Rhetorical Analysis
Participation Assignments
Political cartoon invention work
Assignment 1A (pg 15)
Choose a political cartoon from a print or online source. Respond to questions 1-5 from
the “Working Together” box.
Practice peer response
Assignment 1B (pg 33)
Read the student sample analysis of an ad on pg 33. Respond to the sample by answering
all the questions on pg 31 (the bulleted questions AND #1 and #2 at the bottom of the
page). After you complete your review of the sample analysis, read the revised version of
the paper on pgs 49-51 and be prepared to discuss both sample drafts in class.
Opinion writing analysis
Assignment 2
(pg 19)
Examine several selections of opinion writing from a blog, discussion board, editorial,
advocacy web site, or letter to the editor. Select an example that contains a fallacy.
Write a one paragraph summary of the piece, then a one paragraph discussion of the
fallacy. Include a copy of the text you are responding to.
Reflection writing analysis
Assignment 4 (pg 60)
Choose one of the reading selections from chapter 7 (Two Ways to Belong to America, A
Blizzard Under Blue Sky, Arrival: 1960, Let It Snow, Just Another Soldier, Why I Hunt,
or Mother Tongue.) After reading the piece carefully, answer all questions on pg 60 for
your chosen selection.
Observation writing analysis
Assignment 5 (pg 117)
Choose one of the reading selections from chapter 8 (The First Descent of the Grand
Canyon, Photographs of Japanese-Americans at Manzanar, A Small Place, Low Wages
Strong Backs or The Travelogue of an Astronomer.) After reading the piece carefully,
answer all questions on pg 117 for your chosen selection.
Rhetorical Analysis
First Drafts and Peer Reviews
Rhetorical Analysis of a Political Cartoon First Draft
Assignment 3
Using your political cartoon invention work (assignment 1A) write a 2 page rhetorical
analysis of your chosen cartoon. Your analysis should do the following:
 briefly describe the cartoon (include the author, date, and publication with the
actual description)
 discuss the context (intended audience, purpose, background, etc..) of the cartoon



discuss the point (argument) of the cartoon
discuss the rhetorical strategies (use of color, image, word, exaggeration,
character, angle, etc..) used by the illustrator to make the point
evaluate the effectiveness of the cartoon in reaching its audience with its message
Be sure you have a thesis statement, well developed main points, and proper MLA
format.
Peer Review Rhetorical Analysis of a Political Cartoon
Assignment 3
Respond to two of your peers first drafts by answering the questions on pg 31 of your text
(all bulleted questions AND #1 and #2 at the bottom of the page). Include any other
comments you think would be useful for the writer.
Summary Strong Response First Draft
Assignment 6
Choose a written text (or use one assigned by your instructor). Write a 3-4 page
summary strong response essay for your chosen text. Your essay should do the
following:
 summarize the text objectively (include the author and title of the text early in the
summary)
 respond to the subject matter (ideas) of the text (see “Planning Guide SSR”)
 respond to the rhetorical strategies of the text (see “Planning Guide SSR”)
Be sure you have a thesis statement, well developed main points, and proper MLA
format.
Peer Review Summary Strong Response First Draft
Assignment 6
Respond to two of your peers first drafts by answering the questions on pg 31 of your text
(all bulleted questions AND #1 and #2 at the bottom of the page). Also respond to these
questions:
 Does the paper have an interesting title?
 Is the summary objective, concise yet thorough, and rhetorically appropriate?
What improvements could be made here?
 Did the writer include response to the rhetorical strategies or just response to the
ideas? What other ideas could the writer use in response to the rhetorical
strategies?

Rhetorical Analysis
Culminating Assignment
Final Rhetorical Analysis
Assignment 7
Based on your self evaluation, your peer reviews, and your instructor feedback, revise
your summary strong response essay into a final draft. Submit your final draft along with
the self-evaluation.
Self Evaluation
Assignment 7
Evaluate your summary strong response essay according to the following criteria.
detailed and specific as possible.
Be as
1. Understanding Reader Expectations



The need for unity and coherence
The need for old information before new information
The need for forecasting and fulfillment.
How well does your paper exhibit unity and coherence? How could it be improved?
At the structural level, do you present old information before new? How could this be
done more effectively?
Do you forecast the structure of your paper (the order of the points) early in the paper?
Do you follow this structure throughout the paper? Can readers predict where your paper
is going? How could you improve in this area?
