask students to write responses, dialectical-notebook style, about each slide.…