What is Rhetoric? Lesson 1

UNIT OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will understand how authors use language to advance an argument and achieve purpose. You will also use language to advance your own claims and analysis.

You will show you have met the unit goals by: Writing an analysis of how an author uses language to achieve a purpose in chosen text. Delivering a speech that uses language to advance your claims on a selected topic. Analyzing the language of a new text through multiple choice and written response. Say “Throughout this unit we will read texts that use language to achieve a purpose. At the end of the unit, you will be asked to select one of the texts and write an essay about how that text uses language to achieve a purpose. You will also research  a topic of your choosing and write a speech about that topic.  Finally, you will demonstrate your ability to analyze the language of a new text. To do this, we will need to study the specific choices authors make in order to achieve their purpose and advance their argument. We will read speeches, essays, and informational texts.”

TODAY WE WILL: Read and summarize an informational text. Determine the meaning of vocabulary words in context.

READING RESPONSE JOURNALS (RRJs) Everyone locate your composition notebook that was on the list of class supplies that was due today and label the front cover “Reading Response Journal.” Use a sticky note from your class supplies list to mark and label the back half of your composition notebook as your “Evidence Journal.”

What You Will Need Today “What is Rhetoric?” by Gideon Burton Vocabulary Log Yellow and Green Highlighters Reading Response Journals

Let’s Read Read along with me as I read the first section of “What is Rhetoric?” by Gideon Burton. AS WE READ: Ask yourself, “What are the most important parts of this section of the text?” REMEMBER TO FOLLOW ALONG!!

“What is Rhetoric?” by Gideon Burton Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing. And the art of persuasion. And many other things. In its long and vigorous history rhetoric has enjoyed many definitions, accommodated differing purposes, and varied widely in what it included. And yet, for most of its history it has maintained its fundamental character as a discipline for training students: 1) to perceive how language is at work orally and in writing, and 2) to become proficient in applying the resources of language in their own speaking and writing.

Discerning how language is working in others' or one's own writing and speaking, one must (artificially) divide form and content, what is being said and how this is said. Because rhetoric examines so attentively the how of language, the methods and means of communication, it has sometimes been discounted as something only concerned with style or appearances, and not with the quality or content of communication. For many (such as Plato) rhetoric deals with the superficial at best, the deceptive at worst ("mere rhetoric"), when one might better attend to matters of substance, truth, or reason as attempted in dialectic or philosophy or religion.

Rhetoric has sometimes lived down to its critics, but as set forth from antiquity, rhetoric was a comprehensive art just as much concerned with what one could say as how one might say it. Indeed, a basic premise for rhetoric is the indivisibility of means from meaning; how one says something conveys meaning as much as what one says. Rhetoric studies the effectiveness of language comprehensively, including its emotional impact (pathos) as much as its propositional content (logos). To see how language and thought worked together, however, it has first been necessary to artificially divide content and form.

Central Ideas and Supporting Details Central ideas are main ideas. They are what the reader should remember after studying the text. They are usually followed by details that provide support. Supporting details are specific pieces of information that support the central idea. They can provide explanations and/or examples of the central idea. BIG IDEA SUPPORTING DETAIL SUPPORTING DETAIL

Let’s Annotate! We are going to begin the annotation process by rereading the first section of this excerpt together. We will highlight the central ideas in yellow and the supporting details in green.

“What is Rhetoric?” by Gideon Burton Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing. And the art of persuasion. And many other things. In its long and vigorous history rhetoric has enjoyed many definitions, accommodated differing purposes, and varied widely in what it included. And yet, for most of its history it has maintained its fundamental character as a discipline for training students: 1) to perceive how language is at work orally and in writing, and 2) to become proficient in applying the resources of language in their own speaking and writing.

“What is Rhetoric?” by Gideon Burton Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing. And the art of persuasion. And many other things. In its long and vigorous history rhetoric has enjoyed many definitions, accommodated differing purposes, and varied widely in what it included. And yet, for most of its history it has maintained its fundamental character as a discipline for training students: 1) to perceive how language is at work orally and in writing, and 2) to become proficient in applying the resources of language in their own speaking and writing.