2. Thesis
What is the thesis statement of my paper?
Is the thesis surprising, risky, and interesting?
Does it take a stand?
Does my paper develop the thesis and have a clear purpose? Or does it tend to be a “data
dump” or an “Engfish” paper?
3. Planning and Visualizing Your Structure
In the space below, make an outline of the structure of your paper as it exists.
Now, evaluate that structure and consider whether the paper would be more effective if
the structure were changed in some way. Write a new outline below (or comment that
you find your original structure most effective and why)
4. Titles and Introductions
What is the title of your essay? (If you don’t have one, refer to chapter 11 to help you
brainstorm a good title.)
Describe the introduction of your paper. What content are you focusing on? How does
the introduction “flow” in its ideas?
Does your introduction contain the following elements? Does it need the following
elements in this situation? Which of these could you use (and how) in your introduction?
 An opening attention-grabber
 An explanation of the question to be investigated
 Background information
 A preview of the whole
5. Points and Particulars
What are the main points in your paper? List them here.
How is each point supported by particulars? (list the type of particulars used for each
point)
How could you further develop your paper through the use of more (or different) points
and particulars?
6. Transitions
How effective are the transitions in your paper?
7. Conclusions
Describe the conclusion of your paper? What content does it contain? What is your
purpose in your conclusion?
What is the main idea you want to leave your readers with after they walk away from
your paper? Is this idea evident in your conclusion?
Would it be useful for you to follow one of the six models for conclusions on pgs 358359? If so, which one, and why?
8. Document Design
Does your document deign match the genre expectations of your audience? Why or why
not?
Does your document design create favorable ethos for you as a writer? Why or why not?
Does your document design help in creating clarity for the reader? Does your document
design support your content?
Pulling It All Together
After doing this self evaluation, what revisions do you plan to make to your paper?
What have you learned about writing as a result of this self evaluation?
What have you learned about yourself as a writer as a result of this self evaluation?
Exploratory Research
Participation Assignments
Library Tutorial and Topics
Assignment 8
Go to http://libweb.slcc.edu/index/tutorials and view all 4 EBSCO tutorials under the
“General” category. (Tutorials are approximately 3 minutes each.)When you have
completed the tutorials write down 5 things you learned about online library research and
also 5 topics you are interested in researching and writing about for the remainder of the
semester.
Research Planning Guide
Assignment 9 (pg 557)
Once you have selected your topic, answer the questions on pg 557 for your topic. You
may wish to converse with your group about the topic as a way to brainstorm ideas for
this assignment.
Conducting an Observation
Assignment 10
(pg 111)
With your research group make a visit (you can go individually or separately) to the same
place or event, such as a museum, a parade, a festival, a political rally, or an on campus
event. (If it is possible to find a place or event that connects to your topic, you should
choose a related event. For example, if your topic is Uganda’s invisible children and the
SLCC campus happens to be showing the film Invisible Children followed by a
discussion, you could attend that event. However, if it is not possible to find something
related to your topic, then you may choose anything you’d like.) I suggest viewing the
SLCC homepage or a local newspaper for possible events/places to attend. Once you
have attended the event/place, write and post a 1 page synopsis of your visit. Then, read
the synopses of the other group members and write a paragraph that summarizes the
different perspectives your observations provide and that discusses what an audience can
learn by reading multiple accounts of the same experience.
Informative Writing Analysis
Assignment 11 (pg 176)
Choose one of the reading selections from chapter 9 (Russell Simmons, How Do I Love
Thee, Writing: A Ticket to Work…Or A Ticket Out, Building a Shelter or View Lava
Safely.) After reading the piece carefully, answer all questions on pg 176 for your
chosen selection.
Weekly Research Journal
Assignment 12
For each week that has a weekly research journal assignment, you need to complete a
research journal entry for that week. Each research journal entry consists of 2 annotated
bibliography entries Your annotated bibliography entries must come from scholarly
sources (such as those found in the SLCC online library databases) and should include
the following information: citation of the source, one paragraph summary of the source,
one paragraph reflection about the source.
Visual and Verbal Concepts
Assignment 13 (pg 661)
Find a magazine article, a book chapter, a web site, or another source about your topic
that contains several pictures. Complete the “Write Now” activity on pg 661 for that
source.
Exploratory Research
First Drafts and Peer Reviews
Choose either the report OR the exploratory essay for assignment 14. Remember that
assignment 14 is intended to be the research foundation for your argument paper and
genre translation.
