May 3, 2022 Lesson Plan

Modes and Rhetoric (30-45 min)

We have talked before about “genre,” specifically when talking about the white paper + non-fiction piece and how audiences expect at least some kinds of things to happen when you write those. For instance, in a white paper the rough expectations are:

  • sections
  • a review of research
  • citations of academic research
  • recommendations for action for decision makers toward the end
  • some images and document design features common in most professional reports

For your Campaign for Circulation, you will also choose from a variety of genres depending on your purpose.

Let’s pull up the prompt to revisit the sorts of texts you could have for your campaign.

You might choose a genre that your target audience(s) might typically use, or for the kind of place that genre of text would be at (e.g., you would use a flyer at, say, a street corner rather than handing out posters; or you might share a short video on social media rather than white paper PDF).

Another consideration besides type of text is the ways in which the text makes meaning:

  • Written words
  • Spoken words
  • Body gestures
  • Voice (e.g., intonation)
  • Sounds/audio
  • Images
  • Moving images
  • Digital things (e.g., on a screen) vs. print things (e.g., a piece of paper)

These choices might be choices that make your texts more or less appealing, more or less practical for a given situation, etc.

Let’s take a look at some examples to talk about the different ways of making meaning or “modes”:

Example 1: Why is 1.5 degrees such a big deal? | Kristen Bell + Giant Ant – YouTube

Example 2 (listen to audio): Biden’s New Climate Goal: How Fast Can Emissions Fall? : NPR

Example 3 (read article): Biden’s New Climate Goal: How Fast Can Emissions Fall? : NPR

Example 4: 350.org – Science (go to #4, “It’s Bad.”)

Example 5: The difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees warming | Infographic | Climate Council (scroll down for infographic)

 

Each of the above examples talk about the same general statistic and same general argument about climate: we can’t go past 1.5 degrees Celsius in warming without grave consequences.

But, what modes of meaning are used? And to what effect? For what audiences? Why?

Why are there differences? Why not just make the argument in 3 sentences of writing and be done?

Let’s do a quick poll of which one you like best and why.

  • What possibilities for meaning did the winner of the poll have that the others did not?
  • What about your own campaigns? What sorts of modes make sense for the kinds of places you’ll circulate texts and the kinds of audiences you are targeting? Or, how you may or may not want a mix of modes and why? What comes to mind?

 

Campaign for Circulation Schedule (15-20 min)

So, there is genre and mode to think about. Sometimes the form of something helps how you get that text somewhere, how you deliver it.

One other thing to think about is delivery. You explored this last week a bit.

Let’s try to apply the notion of “stickiness”, “mobility”, rhetorical velocity, genre, and mode to how you might plan how your texts are released and review the Schedule assignment due later this week.

For the Schedule assignment, work on one text and in our Discord text channel for today, post either one thing you are excited about or one thing you are stuck on for that text.

 

Plan from here until May 24 (15-20 min)

On Monday, I sent everyone an update on where they are with their course grade. Let’s go over the grading contract to see if there might be anything more you’d like to do. If you do, try to pick things you’d be most interested in doing in terms of your learning and interests. I’ve already heard from some people really invested in their Data-Driven Argument projects, so that is a place, for instance, to go. I think the Experiential-Learning Document option is also really valuable to take stock of what you learned and how you know you learned it, going forward with future goals, etc.

For the next 10 minutes or so, review the email I sent to you, review the grading contract, and come up with your plan for the rest of the semester from today until May 24 at 11:59pm which is the last day I’ll accept assignments.

 

Next Time (2-5 min)

-Make sure your Campaign for Circulation schedule is submitted by end of day on May 5.

-Campaign for Circulation project is due by end of day May 12.

-Think about the work you have to do for May 24 (at minimum, Final Reflection option of final assignment) and the work you’d like to do beyond that, if any.