13.3: The Assignment Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

Now that you have learned how to analyze a documentary, it's your turn to try it.

Rhetorical Analysis of Documentary

Purpose: For this assignment, you will be doing a rhetorical analysis of an argumentative documentary. As you dive deeper into finding sources you may have already realized that some of these sources will be visual, more specifically, many of the sources will be visual arguments.

SLOs-Employ a voice, style, and tone appropriate to the topic selected and the rhetorical situation  -Summarize, analyze, and evaluate the arguments, counterarguments, and evidence in the writing of others  

Writing Prompt: Choose an argumentative documentary. Evaluate the source for credibility and type of bias and analyze the source for rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos. Write an essay breaking down the source into the above properties and supporting your analysis with evidence from the text.

Tasks

Step #1 Watch the film twice, if possible, and take notes to extract the most from it that you can, looking for target audience, claims, rhetorical appeals, and logical fallacies. Pause the film to write out possible quotes to use and timestamps (if possible).

Step #2 Make an outline for your essay.

Here is a sample way to organize a Rhetorical Analysis. If there is more than one point you want to make under an appeal, you can start a new paragraph.

• Introduction

Introduce general film information. Summarize film. Write a thesis that contains your claim about the overall bias and whether the film used rhetorical appeals successfully or unsuccessfully for the chosen audience.

• P1 Bias What was the overall bias or perspective of the film, film maker or film company?

 

• P2 Ethos- Authority

Overall, how effective is the film in establishing authority?

• P3 Reliability

Overall, can the viewer rely on the information (primary and secondary) obtained from the film?

• P4 Logos

Overall, what is the argument, and is it presented in a logical way that makes sense? Which logical fallacies, if any, does it use?

• P5 Pathos

Overall, what emotional appeals are being made, and how does this affect the way the viewer processes the information? How are the emotional appeals achieved? (This is an example of an appeal that may require 2 paragraphs.)

• Conclusion Final thoughts. Film recommendation. How can this documentary be useful?

Step #3 Write a rough draft. Remember that you are evaluating the source as a whole. Do not respond directly to the content of the essay. In other words, do not turn your essay in to a typical argument.

Step #4 Go to the Writing Lab 

Step #5 Add to your essay, revise, edit.

Here are some things to think about as you continue to draft your essay.

• • Does your thesis statement encompass your main points?
  • Do you have an example from the text (documentary) for each point?
  • Have you used description and dialogue?
  • Have you included at least 3 direct quotes?
  • Have you used transitions to move from paragraph to paragraph and to connect ideas from sentence to sentence?
  • Have you included the rhetorical categories to analyze each source?

Step #6

Edit, Edit, Edit. Don’t lose all your grammar points.

Step #7 Check the minimum requirements

• Follow MLA formatting: 12 pt font, typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margins all around, and proper in-text citations that point the reader to a correct Works Cited page.
• Your essay must have a title.
• Your purpose and audience (rhetorical situation) should be easily identifiable.
• All essays should be at least 4 full pages 1250/wds, but no more than 5 pages please.
• This essay must use at least 3 direct quotes.
• This essay must use 1 source.

Step #8 Turn in final draft of essay on by the due date posted on Brightspace.

 

Assessment Tool (Summative): Here is an example of a rubric that can used to assess the assignment.

	Focus and Purpose
Excellent	Purpose to analyze is clear. Excellent ability to write a detailed, nuanced thesis with clear rhetorical devices and strategies mentioned and argument sustained throughout the essay that uses evidence from the text.
Adequate	Generally, presents clear main points that are sustained throughout the essay. At times purpose to analyze is unclear but has a clear thesis.
Emerging	May occasionally present main points that lack clear purpose or distract the reader from the analysis. Has thesis but needs details.
Lacking	Lacks clear thesis statement but does have a few main points. Essay has several tangents. Does not have a thesis statement. Overall, essay has no clear purpose. Does not attempt to answer prompt.

	Development and Analysis
Excellent	Excellent use of detailed examples, instances, and evidence to fully support analysis. Uses well thoughtful explanations that describe what the author is doing. Evaluates the text for credibility, bias, and informal fallacies.
Adequate	Generally, offers adequate support for main points; incorporates evidence from the text in a responsible way that clearly furthers student's ideas. Adequate explanations that analyze the text. Adequate evaluation.
Emerging	May occasionally include information that strays from otherwise consistently supported main points. May contain some confusing explanations but has an attempt at analysis. At attempts evaluation.
Lacking	Main points are not matched with supported examples, instances, or evidence. Some examples are confusing. Explanations do not work. Constant Repetition. Lacking information. Does not meet page or word count. Relies heavily on summary.

	Writing Fluency
Excellent	Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation shows evidence of editing. Appropriate vocabulary with complex sentence structure. 0-2 major errors
Adequate	Generally, presents smooth, easily understood sentences, with few serious grammatical and mechanical problems throughout the portfolio. 3-4 major errors
Emerging	May occasionally contain wordy or awkward prose with some grammatical and mechanical problems, though errors do not frequently inhibit readability. 4-6 major errors
Lacking	Some confusing language. Clear lack of editing and punctuation. Overuse of simple sentences. 6 or more errors Frequent grammatical and mechanical errors in each sentence that inhibit readability. Uses other weak stylistic choices that do not reflect awareness of a reader and/or purpose.

	Organization and Structure
Excellent	Uses a structure that promotes clarity of expression, effective seamless transitions with paragraphing order that highlights the rhetorical mode.
Adequate	Generally, uses organizational choices that foster sense that essays are cohesive units with a purpose; and some ineffective transitions and focused, ordered paragraphing
Emerging	May occasionally present paragraphs that lack clear purpose, focus, or logical breaks. Repetitive transitions. Relies on 5-paragraph structure or unclear structure but has adequate information.
Lacking	Uses organizational choices that frequently disrupt clarity; presents paragraphs that often lack logical breaks, purpose, or focus. Structure does not match purpose Does not have ordered paragraphs. Does not have clear structure.

	Documentation and Synthesis
Excellent	Integrates all source material correctly and smoothly. Source information supports ideas and do not overpower student’s ideas. Excellent synthesis and connection between ideas if textual or sources contextual analysis. Offers correctly formatted Works Cited page that reflects cited sources.
Adequate	Generally, integrates sources smoothly. Demonstrates the ability to distinguish student’s ideas from source’s ideas and to distinguish student’s words from source’s words. Adequate Synthesis throughout. Has Work Cited page with minor errors.
Emerging	May occasionally include errors in citations, but errors do not interfere with reader’s ability to identify textual evidence. An attempt at synthesis is visible. Has in-text citations but there are errors. Has Work cited page with missing sources or extra sources.
Lacking	Overuse or underuse of sources, errors in citations, and inability to distinguish students’ ideas from sources used. Has no in-text citations, or improper in-text citations throughout. An attempt at Works Cited page.  Shows inability to use sources correctly or does not use sources. Plagiarism or clear over use of sources.