RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
THE RHETORICAL TRIANGLE
Rhetorical analysis skills are often left to the upper grades of high school and, in some situations, gate-kept and guarded for only AP-level coursework. I’m on a mission to ensure every teacher has access to high-quality rhetorical analysis teaching tools and refuse to believe this skill is only for gifted students.
Rhetorical analysis is one of the most applicable, relevant, and essential life skills that we have in our power to share with students.
START HERE: THE RHETORICAL TRIANGLE
So many teachers new to rhetorical analysis don’t know where to start and end up beginning their units with definitions and terminology of rhetorical concepts like ethos, pathos, logos, and other techniques. My advice?
Pump the breaks.
Especially if you’re new to RA, you have no way of knowing this insider info: if you start with terms, that’s what students will prioritize, too. This means that you’ll collect a lot of writing that IDENTIFIES rhetorical devices but struggle to analyze how they work and how those techniques affect the audience.
Here’s where you need to start: the rhetorical triangle. These FREE TEMPLATES are designed to help students get comfortable with the relationship between the speaker, audience, and message.
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS BLOG POSTS TO SUPPORT INSTRUCTION
These blog posts will help you take your rhetorical triangle graphic organizers to the next level.