Genre (10 minutes)

Why was the first ransom letter most effective? (this question is actually NOT an endorsement of writing ransom letters–just need some legal cover here)

What from Dirk’s recommendations led you to believe this ransom letter was most effective? Name as many things from the article that supports your reasoning.

How many genres of writing can you think of?

What about genres not expressed in writing?

Go to text channel for today and list a bunch of genres you can think of.

 

Genre, Mode, and Medium (20 minutes)

For genres not expressed in writing, how were those genres expressed?

Modes are the way in which something is expressed. So, writing vs. speech, for example. Or an image, or video, or…what else?

Medium is the way in which text is delivered. Is a document delivered via email, via social media, speech through the phone rather than in person, or on printed paper through the mail or by hand delivery.

Let’s compare excerpts of the following to Nice White Parents.

Is it the same genre?

Is it the same medium?

Is it the same mode?

 

How about this clip?

Same genre?

Same medium?

Same mode?

 

Rhetorical Analysis Assignment

What genre was the essay you wrote? Did you know before you started? Was it difficult to write in terms of genre (or could more genre knowledge have helped?)?

 

Zooming in on Sound (20-30 minutes)

Let’s listen again to this short news piece on Memorial Day and a person that helps to preserve veterans’ tombstones. I have some questions I want you to consider as you listen.

 

Note every type of sound you hear. Why there? Why then? (Kairos).

How does language and sound effect work together?

How do the speakers speak? How fast or slow? How do they enunciate their words? Is there a difference in approach among speakers? What kinds of words do they choose to use? What kinds of sentences?

 

Here is a transcript of the first approximately 40 seconds of the report:

On this Memorial Day, many Americans are pausing to place flowers and flags at the tombstones of military veterans. But we now have the story of a man who has made restoring those tombstones his mission. Here’s Kathy Carter of member station USF in Tampa.

A towering oak tree, draped with Spanish moss, offers little relief from the Florida sun as Andrew Lumisch scrubs grime from the headstone of a World War I veteran.

What kinds of sentences are these? Why are they written the way they are do you think? What can a listener process vs. a reader? What affordances are there? What can you do when you read vs. when you hear? What changes as new speakers come into play?

Let’s hear it one more time.

What do you think?

 

Rhetorical Analysis Workshop (30 minutes)

Let’s look at one of your papers together and try to mark all the moments where:

-there’s a comment on *how* the construction/organization of the podcast episode(s) creates possible rhetorical effects or has an impact on an audience. Write “S” for structure (on area of paper or use highlight/sticky note to write “S”)

-there’s a moment of comment on other sorts of rhetorical effects (Write “ORA” for “other rhetorical analysis”)

 

ALSO:

-Mark at least one moment where you think there is room to revise something so there is more emphasis on the structure/organization of the podcast has rhetorical effects or rhetorical effects in general. (Write “RE” for revision)

After marking up the draft with those moments, spend a couple minutes thinking through how those moments add up to a larger argument about the structure of the podcast episode(s) and how it creates certain effects in listening to it in that way.

The paper we will look at is on Blackboard under “Course Documents.”

 

Revision Plan (10-15 minutes)

Let’s go over the Rhetorical Analysis revision prompt. Any questions about it?

Let’s also go over one of the assignments due for tonight, which is the Revision Plan. Let’s get started it on it in class, and before it is time to go, you will review your in-progress revision plan with a partner.

1. It’s about love!!!! Ask yourself: What do you love about this piece? What do you want to return to and work on more? Why? Choose “love” and not “well, this was bad” or “well, this was pretty good.” Instead, what did you enjoy working on most? What is the most exciting part of this text? Why? How do you build off of that? Or, what about this text, generally, interests you the most? There will always be moments where you’ll have to revise something you don’t want to ever look at again. Still, even for something you rather not look at again (which will happen to you), finding something that attracts you to it, something that can make it a positive experience, will both motivate you and also help you to identify its strength.
2. Let yourself be guided. How can you let that excitement and energy guide you? What enhances that energy? What takes away from that energy?
3. Hear out others (including yourself). Part of (but not ONLY) what should inform you is the feedback you have received previously: my comments on your draft, peer response feedback, your old notes as you were working on the draft, etc.
4. Task list. Begin to develop some tasks that can assist you in addressing the above. (e.g., revise this paragraph, move this section up earlier and adjust it so it fits, add this supporting argument, do this analysis and see where it takes me, do more research for secondary sources). Consider what YOU want to do with the piece and the comments you received from others (NOTE: let me know if you are having trouble with reading my comments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
5. Be specific. As you write out your tasks, you MUST be specific. Why are you doing this task? As in, what about your writing has led you to think you should do x to enhance the essay overall? How will you do this task? As in, what specifically do you have in mind as some potential changes that would work to address the “why” of the task you chose. For example: I will add more examples or secondary sources to support the claim I make in paragraph 4, I need to show a more cohesive transition between section 3 and 4, my argument is too broad so I need to be more specific about the limits of my argument when I make the main argument early on, I want to rework many sentences that are a little harder to read, etc.
6. Be a planner. Finally, begin to develop a schedule of when and how you will work on your revision. Revison (or any aspect of writing!) can benefit from work that is spread out rather than work that happens all at once (even if it is 2 writing sessions instead of 1, that is a worthy difference in approach to do something in two sessions rather than one session). A fresh mind is an asset. Backwards plan. “This is due 10/7, what do I need done by 10/5? By 10/3? By 10/1? Etc.”.
7. What are the constraints? Re-read the Rhetorical Analysis, Draft 2 + Cover Letter Guidelines. What is required for this assignment? Does your revision plan meet all of those requirements?

As you see in the Revision Plan assignment that is due tonight, what I expect from you is about 500 words on:

• As of September 30, a list of specific changes you intend to make (e.g., rewriting a paragraph, adding a new supporting argument, adding more specific evidence)
• Identify the 2 pieces of feedback that led to the above list of possible changes
• As of September 30, dentify how you will incorporate an analysis of sound in the above list
• Your rationale for some changes you want to make (not all the changes, but the “big” changes that shift the direction significantly from your second to first draft…I don’t need to know about fixing typos, for instance)
• Your schedule for working on your revision from today until October 7 and what you intend to have done related to your list of changes for each day
• REMEMBER: Plans can change! This is just to get started. You may not make all of these changes and there may be other changes you end up making instead.

Close out (2-5 minutes)

-Used some more concepts from rhetorical studies: genre, medium, and mode. This should help you for doing your revision as well as the general purpose from the rhetorical analysis assignment: understanding a range of moves to make in composing a podcast episode and what those moves can do. We also made time for our revision plans to get a systematic start on how you’ll approach revising your first draft of your rhetorical analysis.

-Do your labor assignments by end of Saturday!

-Next week we will finish listening to Nice White Parents and we will kick off the start of our research unit. See schedule and Labor Instructions for next week.