Lesson Plan and Worksheet Assignment for Writing the World Symposium
In-Class Discussion Topics for class period prior to Symposium:
 Explanation of the symposium
o What is Writing Across Communities?
o Discuss what panels might address:
 Challenging Traditional Academic Discourses through Ethnic Studies and
Introductory Studies programs
 Classes That Challenge Dominant Academic Discourses
 Students’ Perspectives on Classes That Challenge Dominant Academic
Discourses
 Place and Gender
 Civil Rights Rhetoric
 The Working Poor
 Review/discuss elements of the rhetorical situation: How will these elements manifest in
the symposium?
o “Writer” as rhetor
o Exigencies and contexts
o Audiences
o Medium/modes of delivery
 Review/discuss rhetorical strategies: How might these strategies be employed during the
symposium?
o Logos, ethos, pathos
o Patterns (narrative, description, definition, cause and effect, classification)
 Review/discuss methods of conducting primary research: How can we see our attending
this symposium as an opportunity for research? What are some potential future
applications of this research?
o Field observations
o Analyzing observations
Learning Outcomes Addressed:
 SLO A: Students will be analyzing the various rhetorical situations being addressed by
the panel; students will also be analyzing the genres and medium of live presentations
 SLO B: Students will be observing the ways that multiple communities (from their
classrooms to the panels to the university to the greater Albuquerque community)
communicate their knowledge and concerns to a broad audience
 SLO E: Regardless of the panel they attend, students will be exposed to discussions of the
value of non-dominant discourses to our university community.
Rhetorical Analysis Assignment for Writing the World Symposium
For this assignment, you will be analyzing the rhetorical situation and rhetorical elements of one
of the Writing the World panels. Use this sheet to take notes during the panel presentation.
Name of panel presentation:
Members of the panel:
What relationship do these panel members have to the university? Are they students, faculty, or
community members?
Use the space below to take notes about the presentation. Pay particular attention to:
 Elements of the rhetorical situation (topic, audience, purpose, context, angle, medium)
 Rhetorical appeals used by the speakers (ethos, logos, pathos)
 Rhetorical patterns used by the speakers (narrative, description, definition,
classification, cause and effect)
Reflection on Observation: In the space below, or in a separate document, write about your
overall impressions of the panel presentation that you saw. Consider one, some, or all of the
following questions in your response.
 How this panel related to the entire symposium––what points of view were represented in
this panel? Why were these points of view important to the symposium in general?
 How this symposium relates to the university at large––what was the overall purpose of
this symposium? Why is a symposium like this important to our university, our students,
and our community?
 The panel presentation as a response to a rhetorical situation––what rhetorical situation
was the panel responding to? Who were the “writers” of the response? Who was the
audience? What are some of the elements of the context surrounding this response?
 The rhetorical elements of the response––How did the panel members utilize logos, ethos,
or pathos to express their points of view? How did the panel members utilize rhetorical
patterns like narration or description to express their points of view? Were these
effective? Why do you think the speakers choose these rhetorical elements over others?