Bellringer… Go to http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/resource_rhet.html and briefly read/skim the article. Then, go to www.todaysmeet.com/patterson1 and record your favorite quote from the article. Be prepared to explain why you chose your quote.

An Introduction to Rhetoric… Many people mistakenly believe that the word rhetoric is synonymous with deception or trickery. However, the Greek philosopher Aristotle defined rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.”

An Introduction to Rhetoric… At its best, rhetoric is a thoughtful, reflective activity leading to effective communication, including rational exchange of opposing viewpoints. Those who understand and can use the available means to appeal to an audience of one or many find themselves in a position of strength. They have the tools to resolve conflicts without confrontation, to persuade readers or listeners to support their position, or to move others to take action.

What Makes Rhetoric Effective? Effective communicators understand that rhetoric is always situational: It has a context – the occasion or the time and place it was written or spoken and It has a purpose (or goal) that the speaker or writer wants to achieve. Identifying context and purpose in a complex situation can be a challenge, but it is essential to analyzing effective rhetoric.

What Makes Rhetoric Effective? When we read any text, we ask about the context in which it was written. Then, we consider the purpose – is the speaker trying to: win an agreement? persuade us to take action? evoke sympathy? make someone laugh? inform? provoke? celebrate? repudiate? Etc.

What Makes Rhetoric Effective? Finally, effective rhetoric has a clear and focused main idea, or subject. The speaker must understand his/her relationship, or interaction, with the subject (i.e. main idea) and the audience.

The Rhetorical Triangle One way to consider the elements of effective rhetoric is through the rhetorical triangle. Speaker Audience Subject

The Subject… Writers or speakers must first choose a subject and… Evaluate what they already know about it Consider what others have said about it Determine what kind of evidence or proof will sufficiently develop their position.

The Speaker… While it may seem like the speaker in your own writing is obvious, that is not necessarily the case. Writers often assume a persona – the character the speaker creates when he or she writes or speaks – depending on the context, purpose, subject, and audience. For Example: Are you speaking as a poet, comedian, or scholar? Are you an expert on ice skating, popular music, or a specific software program?

The Audience… Before you begin to craft a speech, presentation, essay, etc. you must consider the audience. What does the audience already know about the subject? What is the audience’s attitude toward it? Is there common ground between the writer’s and reader’s views on the subject? Each audience requires you to use different information to shape your argument effectively.

Strategic Choices… After analyzing the relationship of speaker to subject, audience to speaker, and audience to subject, a writer is ready to make some strategic choices…

Autobiographical Multimedia Presentation It’s All About Me Autobiographical Multimedia Presentation

Assignment Overview Each of you will be assigned a specific audience to whom you will be showing your iMovie. You are required to keep your assigned audience a secret – it will be the job of your classmates to determine for whom your presentation was intended. Your task is to create a 1 1/2 – 2 minute autobiographical presentation in iMovie that uses written, spoken, and visual language effectively to introduce yourself to your assigned audience.

Assignment Objective Remember, you will need to carefully consider your audience as well as what they already know about you as a speaker and/or what preconceived notions they may already have about you. You will need to make carefully considered strategic choices to effectively ensure that you are conveying a persona that is appropriate for the given audience.