Report First Draft
Assignment 14
About Informative Writing:
Use pages 204-229 of your text to plan and draft your report.
The Assignment:
Choose a question, problem, or issue that genuinely perplexes you. Choose a particular
audience who would be interested in your topic and draft a 4-6 page report that informs
your audience about your topic. You must use at least 5 sources and include a works
cited page.
Exploratory Essay First Draft
Assignment 14
About Exploratory Writing:
Most academic writers testify that writing projects begin when they become engaged with
a question or problem and commit themselves to an extensive period of exploration.
Asking questions invites you to contemplate multiple perspectives, entertain new ideas,
and let your thinking evolve. This process of questioning, exploring, searching, and
reflecting is what the exploratory essay is all about. The essential move of an exploratory
essay is to consider multiple solutions to a problem or multiple points of view on an
issue. You want to wallow in complexity, then wallow in complexity some more.
The Assignment:
Choose a question, problem, or issue that genuinely perplexes you. At the beginning of
your exploratory essay, explain why you are interested in this chosen problem and why
you have been unable to reach a satisfactory answer. Then write a first-person,
chronologically organized, narrative account of your thinking process as you investigate
your question through library research, talking with others, and doing your own reflective
thinking. You may also interview people, and, if appropriate, draw on your own personal
experiences, memories, and observations. Your goal is to examine your question,
problem, or issue from a variety of perspectives, assessing the strengths and weaknesses
of different positions and points of view. By the end of your essay, you may or may not
have reached a satisfactory solution to your problem. In other words, your goal is not to
answer your question (necessarily) but to report on the process of wrestling with it.
Suggested Structure:
 Starting point: Describe your initial problem, why you are interested in it, why it
is problematic, why it is worth pursuing.
 Body: Provide a chronological narration of your thinking and researching
process. Discuss specifically the inputs (sources, conversations, interviews,
observations, etc..) of new information, analyzing and reflecting on each.
 Ending point: Sum up where you stand at the point when the paper is due, how
much your thinking about the issue has changed, whether or not you have reached
a satisfactory solution. You may also wish to project into the argument essay and
discuss what type of argument you might make about the issue.
Your essay should be 4-6 pages long, should use at least 5 sources, and should include a
works cited page.
Peer Review Report or Exploratory Essay
Assignment 14
Respond to two of your peers first drafts by answering the questions on pg 31 of your text
(all bulleted questions AND #1 and #2 at the bottom of the page). Include any other
comments you think would be useful for the writer.
Exploratory Research
Culminating Assignment
Final Report or Exploratory Essay
Assignment 15
Based on your peer reviews and your instructor feedback, revise your report or
exploratory essay into a final draft. Submit your final draft along with the self reflective
essay (below) as ONE post.
Self Reflective Essay
Assignment 15
The self reflective essay is a key component of assignment 15. Think of it as the thread
of thinking that under girds all your other writing. It is your opportunity to explicitly
express and explain your learning and your decision making in your writing. Imagine the
self reflective essay as a one on one conversation with me, during which you are
explaining your writing and your learning to me. Please address the following questions
either in essay or in question/answer format:
1. What have you learned about research?
2. How would you describe your methods/process of research? (To help you answer
this question, think about how you would plan and approach research in the
future.)
3. What have you learned about yourself as a writer?
4. How would you describe your writing process?
5. What audience did you choose for your report/exploratory essay? Why? How
did you try to connect to that audience?
6. How did you develop your ideas in your report/exploratory essay?
7. Address anything else you’d like me to know.
Argument
Participation Assignments
Weekly Research Journal
Assignment 12
For each week that has a weekly research journal assignment, you need to complete a
research journal entry for that week. Each research journal entry consists of 2 annotated
bibliography entries Your annotated bibliography entries must come from scholarly
sources (such as those found in the SLCC online library databases) and should include
the following information: citation of the source, one paragraph summary of the source,
one paragraph reflection about the source.
Thesis Statements
Assignment 16 (pg 466)
Using pages 466-467 come up with a possible thesis statement for your argument paper.
Write your thesis statement along with an idea map showing your ideas for supporting
your thesis.
Multiple Perspective Free Writes
Assignment 17
Read the thesis statements of each member of your research group. For each person,
write a free write that supports the thesis statement and a free write that opposes the
thesis statement. (Each free write should be a minimum of ½ page). Then, read the free
writes written by your group members about your thesis. Use this exercise to think
through additional supports for your thesis and to think through oppositions to your thesis
statement.
