Suggested Age

16-18 years

Prerequisite

• ENGLISH 4, or consent of the instructor based on student’s writing sample
• Highly recommended for college-bound seniors

Purpose

In this course students will:

• Acquire a working knowledge of the theory and the vocabulary of rhetoric.
• Further recognize and develop the techniques of argument (via logic).
• Analyze the ethos, pathos and logos of any persuasive speech or essay.
• Research, write, and present a Senior Thesis using the five canons of rhetoric.
• Hone speaking skills and gain confidence as they speak weekly in front of the class.
• Learn to critically evaluate other rhetors.

Process

According to Aristotle, rhetoric is defined as the faculty of discovering all the available means of persuasion in any given situation whatever. Simply put, rhetoric is the art of persuasion.

When early rhetoricians observed that certain orators were effective and others were not, they developed a set of precepts for successful communication known today as the art of rhetoric. In this course students will not only explore the theory and the vocabulary of rhetoric, but more importantly how to employ these foundational principles effectively.

This is the most rigorous and demanding, rewarding and beneficial course offered in ODA’s English sequence.

Curriculum & Texts, available at www.pahlowsenglish.com

• English 5 Course Workbook, by Debra Pahlow
• Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student. 4th ed., by Edward Corbett & Robert Connors.
• Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 4th ed., by Sharon Crowley & Debra Hawhee.
• A Writer’s Guide to Transitional Words & Expressions, by Victor Pelligrino
• MLA Handbook for Writer’s of Research Papers, 7th edition
• A paperback copy of Roget’s Thesaurus, to bring to class