Lesson Plans and Materials
Here are two lesson plans with the relevant teaching materials I use in my ENG 1510 class. Sample Lesson Plan 1 covers the class in which I introduce rhetorical analysis to my students. To prepare for this session, students are expected to have read “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bolin Carroll. My goal with this lesson plan is to demonstrate that the techniques of rhetorical analysis are not just applicable in an academic context, but that an understanding of rhetoric, the power of persuasion, and rhetorical analysis, which leads to a deeper understanding why texts have a certain impact on the reader, are generally useful. Therefore, the texts discussed in this session were current at the time of teaching and perceived by a wide audience. This created a natural link between theory and praxis. Sample Lesson Plan 2 is the beginning of the discussion of genre in class. This lesson plan is designed to show my students how intimately familiar they already are with the concept of genre. This session is perfectly suited to provide some variety between theory heavy classes. The class is mainly driven by student activities, which have proved to be fun and give students valuable insights at the same time in the past. The PowerPoint presentation introduces the concept that genres are susceptible to change, a fact many students are not familiar with. |
Sample Lesson Plan 1: Introduction of Rhetorical Analysis in ENG 1510
Prerequisites: students have read “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bolin Carroll
Goals:
Students should understand the concept of rhetoric – rhetoric is there to persuade and effective rhetoric will lead to certain results. Every form of communication is rhetorical.
Students should understand how the elements of a rhetorical situation (exigence, audience, constraints – and purpose) work. Students should be able to identify the rhetorical situation in a given text
Students should understand the principles behind the concepts of the elements of the argument (logos, ethos, pathos) – and how they can be applied
Activities:
5 minutes: quiz on Carroll (to check if students have done the reading and understood it, not just copied out information for their IWA); take attendance during the quiz.
8-10 minutes: class discussion. What is rhetoric? (Some of my students are still convinced that rhetoric is ‘puffed up words’) What is rhetorical analysis? Introduction – demonstrate how we analyze all the time, starting with the clothes people wear. Why do students wear Bobcat t-shirts? What does it mean to wear a Miami t-shirt in Athens?
What are the elements of a rhetorical situation (exigence, audience, constraints) – tie in with communication theory (construction on part of the sender of a message and on part of the receiver) introduced in earlier classes.
3 minutes: show excerpt on Obama’s speech on ISIS (0.00 – 3.28) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIWGoNZnaU
10 minutes: pair exercise: divide class into pairs. Students are asked to identify exigence, audience, constraints and purpose of the speech and present findings to class.
5 minutes: class discussion – why do we need rhetoric. What does an argument entail? (Logos, pathos, ethos)
5 minutes: show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdYdUp3UxMo – Russel Brand does rhetorical analysis of Bill O’Reilly in his Trews youtube feed, but it is also flawed enough to provide good material for discussion.
15 minutes: group exercise.
Divide class into two groups. Each group must have a scribe taking notes and a speaker.
7 minutes: Ask the first to analyze Bill O’Reilly and the second one Russell Brand. The first group focuses on Russell Brand – how does he use ethos, pathos and logos effectively? Where are the weaknesses in Bill O’Reilly’s use of the rhetorical appeals. The second group does the same for Bill O’Reilly.
8 minutes: Debate. There are four rounds of debate, each timed at 2 minutes. The group speakers make an argument for their perspective – and reply to the second group in the second round.
Materials: Youtube, Carroll text
Homework: Read Tools for Rhetorical Analysis and CRAP article; ask students to print out and bring the Rhetorical Tools Analysis sheet
Prerequisites: students have read “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bolin Carroll
Goals:
Students should understand the concept of rhetoric – rhetoric is there to persuade and effective rhetoric will lead to certain results. Every form of communication is rhetorical.
Students should understand how the elements of a rhetorical situation (exigence, audience, constraints – and purpose) work. Students should be able to identify the rhetorical situation in a given text
Students should understand the principles behind the concepts of the elements of the argument (logos, ethos, pathos) – and how they can be applied
Activities:
5 minutes: quiz on Carroll (to check if students have done the reading and understood it, not just copied out information for their IWA); take attendance during the quiz.
8-10 minutes: class discussion. What is rhetoric? (Some of my students are still convinced that rhetoric is ‘puffed up words’) What is rhetorical analysis? Introduction – demonstrate how we analyze all the time, starting with the clothes people wear. Why do students wear Bobcat t-shirts? What does it mean to wear a Miami t-shirt in Athens?
What are the elements of a rhetorical situation (exigence, audience, constraints) – tie in with communication theory (construction on part of the sender of a message and on part of the receiver) introduced in earlier classes.
3 minutes: show excerpt on Obama’s speech on ISIS (0.00 – 3.28) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIWGoNZnaU
10 minutes: pair exercise: divide class into pairs. Students are asked to identify exigence, audience, constraints and purpose of the speech and present findings to class.
5 minutes: class discussion – why do we need rhetoric. What does an argument entail? (Logos, pathos, ethos)
5 minutes: show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdYdUp3UxMo – Russel Brand does rhetorical analysis of Bill O’Reilly in his Trews youtube feed, but it is also flawed enough to provide good material for discussion.
15 minutes: group exercise.
