292
Course description and objectives
Description
In this course, we'll take a broad look at some of the foundational issues of the discipline of rhetoric, beginning with theories of language and ending with technical and professional communication. In between, we'll dabble in social theory, new media, and the grammar of everyday life. This course is designed to strengthen your skills as a rhetorical "agent." Rhetoric is a living, breathing, active art, one that you already engage in every waking moment. All the materials that we cover shed light on the same basic processes of accessing, interpreting, and deploying the common grounds of meaning. Thus, the course is meant to unshackle your already-abundant rhetorical intelligence so that you will become a more engaged, articulate, savvy, persuasive, critical, and civil student and human being.
Objectives
In this course, you will learn how to:
understand
and
apply
the
basic
concepts
in
the
discipline
of
rhetoric,
practice
these
concepts
in
the
analysis
and/or
creation
of
everyday
texts,
enhance
your
self-understanding
of
your
own
rhetorical
practices
in
the
new
digital
world,
and
enhance
your
awareness
of
the
rhetorical
culture
in
which
you
dwell.
This online course was developed by Dr. Andrew McMurry, with instructional design and multimedia development support provided by the Centre for Extended Learning. Further media production was provided by Instructional Technologies and Multimedia Services.
Credits and Copyright (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=536174&type=content&rCode=uWaterloo-460859) University of Waterloo
Grade breakdown
The following table represents the grade breakdown of this course.
|
Activities and Assignments |
Weight (%) |
|
Introduce yourself |
5% |
|
Progymnasmata (10 x 6%) Students are required to complete 10 out of 11 progymnasmata |
60% |
|
Final essay |
35% |
Course schedule
IMPORTANT: ALL TIMES EASTERN - Please see the University Policies (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=536174&type=content&rCode=uWaterloo-461265) section of your Syllabus for details
Module Readings Activities and Assignments End/Due Weight Date (%)
|
Module
1:
Language
-
The
origins
of
language
and
its
limits |
Text: Language Matters: Chs. 1 and 2 |
Introduce
yourself |
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
5% |
|
Progymnasma
1: The
fable |
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% | ||
|
Module
2:
Language
-
Structure
in
language
and
the
shape
of
thought |
Text: Language Matters: Chs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 |
Progymnasma
2: Structural
analysis |
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
3:
Language
-
Varieties
of
English
and
the
language
of
identity |
Text: Language Matters: Chs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 |
Progymnasma
3: Micro-varieties
of
English
eld
work |
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
4:
Rhetoric
-
Early
literacy
and
the
emergence
of
rhetoric |
Text: The Essential Guide to Rhetoric: pp. 3-31; 37-52; 58- 64 |
Progymnasma
4: What
is
truth
Friedrich? |
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
5:
Rhetoric
-
From
classical
to
contemporary
rhetoric |
Text: The Essential Guide to Rhetoric: pp. 53-57 Reading: Killingsworth, Appeals in Modern Rhetoric, pp. 1-10 |
Progymnasma
5: Baby,
I'm
lovin'
it |
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
6:
Rhetoric
-
Twists
and
turns
in
language
and
the
power
of
metaphor |
Text: The Essential Guide to Rhetoric: pp. 65-73 Reading: Larson, Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability, pp. 2- 22 |
Progymnasma
6: The
Hummer
H4 |
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
7:
Media
-
McLuhan
and
the
laws
of
media |
Reading: McLuhan, "Communication: McLuhan's Laws of the Media", pp. 74- 78 Reading: McLuhan, "The Agenbite of Outwit" |
Progymnasma
7: The
laws
of
media |
Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Review Progymnasma
8: McMurry's
unplugged
experiment | ||||
|
Module
8:
Media
-
Communication
in
the
digital
era |
Reading: Carr, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Reading: Major, "Thoreau's Cellphone Experiment" |
Progymnasma 8:
McMurry's
unplugged
experiment |
Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
9:
Media
-
Power
of
ideas
and
ideas
of
power |
Reading: Fairclough, Language and Power, pp. 73-83 |
Progymnasma
9: "Power
in
everyday
life"
eld
work |
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
10:
Power
-
Language
through
the
microscope |
Text: Language Matters: Ch. 13 Reading: Machin and Mayr, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, pp. 186- 206 |
Progymnasma
10: Analyzing
discourse |
Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
11:
Power
-
Professional
(mis)communication
and
ethics |
Reading: Katz, "The Ethic of Expediency" |
Progymnasma
11: The
ethic
of
expediency |
Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 11:55 PM |
6% |
|
Module
12:
Power
-
Phronesis |
Reading: Wallace, Plain old untrendy troubles and emotions | |||
|
Final
Essay
35% | ||||
|
Progymnasmata: Students are required to complete 10/11 progymnasmata at 6% each for a total of 60% of the course grade. | ||||
Official Grades and Course Access
Official
Grades
and
Academic
Standings
are
available
through Quest
(https://uwaterloo.ca/quest/).
Your
access
to
this
course
will
continue
for
the
duration
of
the
current
term.
You
will
not
have
access
to
this
course once
the
next
term
begins.
Credits and Copyright (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=536174&type=content&rCode=uWaterloo-460859) University of Waterloo