Projects and Definitions....

Rhetorical Knowledge

·         Focus on a purpose:        

DEFINE:

Focusing on a purpose means having a point or a reason and sticking to it throughout your essay. 

EXPLAIN:

For example, in my first argument essay, my purpose was to convince people to eat squab, or pigeon, to eliminate the food shortage in America.  As my thesis I wrote, “………. …………………….” and this purpose is evident in my second paragraph when I state that “squab is a French delicacy, so Americans should not be squeamish about eating it.”  In my fourth paragraph I wrote, “Squab is healthy, full of protein, and has a great flavor.”  Lastly, in my conclusion I wrote, “As you can see, Squab is a healthy, low-cost choice to eliminate the food shortage.”  Since I stayed on my point or reason for writing in all my paragraphs, it is clear that I can focus on a purpose.

·         Respond to the needs of different audiences

DEFINE:  Change the tone and direction of your writing for specific groups of readers.

EXPLAIN:

·         Respond appropriately to different kinds of rhetorical situations

               There are different types of writing we have to do.  E-mail, arguments, and etc.  We should write what others are expecting us to write based on the situation.

    Use conventions of format and structure appropriate to the rhetorical situation

            Your paper needs to look the way it should look.  So should your e-mail.  Your text message.  Your resume. 

    Adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality

Each assignment calls for different choices based upon the audience.  The words, the structure, the personality all vary based on the rhetorical situation.

Write in several genres

Be able to write narrative, expository, classification, argument, and all types of writing.

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

    Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.

Use a range of strategies to compose, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate writing.

    Understand a writing assignment as a series of tasks, including finding, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing appropriate primary and secondary sources

To write something you have to find evidence, think about that evidence, and bring it together in your essay.

    Integrate their own ideas with those of others

Taking information from others and using it in essays by paraphrasing or quoting to create your own things.

    Understand the relationships among language, knowledge, and power

If you have language, you can access knowledge, and with knowledge, you can gain power.

Processes

    Be aware that it usually takes multiple drafts to create and complete a successful text

When you write something, you have to do many versions before it is successful.

    Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading

Find ways to create ideas, fix mistakes, and locate typos.  Read aloud.

    Understand writing as an open process that permits writers to use later invention and re-thinking to revise their work

You’re allowed to go back and fix what you don’t like.  In fact, you should.

  Understand the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes

Writing isn’t something that you do alone.  It takes others to be successful.

    Learn to critique their own and others' works

Find ways to look at your writing and other writing critically.

 Learn to balance the advantages of relying on others with the responsibility of doing their part

Being able to use reliable data, but make sure it is accurate.  Read drafts together.

    Use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences

Use appropriate technology to provide info for multiple audience types.

Knowledge of Conventions

    Learn common formats for different kinds of texts

Narrative, poetic, informational, whatev, do it the right way so it looks right.

    Develop knowledge of genre conventions ranging from structure and paragraphing to tone and mechanics

Each genre has it’s own style based on the purpose.

    Practice appropriate means of documenting their work

Provide location of sources in MLA format.

    Control such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Don’t make grammar mistakes.  Be accurate and professional.