RWS100 - Final Project

For your final project, you will use everything you have learned throughout the course to analyze the argument(s) of ONE of the following contemporary genres:

• A magazine article

• A website OR

• A commercial

Within your group of two, first pick a genre and then a “text” within that genre. Each person in the group will be in charge of discussing two rhetorical strategies used in the rhetorical work. You will then present your analysis to the class.

You will show the class your commercial, article, or website on the projector screen and each person will discuss the rhetorical strategies identified. If you are doing the magazine article, a PDF of it should be on the magazine’s site but, if not, you can scan it.

Like any good presentation, make sure it has a short introduction and conclusion!

Consider the following questions:

• Magazine article: What is the main argument? Who is the audience? Why that author bio? Why that image? Why that introduction? Why that chart? Why that statistic? etc.

• Website: What is the main argument? Who is the audience? Why certain colors? Why certain homepage images? Why certain text formatting? Why are certain tabs named certain ways? Why is the “About” section strategic? etc.

• Commercial: What is the main argument? Who is the audience? Why did they choose this person or mascot to represent the product? Why that tagline? Why that background music? etc.

Presentations will be delivered in class on:

Tuesday, Nov. 30 (4 groups)

Thursday, Dec. 2 (4 groups)

Tuesday, Dec. 7 (8 groups)

*When presenting, please turn in a brief outline. List your group members’ names, the name of your “text,” and the rhetorical strategies each person covered.