High School English: Language, Media, and Rhetoric

Students will learn how to evaluate persuasive arguments and speech in the historical and contemporary world of writing, advertising, and multi-media communications. They will examine speeches, texts, and other types of arugments from the 20th century to our present time. They'll understand how to analyze advertising, understand how social media affects how we speak, write, and act, and also learn how to write in a way that is intelligent and persuasive. 

We'll examine examples of effective writing from both professionals and students, understanding how to approach writing as process in a real rhetorical situation in which students write for an audience, not merely for the teacher an academic performance. To practice authentic writing, students will work on an online literary journal, composing reviews on the rhetorical strategies of different texts and media, including popular culture analyses. To this end, students will watch the classic film, To Sir, With Love, and write a film review for our class blog, with the option of also writing upon a film of their choice. Instead of grading, these exercises give students a chance to build a permanant  portfolio that shows their work in a substantive way.  

Unit 1 - The contemporary use of classical rhetoric (weeks 1-2): Students will learn about three main rhetorical appeals from classical rhetoric (ethos, pathos, and logos) and how they're used in both modern media and writing of all genres. They will also learn a method for evaluating the rhetorical situation for written visual texts, understanding how various appeals are crafted to suit specific audiences.   

Unit 2 - Fallacies of Argument and Advertising Techniques (week 3-4): Students will learn the various techniques used in the advertising of commercial goods and services, ultimately learning how to see through these tactics and be an intelligent consumer and communicator. They will identify fallacies such as bandwagon, slippery slope, and either/or arguments.   

Unit 3 - Political Speeches and Cartoons (week 5-6): Students will critically examine how leaders communicate through the media since the advent of radio, television, and the internet. They will analyze what rhetorical techniques and fallacies speakers have used to persuade the public. For this unit, students will watch the CNN program, Global Public Square, with host Fareed Zakaria, and come to class prepared to engage in a critical examination of the arguments presented by the host and his guests. 

Unit 4 -  Creating Authentic and Creatives Narratives (weeks 7-10): Taking what's been learning in the previous unit, students will move to study and practice how to craft compelling arguments, stories, and reviews, using both their subjective perspectives and a variety of primary and secondary sources. They'll continue to practice how to evalute sources for credibility and learn where to find authoritative primary and secondary sources. We'll make connections between our own live experiences and social and political history. 

Students should be prepared to participate during class, engaging in critical thinking about textual arguments and visuals. This means completing the reading and watching assignments during the week, taking notes, and coming to class prepared. The dynamics of our course, how much of the course is lecture, and how much is open forum discussion depend greatly on students' preparation. To make discussion possible, students should use a computer at a desk/table, not a cellphone or other portable device, and be in quiet space suitable for learning.

I would recommend this course to students in grades 10-12 who are motivated to work on critical thinking and developing their voice and credibility as a writer.