ENGL 1302: Jan. 22, 2014

1. ENGL 1302: Jan. 22, 2014 Review of RHETORIC – meaning and history Overview of our PROCESS Thinking about TOPICS Learning to read CRITICALLY and SYNTHESZING SOURCES

2. Logistics • Raider Writer • Books • BA 1 • Syllabus • Participation Sheet*

3. Review of Rhetoric • Where have you heard the word before? • Is it “good” or “bad”? • Where is it relevant besides in ____________? • Very brief history of rhetoric • Plato, Aristotle • Cicero • Middle/Medieval Ages – the Trivium (logic, rhetoric, arithmetic) • 20th Century – Burke, Pearlman, others • Define it – one or two sentences*

4. Ethos, Pathos, Logos • …versus the rhetorical triangle

5. Versus rhetorical devices?

6. From 1301 to 1302 = • … Going from analyzing other people’s rhetoric (arguments) to composing your own rhetoric (argument) • 1301 – rhetorical analysis • 1302 – literature review and then write a researched-argument

7. The Process… (it’s iterative) • 1) Choose topic • 2) Do background research to narrow topic • 3) Begin collecting and annotating sources • 4s) Synthesize (not summarize) sources to discuss common themes/the state of the discussion concerning your topic – this is the Lit Review (1st major paper, will have 2 drafts) – should be as objective as possible • 5) …then comes your argument – build on lit. review to make an argument based on the available literature (this is not an opinion piece, meaning your claims should all be based on cited evidence)

8. Selecting Topics • Picking a topic • Not too broad, not too cliché, should be interested in it, timely/relevant • Would “The civil war in Syria” be an acceptable topic? • This is also an iterative process, meaning it’s NOT chronological • Let’s talk topics – ideas and feedback from class/me • Groups of 4 (10-15 minutes)*

9. Reading Critically • Page 226-233 • Birkert’ “Into the Electronic Millennium” • Note/underline/highlight any: • claims • ideas • or passages you find interesting • Also, keep in mind as you read • the rhetorical triangle (audience, purpose, context) • Rhetorical appeals the author employs (logos, ethos, pathos) • Rhetorical devices the author uses

10. 2-3 sentences for each(homework if we don’t have time) • In the argument the author makes, what is his major claim? What is he arguing for, or against? • What, if any, rhetorical devices does he use? What kind of rhetorical appeal does he most rely on (logos, ethos, or pathos)? • Do you agree with his argument? Why or why not?

11. Synthesizing Themes • What is a theme in a text? • 2 types: • Content themes • Examples in Birkerts’ article – technology, literacy, societal change, individualism,etc • Structural themes • Birkerts’: tone (critical), weighted use of rhetorical appeals (fairly balanced use of ethos and pathos, not so much logos), genre (popular essay) • Tones can also be angry, sad, lamenting, optimistic, etc. • Rhetorical distribution (of appeals) varies by author/work • Genre also varies depending on its purpose, audience, and where it’s published

12. BA 2 – Due Mon. Feb. 3rd • Description: This assignment will help you prepare for your initial draft of the literature review. To complete this assignment, you will need to write a thesis-driven synthesis of three articles. In other words you will want to identify a common theme or idea that you see running through all of the articles and focus on how each article develops or contributes to the theme. • - Sven Birkerts: "Into the Electronic Millennium" pp. 226-233- Stephen Budiansky: "Lost in Translation" pp. 238-244- Tina Rosenberg: "Everyone Speaks Text Message" pp. 267-271 • Create a working thesis statement based on one common theme or idea that runs through all three articles (a statement that will tie all three articles together in some way). There will be several possible common themes or ideas for you to choose from. Pick the one that you can develop in the most detail.  • Then, write an essay which summarizes and synthesizes these articles. In other words, describe the common theme, explain how each author develops the common theme, and then explain how each article relates to the others. What are their similarities and differences? Why are these similarities and differences important to the theme which you are examining? • Length: 400 - 600 words Format: MLA style for internal citations and works cited.

13. Last slide… • Writing a thesis statement for BA 2 • Include: • authors’ last names to identify which articles you are citing (which will reference your Works Cited entry at the end of the document) • The common theme between the three articles that you will discuss in the essay. • Hypothetical examples: • In each of Hill’s. Jamison’s, and Smith’s articles, a prevalent theme—the importance of lifelong education—runs throughout. (content theme) • In each of their articles, the three authors—Johnson, Barry, and Francis—employ hyperbole very often throughout their respective arguments. (structural theme) • *** In BA 2, you only need to identify and discuss 1 theme (can be content theme or structural theme, and you don’t have to refer to those titles in your assignment) *** • Summarizing versus synthesizing • You’ll do both in BA 2, but synthesizing is more important • 3 parts: thesis, essay, Works Cited list