Rhetorical Analysis Through Culture Jamming

Assignment Sheet Proposal for Individual Project: Tuesday, Week 2 (5:00 p.m.) Peer Response of Individual Project: Monday, Week 3 Individual Final Draft and Presentations: Wednesday/Friday, Week 3 Purpose The understanding of effective argumentation and of rhetorical strategy is fundamental to any instruction on composition, both written and non-written. Knowing what choices are made in presenting an idea, and how understanding of the audience of a piece affects those choices, is something which should be a major consideration of your future communications. Upon completion of this project, you should be better able to: Recognize the rhetorical situation a visual document is designed for, including recognizing how the artifact uses knowledge regarding context, audience, and purpose to be effective. Explain how visual presentation choices are influenced by the rhetorical situation Understand the concept of culture jamming, and the rhetorical choices that go into making an effective jam. Expand your cultural literacy and ability to think critically about visual arguments that are presented to you everyday in popular culture. Readings For this project, we will be reading the following sections from everythings an argument. Pg 301-330 (Visual Analysis) Pg 262-281 (Humorous Arguments) We will also be reading excerpts (found on the Moodle) from: No Logo pg 278-288 Beyond Words pg 490-497 Culture Jamming After group presentations have occurred, you will take an ad of your choice and jam it. You will be expected to have particular rhetorical goals in this jam, and be able to explain how your rhetorical choices achieve this goal in a presentation to the class and a reflection paper to be turned in with the jammed ad. It is imperative that you take careful considerations regarding your own rhetorical situation with this project. An ad in the Iowa State Daily will differ heavily from an ad in the New York Times in an effort to maximize its appeal to the different audiences of these newspapers. You too must carefully consider whom you want to appeal to (your audience), and how to effectively seize the opportunities presented by the context to clearly convey the purpose of your work. The reflection paper will take the form of a rhetorical analysis. It will explain your rhetorical thinking, with special attention to considerations of audiences, context and purpose. This written

component will be the most substantial part of your grade, and should reflect careful consideration of analytical strategies you have learned in this activity as well as throughout the whole semester. Some Evaluating Criteria Does the individual jammed artifact: Adequately modify the advertisement in an effort to uncover a deeper meaning to the message being conveyed?? Show a clear understanding of the rhetorical situation? Demonstrate an attempt to engage culture jamming? Does the reflection paper: Logically and lucidly explain the rhetorical choices you made in order to produce an effective jammed advertisement? Properly reference classroom texts in an effort to demonstrate an engaged understanding of the concepts behind visual analysis and culture jamming? Display proper word choice, minimal convention errors and proper formatting?

Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis Through Culture Jamming

Evaluation for: Context Highly Effective Effective Somewhat Effective Needs Work

Original title illustrates the essay's theme Essay introduces the jammed advertisement's rhetorical situation (audience, context, purpose) Apparent and relevant thesis statement
Substance

Essay responds appropriately to the assignment Essay uses appropriate language and proper tone Essay appropriately uses paraphrasing, summarizing and quotes for support Essay uses specific details from scholarly sources to support claims Essay demonstrates an understanding of key rhetorical terms: logos, pathos, ethos
Organization

Coherent & unified paragraph structure The relationship of ideas is clear; transitional devices are used to guide the reader
Style

Vivid, precise word choice is present Sentence construction is effective No word-level errors No conventional errors
Delivery

Correct MLA format for Works Cited page; in-text citations used correctly Headings enhance organization and appearance of the essay Jammed advertisement adequately modifies the original to uncover a deeper meaning or message Jammed advertisement demonstrates a clear understanding of the rhetorical situation

You turned in all the required elements on time.

Comments:

You participated in peer response.