Argument
First Drafts and Peer Reviews
Argument Paper First Draft
Assignment 18
Write a persuasive argument paper based on either chapter 13 (see pgs 466-483) or
chapter 14 (pgs 528-545). Your argument paper should be 4-6 pages long, include at
least 5 sources, and a works cited page.
Be sure you have a thesis statement, well developed main points, and proper MLA
format.
Peer Review Argument Paper
Assignment 18
Respond to two of your peers first drafts by answering the questions on pg 31 of your text
(all bulleted questions AND #1 and #2 at the bottom of the page). Include any other
comments you think would be useful for the writer.
Genre Translation First Draft
Assignment 19
Once you have completed your argument paper, you will choose a specific audience
within the conversation of your issue, and will write to that audience in a different genre.
You might select to write a popular article, such as a letter to an editor of the campus
newspaper, a blog on a Website, or a newspaper column such as Newsweek’s “My Turn”.
The point is to consider the rhetorical situation of your issue and choose an audience
within that issue, then choose a genre that would most effectively achieve your purposes
with that audience.
Peer Review Genre Translation
Assignment 19
Respond to two of your peers first drafts by answering the questions on pg 31 of your text
(all bulleted questions AND #1 and #2 at the bottom of the page). Include any other
comments you think would be useful for the writer.
Help! I need an example!
For example, if your issue is “Raising awareness about Uganda’s ‘invisible children’ (see
www.invisiblechildren.com ) , you might approach the topic this way: First you will
research the topic (the war in Uganda, the kidnapping of children to be forced into
armies, the nightly flight of children to the cities to avoid kidnapping, what America
has—and has not—done in regards to the issue, etc…) Then you would write your
argument paper about that topic (perhaps with a purpose and a thesis that America needs
to get involved in the issue somehow—you’d be specific here—to stop the kidnapping of
Ugandan children.) Then, for your genre translation, you might write a letter to a
legislator urging him/her to get involved in the issue; or you might write a letter to high
school students urging them to get involved with the American youth movement that
supports the Invisible children in Uganda; or you might participate in the official
Invisible Children blog.
Argument
Culminating Assignment
Final Argument Paper
Assignment 20
Based on your peer reviews and your instructor feedback, revise your argument paper
into a final draft. Submit your final draft along with the final draft genre translation, and
self reflective essay.
Final Genre Translation
Assignment 20
Based on your peer reviews and your instructor feedback, revise your genre translation
into a final draft. Submit your final draft along with the final draft argument paper and
self reflective essay.
Self Reflective Essay
Assignment 20
The self reflective essay is a key component of assignment 20. Think of it as the thread
of thinking that under girds all your other writing. It is your opportunity to explicitly
express and explain your learning and your decision making in your writing. Imagine the
self reflective essay as a one on one conversation with me, during which you are
explaining your writing and your learning to me. Please address the following questions
either in essay or in question/answer format:
1. Describe your writing process for both the argument paper and your genre
translation. Look back at the process work you did and trace your thinking about
your topic and about your writing.
2. Describe the rhetorical situation as you see it for both your argument paper and
your genre translation. Be sure to discuss both audience and purpose for both
documents.
3. Describe the revisions you made in your argument paper and your genre
translation, and discuss why you made those revisions.
4. What did you learn about research and about writing during this module of
assignments?
5. Share anything else you’d like me to know about your experience with the final
learning module.
Planning Guide
Summary Strong Response
Summary
Umbrella Statement:
Main Points:
Response to Subject Matter
Which of the author’s points do you agree with?
Which of the author’s points do you disagree with?
What new insights has the text given you?
What gaps or omissions do you see in the text?
What questions or problems does the text raise for you?
How has it troubled you or expanded your views?
In what contexts can you see the usefulness of the text?
Response to Rhetorical Strategies
What is the author purpose and audience in this text?
What is the genre of the text? How might this genre be
effective for certain audiences but not others?
Describe the author’s style and how that style impacts the
audience.
Describe the author’s use of evidence and how that use
of evidence impacts the audience.
Discuss the text’s appeal to logos.
Discuss the text’s appeal to pathos.
Discuss the text’s appeal to ethos.
Describe the author’s angle of vision.
Possible thesis statement:
Possible outline of main points in the strong response: