Assignment Task:
Part A:
Discussion - InQuizitive & Writing
This forum will help you practice the kind of response and analysis I'd like to see you all participate in this semester. To start this discussion forum, review information on the LS readings and MLA.
Start by watching the videos that describe InQuizitive as a testing tool that you'll use for course lessons. You can find these videos in the Week 1 Resources folder. What interesting points stood out to you about InQuizitive? This response must be at least 200 words.
Next, answer the following writing questions:
- When you have a choice, how do you typically organize your arguments? What ways have been most successful? What tips might you incorporate for building on your arguments?
- Provide an example of a current discussion/issue, and describe how the elements of the rhetorical situation apply to it.
- What has been your experience with citing in MLA?
- What are your biggest challenges with summarizing and avoiding plagiarism?
Part B:
Analysis of the Rhetorical Context (Workshop)
According to the TAMU online writing center, textual analysis, "should explore the [speaker or writer's] goals, the techniques (or tools) used, examples of those techniques, and the effectiveness of those techniques. When writing a rhetorical analysis, you are NOT saying whether or not you agree with the argument. Instead, you're discussing how the rhetorician makes that argument and whether or not the approach used is successful."
Directions for Writing
Revisit the speeches you looked at earlier and draft a full analysis of the rhetorical efficacy of that speech. Those speeches once again include:
- "What Streaming Means for the Future of Entertainment": a speech by Emmett shear, co-founder of Twitch about why so many people watch other people play video games online
- "Are Athletes Really Getting, Faster. Better, Stronger?": a speech by David Epstein that attempts to answer questions about why contemporary athletes break so many records
- "My Identity is a Superpower--Not an Obstacle": a speech by America Ferrera, an actress famous for roles in Ugly Betty, Real Women Have Curves, and Superstore about her early struggles to get cast as a Latina in Hollywood
- "Work Is Not Your Family": a speech by Gloria Chan Packer, a mental health advocate, about the dangers of blurring lines between our professional and home lives
- "How Video Games Can Level Up the Way You Learn": a speech by Kris Alexander about what educational design can learn from video games
- "When AI Can Fake Reality, Who Can You Trust?": a speech by Sam Gregory, an expert in Artificial Intelligence, about the social challenges we face because of advanced generative AI
The successful analysis will include the following key elements:
- A specific thesis statement that makes a quality judgment on whether or not the chosen speech is effective at achieving its purpose.
- A discussion of intended audience
- Who is the intended audience? How do you know? What specific sentences or phrases in the speech lead you to this conclusion?
- A discussion of the speaker's credibility
- How does the speaker indicate experience or expertise on the subject at hand?
- A discussion of strategies used in the speech meant to strengthen the speaker's message
- Does the speaker appeal to the audience's emotions? How? Does the speaker try to bond with the audience? How? Does the speaker try to appeal to the audience's logic? How?
- A works cited page with a MLA or APA-style citation for the chosen speech
Initial Post:
- Submit a working draft of your Analysis of the Rhetorical Context essay to the discussion board. Your essay should be attached to your post as a Word document or a PDF so that the format holds. It should be 700 words.