Rhetorical Analysis Unit for English 105

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Culture Jamming & the Rhetorical Situation

Three Week Unit Map

WEEK 1 Goal(s) Monday Introduce visual argument and rhetorical analysis Examine/summarize composition/rhetorical situation of print ads with students doing a short write and share exercise eaa: 301-315 Wednesday Friday

Continue visual argument and Introduce humorous rhetorical analysis arguments Introduce humor by looking Discuss reading and have at examples of print ads that each group analyze a specific use humor and project culture print ad rhetorically (ie not jamming by introducing just summarizing it) assignment eaa: 315-330 eaa: 262-281 No Logo: 278-88 (Moodle) Create a double-entry journal for this reading. Start looking for an individual print ad they could culture jam

Activity

Have Read

Homework Assigned

eaa: 315-330

eaa: 262-281

1.Spend 20 minutes viewing and discussing notable images from history, beginning with those in the EAA text, in the context of argument: what statement is a wordless photo making? 2.Ask students to select the visual that most strongly affected them and have them quick-write for 10 minutes about the argument the visual makes and why it affected them more powerfully than another image. 3.Students will peer-share with volunteers then sharing their answers with the group.

Teaching Notes

1.Lead into an explanation 1.Begin class discussion by of rhetorical analysis by asking students what type formally defining the term of ads they find hilarious; through visual means, bring several examples to perhaps a brief ppt, then help target their thinking as show students examples of good examples of satire print ads to discuss and parody. Also discuss corporately the rhetorical appropriate and poor places means by which the creator to use humor in is attempting to persuade a communication. particular audience. 2.Have students do a quick2.Then assign a print ad to write for five minutes small groups with each about the role of group responsible to commercialism in the U.S., answer rhetorical analysis particularly if they think questions (e.g., define the certain rh. situation) and present companies/organizations their findings to the class. are especially gifted at taking advantage of consumers. Have them share. 3.Introduce the definition of culture jamming and hand out the assignment sheet for the capstone project.

Rhetorical Analysis Unit for English 105

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Culture Jamming & the Rhetorical Situation

WEEK 2 Goal(s)

Monday Introduce culture jamming Assign same groups as Wednesday to culture jam assigned (and separate) print ads No Logo: 278-88

Wednesday Group presentations of culture jam exercise

Friday Introduction to rhetorical analysis of electronic medium/Workshop Day Discussion on how to use the electronic medium in assignment/workshop time Beyond Words: 490-7 Finish rough draft of culture jam assignment for peer review

Activity

Presentations

Have Read Homework Assigned

Proposal due by Tuesday at 5:00 finalizing which print ad Beyond Words: 490-7 students will use in their individual assignment 1.Discuss culture jamming in detail by showing the ppt. with original ads and their culture-jammed counterpart. 2.Assign print ads to small groups for them to develop into a culture-jammed ad. Have groups brainstorm ideas and decide how they want to visually present their re-creation to the class from a rhetorical analysis p.o.v. 3.Emphasize the individual culture jamming assignment and remind students to choose their ad by the following day. Use a rhetorical analysis rubric to make helpful comments on group presentations, emphasizing points that will help them improve their upcoming individual assignment.

1.Introduce culture jamming,

electronic style, by showing students sites like www.adbusters.com. 2.Discuss credibility and electronic media/websites. 3.Set aside 20-25 minutes for teacher/student conferences. This would be a good time to clarify the assignment: What do students still need help with? What aspects of the assignment and evaluation criteria are unclear? This is also a good time to make sure their projects are on the right track. While you are conferring with students, the rest of the class can use the time to workshop their project.

Teaching Notes

Rhetorical Analysis Unit for English 105

-3-

Culture Jamming & the Rhetorical Situation

WEEK 3 Goal(s) Activity Have Read Homework Assigned

Monday Peer Response Day Peer Response

Wednesday Presentation of individual culture jam example Presentations 13 students

Friday Presentation of individual culture jam example Presentations 13 studentsAll projects due.

Finish final assignment and prepare for presentation Construct questions for peer responders to answer and be accountable for during the peer response process. Questions might include: 1.Is the rhetorical situation of the original ad effectively summarized? 2.What are the students objectives for the jammed ad? Are they effective visually? 3.Who is the audience for each ad? What is the audience being asked to consider or do? 4.How could the message of the jammed ad come across to the audience more effectively? 5.What are the main points of the rhetorical analysis essay? 6.How could the structure/organization of the essay be improved? Use the same sort of rubric to grade oral presentations as well as the rhetorical analysis essay students turn in. Use the same sort of rubric to grade oral presentations as well as the rhetorical analysis essay students turn in.

Teaching Notes