The Assignment: This assignment is designed to further student understanding of rhetorical devices...
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Transcript of The Assignment: This assignment is designed to further student understanding of rhetorical devices...
The Assignment:
• This assignment is designed to further student understanding of rhetorical devices and author’s style used in authentic settings and to have students look at arguments and draw their own conclusions.
• Students will read and analyze editorials written by a syndicated columnist and using that text for analysis.
EDITORIALS
• Go to the Opinion section of The Miami Herald and click on Columnist and chose one you like.
• Go to Opinion section of The New York Times and click on Columnist and chose one you like.
• Go to Opinion section of The USA Today and click on Columnist and chose one you like.
On a sheet of paper write . . .
• The persons name • The newspaper they are columnist for• Why you chose him or her?
The Method:
• Select one syndicated columnist. The following are suggested sources:
• Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel (local newspapers)The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today (national newspapers)The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Time, or Newsweek (magazines)
• Your columnist can be any kind (political, humor, sports, etc.), except an advice columnist whose columns are put together in letter and response form.
• Read many (at least ten) of the columnist’s editorials so you know his or
her beat, looking for patterns in rhetorical strategies and style.
• Make hard copies of three columns and annotate them heavily—including questions, comments, definitions, rhetorical devices, connections, or other.
Basic Rhetorical Analysis Questions(Annotation Guide)
• What is the thesis, what is the overall argument the author presents?
• What is the writer’s purpose? To inform? To persuade? To criticize?
• Who is the author’s intended audience?
• How does the writer organize his or her ideas? Chronologically? Other? Why?
• How does the writer use diction? (Word choice, arrangement, accuracy, is it formal, informal? Technical versus slang?) Why?*
• Does the writer use dialogue? Quotations? Why?*
• What rhetorical devices are used? Why? *• Is there evidence of problems with the
authors argument? What would the opposition say about his or her argument that
would weaken it? *• What is the sentence structure (syntax) of
text? Are there fragments, run-ons? Is it declarative, imperative, and exclamatory?
What effect does this have?*• Does the writer use punctuation to create
an effect? Italics, underlining, parentheses? Which marks does the writer use, and when?
What is the effect?*• What is the author's tone and voice? Identify
tone and voice. *• Personal Connection to the column or topic
– Questions– Comments
* Style Questions
Due: Monday, January 6, 2013