Divide class into two groups. Each group must have a scribe taking notes and a speaker.
7 minutes: Ask the first to analyze Bill O’Reilly and the second one Russell Brand. The first group focuses on Russell Brand – how does he use ethos, pathos and logos effectively? Where are the weaknesses in Bill O’Reilly’s use of the rhetorical appeals. The second group does the same for Bill O’Reilly.
8 minutes: Debate. There are four rounds of debate, each timed at 2 minutes. The group speakers make an argument for their perspective – and reply to the second group in the second round.
Materials: Youtube, Carroll text
Homework: Read Tools for Rhetorical Analysis and CRAP article; ask students to print out and bring the Rhetorical Tools Analysis sheet
Sample Lesson Plan 2: The Discussion of Genre in ENG 1510
Objectives and Goals:
Students should understand that they are exposed to genres and genre conventions all the time and that they already have a basic, instinctive understanding how genre conventions work.
Students should understand the advantages (people are familiar with genre conventions) and the limitations of genres.
Students should be able to apply basic genre analysis to their first text of Project 2
Activities:
2 minutes: take attendance, Q&A
10 minutes: introduction of genre and genre conventions. Ask students how they would define genre. Watch Key and Peele ‘Alien Imposters’ clip. Discuss why they think genres are effective. What makes the easily recognizable? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWO1pkHgrBM
35 minutes: pair exercise ‘Pitch your Project’ to demonstrate how intimately familiar students are with genres and genre conventions:
Hand out 20 index cards. 10 red index cards with genre specific prompt and 10 green index cards with genre modifiers (for example COUNTRY SONG [genre] and ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE [genre modifier]). This is a perfect opportunity to bring a new dynamic into the classroom by pairing up students who do not usually work together. (Students are asked to bring their laptop or tablet to class should they need to check genre convention on the Internet).
Ask the pairs of students to come up with a synopsis of a project, such as a movie, a concept album or a music video. When the students are finished, ask them to ‘pitch’ their project to a group of producers (their classmates). In their pitch, students are not allowed to use the genre prompts they received earlier.
Ask the ‘producers’ to identify the genre prompts and to voice their opinion whether they think the project has a chance of success. This serves two purposes. First, it will demonstrate how intimately students are with genres. Even if a pair of students uses a genre they are not at first glance familiar with and they have to research (such as ‘tear jerker’) – chances are very slim that there is not a single student who will not recognize a specific genre. Even if that is the case, this can lead to a discussion how genres are linked to certain audiences (rhetorical situation – constraints).
8 minutes: class discussion. ‘From Dracula to Twilight’ – now, that the students understand that they are constantly exposed to genres and intimately familiar with genre conventions, use Powerpoint slide-show of the popular genre of vampire movies to demonstrate how genres change over time. Show that genres do not exist in a vacuum and that certain cultural environments can influence the development (Blackula as an example of blacksploitation from the 1970ies or Amish Vampires in Space as an example how satire plays with genre conventions).
Materials: Powerpoint, Youtube, article by Dirk
Objectives and Goals:
Students should understand that they are exposed to genres and genre conventions all the time and that they already have a basic, instinctive understanding how genre conventions work.
Students should understand the advantages (people are familiar with genre conventions) and the limitations of genres.
Students should be able to apply basic genre analysis to their first text of Project 2
Activities:
2 minutes: take attendance, Q&A
10 minutes: introduction of genre and genre conventions. Ask students how they would define genre. Watch Key and Peele ‘Alien Imposters’ clip. Discuss why they think genres are effective. What makes the easily recognizable? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWO1pkHgrBM
35 minutes: pair exercise ‘Pitch your Project’ to demonstrate how intimately familiar students are with genres and genre conventions:
Hand out 20 index cards. 10 red index cards with genre specific prompt and 10 green index cards with genre modifiers (for example COUNTRY SONG [genre] and ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE [genre modifier]). This is a perfect opportunity to bring a new dynamic into the classroom by pairing up students who do not usually work together. (Students are asked to bring their laptop or tablet to class should they need to check genre convention on the Internet).
Ask the pairs of students to come up with a synopsis of a project, such as a movie, a concept album or a music video. When the students are finished, ask them to ‘pitch’ their project to a group of producers (their classmates). In their pitch, students are not allowed to use the genre prompts they received earlier.
Ask the ‘producers’ to identify the genre prompts and to voice their opinion whether they think the project has a chance of success. This serves two purposes. First, it will demonstrate how intimately students are with genres. Even if a pair of students uses a genre they are not at first glance familiar with and they have to research (such as ‘tear jerker’) – chances are very slim that there is not a single student who will not recognize a specific genre. Even if that is the case, this can lead to a discussion how genres are linked to certain audiences (rhetorical situation – constraints).
8 minutes: class discussion. ‘From Dracula to Twilight’ – now, that the students understand that they are constantly exposed to genres and intimately familiar with genre conventions, use Powerpoint slide-show of the popular genre of vampire movies to demonstrate how genres change over time. Show that genres do not exist in a vacuum and that certain cultural environments can influence the development (Blackula as an example of blacksploitation from the 1970ies or Amish Vampires in Space as an example how satire plays with genre conventions).
Materials: Powerpoint, Youtube, article by Dirk