RWS 100: the final argument

Not all personal emergencies are bad… On Wednesday, November 2, Finnegan David Bruner was born: Yes, he was named after James Joyce’s last, and most infamous novel, Finnegans Wake.

Some quick bookkeeping…: Your Unit #2 Paper is due today. Bring them up please. I should be able to get to them this weekend. Sorry I canceled sessions…but what resources do you have when that happens? How did it go? Anything you struggled with, and think it might be worth covering in our final Unit?

Some quick bookkeeping…: We are in Unit #3, our final unit! First, that means there is a new template for your Rhetorical Analysis blog entries. In this version, you are asked to answer a couple of questions evaluating the text you are considering. This week’s blog genre is a movie. As always, it is due by Sunday night by 11:59 pm.

Some quick bookkeeping…: Second, it means we will have new teams! We are going to compete for the final Rhetoric Cup Challenge throughout this unit. Each team challenge we do, teams will have an opportunity to win points. The team that has the most points will receive +5 to their final papers, the paper that is graded the absolute toughest.

Team #1 John Cossette Audrey Espinosa Josue Jauregui Rigoberto Macedo Bryan Verkler

Team #2 Jenna Bisla Kaylani Brown Angelica Gamez Jarod Heise Sarah Tucker

Team #3 Stephanie Bradley Jasmine Evans Jessica Khajerian Blake Nuesca Rosario Tornabene

Team #4 Alisha Arco Gianna Cecchini Paul Fuerte Christopher Kamikawa Amber Simes

Team #5 Ryan Bennett Brianna Bigornia Chloe Jorgensen Gregory Royse Brianne Sheridan

Rhetorical Challenge #1 (worth 10 Team Points) Watch the two closing political ads from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. As a team, discuss all of the questions on the Rhetorical Analysis handout. Each group will make a 5 minute presentation on one of the answers. (You won’t know which one.) The best team, judged by Scott, will win the challenge!

CONSIDER THESE ADS AS PART OF A CONVERSATION. These two ads are the final argument for each candidate, their final statements in the national conversation on who should be president. THINK ABOUT HOW THEY ARE REACTING TO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED DURING THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. CONSIDER HOW THEY ARE RELATING TO EACH OTHER, HOW THEY ARE SHOWING A DIFFERENCE TO THE OTHER CANDIDATE, AND THINK ABOUT WHY. This is part of the “Rhetorical Situation,” the context which helps shape a text.

Ok…ready….?

Question#1 Team #3 Question #2 Team #2 Question #3 Team #1 Question #4 Team #5 Question #5 Team #4

Ok, now seriously, make sure you vote today.

Homework for Thursday If you haven’t, make sure you have read Danah Boyd's Literacy: Are Today's Youth Digital Natives? Name your Team! Best team name wins 2 points. Read and watch all of the extra information on Danah Boyd provided on our Course Materials page (under Unit 3). Learn about her, about her background, her thoughts and beliefs as well as the conversation around "Digital Natives." (We will have a team challenge based on this background info.) Probably not a bad idea to think about what movie you are going to analyze, too.