Essay 1: Visual, Rhetorical Analysis
Why: This assignment should teach students to analyze a visual’s use of rhetoric to convince an audience to believe in an idea, perform an action, or, specifically, purchase a product.
What: Choose an advertisement in a visual format. This professor prefers that you choose an advertisement in the form of a video (YouTube is the best place to find a video to analyze). Students will write 3-5 (full pages) analyzing how the video uses the rhetorical appeals discussed in this professor’s lectures to persuade the audience. The student should be specific about what the goal of the video is. Is the video trying to convince the audience to believe in an idea, donate to a cause, join a club, or purchase a product? Note: these are just a few examples. Be creative with your video selection!
How:
Answer the following question: Does the video effectively convince the audience to do/purchase/believe in something through its employment of logos, pathos, and ethos?
Students should use the Toulmin Method to write their body paragraphs in addition to the methods for writing introductions and conclusions specifically taught in this course.
Students should use proper MLA formatting and should include a Work(s) Cited page citing their video (remember: a Works Cited entry is *not* simply a link to the video).
Students should not use any website or the brain of anyone else outside of this course to help them write their paper.
