Getting Started on the Final....

I've had quite a few requests to put the "starter" questions we did in class on Wednesday, so (drum roll...) here they are! Remember, these are just some ideas to get you thinking about what you might want to write about--not all-inclusive questions that must be answered!

OPTION ONE:
1. How did you feel about the argument as the audience member that you actually are (a student analyzing a piece of rhetoric)? How might you have felt as an audience member of the target group (a person who the argument was actually meant for)?
2. How EFFECTIVE was the argument and what were the STRATEGIES the writer used to get that point across? How well did the FORM fit the CONTENT?
3. Which parts were the MOST effective? LEAST effective?
4. Note quotes, images, interesting points to the piece you remember well (evidence)

OPTION TWO:
1. What have I put into this course and what have I gotten out of it? What did I know about the art of rhetoric and what do I know now? How have I shown this through my writing? (Think of writing as a process)
2. How have I tackled (by the end of the course) the questions on the front page of the syllabus?
3. Think of all the activities we did/materials we used in class. C, CR, SG books, short writing assignments, essay assignments, choosing a topic and planning an essay, re-envisioning research into argument, public performances, drafts and peer workshops, etc. How have these methods worked/not worked for you as a writer? Where do you see yourself going from here? How will you apply what you’ve learned about rhetoric to other areas of your life?
4. What is the biggest area of improvement I’ve seen in my writing, and how can I show that through examples in my essays? (Use old drafts of prior essays/projects)

OPTION THREE:
1. What did I really like/dislike about the public argument I did in class? Now that I’ve presented, what worked the best/what surprised me/what would I have liked to improve?
2. What other audience might be affected by this issue? What forms best speak to them (magazine article, letter to the editor, speech, book)?
3. What other kind of argument could I explore using this topic? (Remember., you have to “re-cast” your argument—if you did a proposal/call-to-action, you could try a refutation instead). What argument could I make?
4. How will I prove in the analysis portion that this new argument is just as effective (if not more so) than the one I did in Unit III?

MWF 2:00-2:50 Public Arguments!

Hello writers of the 2:00-2:50 class!

Please post (as a comment) a 1-2 sentence synopsis of your public argument here with your name, brief summary, and email address. Also, please check your email in case someone wants to analyze your project, and be ready to send them any materials he/she might need (powerpoints, video clip, etc.)

See you Friday!
~Kristin

MWF 1:00-1:50 Public Arguments!

Hello writers of the 1:00-1:50 class!

Please post (as a comment) a 1-2 sentence synopsis of your public argument here with your name, brief summary, and email address. Also, please check your email in case someone wants to analyze your project, and be ready to send them any materials he/she might need (powerpoints, video clip, etc.)

See you Friday!
~Kristin

Making Effective Oral Presentations!

A really helpful checklist: http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/skills/oral.htm

Weekend's HW!

Hi everyone!

For this weekend's hw, here's what you need to do:
1. Read 14.4 in the SG, pg.270-272. It's about the "re-envisioning" process.
2. Writing Assignment #1: Pay close attention to your surroundings during the next few days and take note of a published "public argument" that you come across. Explain the argument and context--where you saw it, how it was presented, what kind of argument it is (proposal, refutation, cause, effect, call-to-action), and talk about who would see the argument. It can be anything--a billboard, a sign in a store, a song, an advertisement, a news clip, something on the internet. Finally, was it effective for you?

See you Monday!

Guidelines Checklist: Research Paper!

Here are some good guidelines for your research essays:
http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~mdesoto/eng101/peer_review_form_argumentation.htm

Extra Credit! Movie at Gallagher Theatre Weds. Night!

If anybody is interested in an extra credit opportunity, here's a great one--check out the movie at the Gallagher Theatre in the Student Union tomorrow night, Wednesday, February 25, 2009. If you go, write up 300 words or so and post your comments here!

America The Beautiful: Film and Q&A with the Filmmaker - FreeAmerica the Beautiful is a socially probing documentary which explores the question "does America have an unhealthy obsession with beauty?" Filmmaker Darryl Roberts journeys into the psyche of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson, athletes like Reggie Theus, industry professionals from "US weekly" and the "E! Channel," and the American citizenry to determine the roots of this superficial obsession.

For information about pricing and schedule, see the American the Beautiful movie site.