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This unit comes after your Personal Narrative and Profile essays, and we begin to transition from a more "personal-like" writing style, to a research voice with more concise sentences. For some of us, this might sound familiar, while for others, it is brand new. Either way, we're going to build a foundation together. You will put on a critical lens as we analyze multimodal texts (such as music videos) focusing on issues affecting society in some way to see what the message is, the point of it, and why it matters.
Alright... so where do we start: the beginning. You'll feel familiar in no time! Maybe you've heard of rhetoric before or perhaps the appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos) are brand new to you -- making this feel a bit overwhelming (I remember that all too well), but no worries, we will begin by learning the terms together. Throughout this unit we will come up with a more "casual" listing of the terms, but for now I like using this Rhetorical Analysis handout from Texas A&M Writing Center to start out conversation.
Rhetorical Analysis Prompt (1)(1) (1).docxRhetorical Analysis Prompt:
Rhetorical Analysis Prompt:
Since this is our last essay of the semester, I wanted to provide the prompt at the very beginning. We have just begun the conversation, so don't worry. However, this allows you to start thinking!
Social Issues Assignment.docxLet's talk social issues:
Let's talk social issues:
Over the next few weeks, the focus of this unit will center around social issues. After we familiarize ourselves with just what a Rhetorical Analysis is (and the pieces), we will spend time making individual lists of all the social issues we can think of, and then we will come together as a class to make a "master list" of all the things we wrote down. Any social issue that makes this list is one you can choose from later on to write your essay on.
Social Issues List and Definitions .docxExample of "master list" and revised definitions:
Example of "master list" and revised definitions:
We will be making a "master list" of our own, alongside revised definitions of the terms we learned, but this is an example of what it can look like (pulled from a class last semester). We'll make it our own.
Once we have a list of social issues... what now?
Once we have a list of social issues... what now?
After we have discussed social issues, now we start to discuss analyzing multimodal texts -- and talking about how texts can look different. In this unit, we will be analyzing music videos. The "rhetor" in this instance is the artist -- because they're the person delivering a message. The video and lyrics... well, they're the message we'll be looking at closely with our metaphorical lens. This is a great opportunity for us to explore different genres, as well as a change for you to work with an artist you enjoy all while recognizing their are arguments being made everywhere... and no, not the fight kind, but the one where we communicate messages of importance, make claims, and provide evidence showing just why it is so important in the first place.
The Maine "Am I Pretty?"
The Maine "Am I Pretty?"
trigger warnings: mentions of racism, LGBTQ+ community, ageism, gender, ethnicity, body image, Native American reservations, homelessness, young pregnancy
Beyoncé "Pretty Hurts"
Beyoncé "Pretty Hurts"
trigger warnings: imagery showing eating disorders, plastic surgery, body image
The Maine "Am I Pretty?" Notes:
The Maine "Am I Pretty?" Notes:
The Maine's "Am I Pretty?" is the first multimodal text we'll be watching. At first, it can feel like a lot. Maybe the first watch, you'll go, "wait... what am I supposed to be seeing?"
This is totally normal. It takes time, as well as multiple watches. I've made a handout analyzing "Am I Pretty?" for all of you to review after our in-class discussion. It is my hope this helps you see all the possible places to analyze.
Document1 (1).pdf"Pretty Hurts" Example Paragraphs
"Pretty Hurts" Example Paragraphs
Okay, so at this point it is my hope you're feeling a little comfier analyzing... however, now we're wondering, "How am I supposed to take my analyzing and turn it into an essay?" That's so fair. I've written a few sample pareagraphs here for you.
"Pretty Hurts" Conclusion .docx"Pretty Hurts" Conclusion Paragraph
"Pretty Hurts" Conclusion Paragraph
Oh... and just for fun, here's a sample conclusion paragraph for you, too.
Social Issue and Music Video Selection.docxWhat's next?
What's next?
Now that we've analyzed two multimodal texts, made our "master list" of social issues, and gotten familiar with the terms, it's time to select the social issue you're going to be working with for the essay, alongside the music video. Keep in mind, the video needs to illustrate the social issue in some way. Choose something you're interested in spending time with!
Let's talk sources:
With the analysis in mind, we also have to talk about the importance of sources. This takes time, but it's such an awesome tool to be familiar with. Bringing sources into the analysis gives the rhetor (the artist/the speaker) evidence to the overall claim we're making. First, we will learn about Scholarly and Non-Scholarly Sources, then we will explore the College of DuPage Database, learn about Citations, practice Attribution, and In-Text. To help this feel more "doable" and to emphasize scaffolding, we will create an Annotated Bibliography All of this is new, but only for now. We'll work together, a lot.
A Guide to All Things Research:
Something we've worked on throughout this semester is the importance of scaffolding -- taking piece by piece and building it off of one another to create a revised product. With this unit so far you've: learned about the analysis in general, discussed social issues, analyzed multimodal texts, and now, began collecting sources. I've found that having visuals helps me keep up with all the moving parts. This handout is a guide of all the things we've gone over, visuals on how to do them, and some pointers on how to create an Annotated Bibliography, cite sources, and keep a running checklist on what you need to have for your essay.
After we've completed this unit, instead of doing a written individual reflection on Blackboard, we'll do a table-talk. We'll spend some time talking about our first impressions of this unit, how you felt each step, what you'll take away from the unit, what you may still want to work on, and finally, we'll spend some time recognizing how this will prepare us for 1102.
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