Try It with a Partner! Reread the next section with a neighbor and annotate using the same system.

Discerning how language is working in others' or one's own writing and speaking, one must (artificially) divide form and content, what is being said and how this is said. Because rhetoric examines so attentively the how of language, the methods and means of communication, it has sometimes been discounted as something only concerned with style or appearances, and not with the quality or content of communication. For many (such as Plato) rhetoric deals with the superficial at best, the deceptive at worst ("mere rhetoric"), when one might better attend to matters of substance, truth, or reason as attempted in dialectic or philosophy or religion.

Discerning how language is working in others' or one's own writing and speaking, one must (artificially) divide form and content, what is being said and how this is said. Because rhetoric examines so attentively the how of language, the methods and means of communication, it has sometimes been discounted as something only concerned with style or appearances, and not with the quality or content of communication. For many (such as Plato) rhetoric deals with the superficial at best, the deceptive at worst ("mere rhetoric"), when one might better attend to matters of substance, truth, or reason as attempted in dialectic or philosophy or religion.

Independent Practice Now that we have worked through this annotation process together and with partners, it is time to try it on your own. Raise your hand if you need help! NOTE: Remember that sometimes the supporting details come BEFORE the main idea in a text. ;)

Rhetoric has sometimes lived down to its critics, but as set forth from antiquity, rhetoric was a comprehensive art just as much concerned with what one could say as how one might say it. Indeed, a basic premise for rhetoric is the indivisibility of means from meaning; how one says something conveys meaning as much as what one says. Rhetoric studies the effectiveness of language comprehensively, including its emotional impact (pathos) as much as its propositional content (logos). To see how language and thought worked together, however, it has first been necessary to artificially divide content and form.

Rhetoric has sometimes lived down to its critics, but as set forth from antiquity, rhetoric was a comprehensive art just as much concerned with what one could say as how one might say it. Indeed, a basic premise for rhetoric is the indivisibility of means from meaning; how one says something conveys meaning as much as what one says. Rhetoric studies the effectiveness of language comprehensively, including its emotional impact (pathos). as much as its propositional content (logos). To see how language and thought worked together, however, it has first been necessary to artificially divide content and form.

Vocabulary Log “Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing (discourse), and the art of persuasion, and many other things.” (paragraph 1) Let’s fill in the vocabulary log for the word “rhetoric” together. What part of speech is the word rhetoric? What word families can you identify for the word rhetoric? What words sound similar? What words have same or similar meanings? What would be the “Source Sentence” in the text? POS: noun Word family: rhetorical, rhetorician Synonym: oratory, eloquence Source Sentence: “Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing (discourse), and the art of persuasion, and many other things.”

Partner Work Turn-and-talk to your partner in response to the following: In your own words, what is rhetoric? After discussing this question together, fill in the “My Definition” column of your vocabulary log. Possible Response: The art of persuading someone through word choice and style.

Let’s Practice Summarizing Write a practice summary statement in your reading response journal. HOW? Start by referring back to your highlighted big ideas in the text. What is the most important information in this section of the text? How can we boil that down to one statement?

Model for a CONCISE Summary Statement NOTE: Your summary statement does not have to be identical to mine. Rhetoric is the study of the effective use of language in one’s own writing and in the writing of others. What makes my model summary a good statement? Does your model have the same qualities? How could we make this better?

Revise Summary Statement Original: Rhetoric is the study of the effective use of language in one’s own writing and in the writing of others. Rhetoric is the study of the effective use of language in one’s own writing and in the writing of others; it can be divided into two dimensions: content and form.

Let’s Express Our Understanding! Revise your summary statement based on the model we completed in class. Being able to objectively summarize a text is the first step to analyzing the rhetoric of a text. We will work on developing our ability to summarize texts throughout the unit, in preparation for the end of unit assessments.

Let’s Close! In this lesson, you learned that rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing and the art of persuasion. You also practiced writing a summary of an informational text.