Rhetoric
Introduction to Rhetoric: Reading, Writing and Research (Fall)
Reading and Writing the Rhetoric of American Identities (Spring)
6 College Credits (3 per course) | UT Course Codes: RHE 306, RHE 309J | TCCNS: ENGL 1301, ENGL 1302 | Core Code: 010
High School Course Prerequisites: English I and English II
Engage in lively discussions, exchange ideas and develop college-level writing, research and analysis.
In these two sequential, writing-intensive courses, students research and analyze the positions held in any public debate and learn to advocate their own positions through a process of drafts and revisions.
The fall semester focuses on the ethics of argumentation and what it means to fairly represent someone with a disagreeing argument. In the spring, students analyze arguments presented by others, research a topic of their own, and craft sound and effective arguments.
Course Structure
The Rhetorical pedagogy of this course supports students in learning how to analyze contemporary issues and nonfiction texts aligned to college expectations; how to understand and fairly represent different viewpoints; and how to write effective persuasive essays (4-6 pages).
Course capacity: Each Rhetoric instructor may teach either two sections with 25 students each or three sections with 20 students each.
Big Ideas
- Rhetorical situation: exploring the relationship of authors to topics and audiences
- Giving and receiving feedback: learning through peer review and reflection
- Drafting and revising: responding to feedback through researching, rethinking and restructuring
- Leadership communication: evaluating controversies and their stakeholders
- Formulating a research question: navigating the student-choice research journey
- Conducting research: diving into databases and search engines
- Evaluating sources: determining what makes a text credible
- Analyzing arguments: dissecting logic, persuasive appeals and organization
- Identifying underlying values: examining the commonly held ideas underlying arguments
What Students Gain
- Introduction to college standards and expectations for writing and analysis
- Professional, personalized writing feedback from experts in the field
- Leadership communication skills