Prior to first meeting, read Chapters 1-3 of our course textbook, Rhetoric and Civic Life.

Friday, June 19: Meeting 1 Introduction to the course and to one another. Discuss Chapters 1-3 of Rhetoric and Civic Life textbook (RCL), exploring ideology, concepts of citizenship and the civic, and the principles of ancient rhetoric. Introduction to Unit One. Set up blogs.

• Homework: Read Chapter 4 of Rhetoric and Civic Life. Select a civic artifact about which to present. Write and post a paragraph on your blog describing two possible ideas for your passion blog; for your RCL blog post, discuss an advertisement or civic event (maybe the one you might use for your upcoming civic artifact speech or rhetorical analysis essay) in which kairos was a powerful element in the rhetorical situation (RCL post should be around 300 words).

Monday, June 22: Meeting 2 Respond to classmates’ blog entries. Discuss chapter 4 reading about kairos and the rhetorical situation.  View sample speeches and discuss effective speech strategies. Practice with speech delivery, ending class with “elevator pitches” about your selected artifacts.

• Homework: Read Chapter 5 of Rhetoric and Civic Life. Write and post your first official passion blog. For your RCL blog, post a detailed outline of your civic artifact speech. Look for advertisements to analyze for the rhetorical analysis essay.

Friday, June 26: Meeting 3 Discuss rhetorical analysis essay and formal essay writing. Practice analytical writing exercises. View sample advertisements and read and analyze sample rhetorical analysis essays.  Blogging, Session 1. Speech schedule for Monday announced. Small-group workshops of speech practice.

• Homework: Refine civic artifact speech outline and practice delivery. Write and post your passion blog. For the RCL blog, post a draft of your rhetorical analysis essay.

Monday, June 29: Meeting 4 Deliver civic artifact speeches. Discuss speeches and talk more about writing rhetorical analyses. Blogging, Session 2, including a draft workshop for rhetorical analysis essays.

• Homework: Revise rhetorical analysis drafts. Read Unit Two assignments page under Assignments tab on this website. Write and post your passion blog; for your RCL blog post, link to and review two TED-Talks and discuss what makes them memorable or successful. Meet instructor for office hours..

Thursday, July 2: Meeting 5 (evening) Introduction to Unit Two assignments, the paradigm shift paper and TED-style talk assignments. Discuss Raymond Williams’ cultural materialism and dominant, residual, and emergent ideologies. Watch Portlandia videos! Blogging, Session 3. Review and discuss sample TED-style Talks. Introduction to library resources. In-class research time.

• Homework: Continue conducting research for Unit Two assignments and prepare elevator pitch for tomorrow’s class. Write and post your passion blog entry; for your RCL blog entry, write a rough script for  your elevator pitch on your Unit 2 topic, then include some preliminary research and ask your readers specific questions for feedback.

Friday, July 3: Meeting 6 Professional communication exercise. Blogging, Session 4. Review more paradigm shift sample papers and consider organizational strategies. Rhetorical analysis essay due by end of day in ANGEL dropbox. In-class research and revision time.

• Homework: Continue research. Write and post passion blog entry; for RCL blog entry, develop and post a detailed script or outline and include visual aids for TED Talk. Read Chapter 6 in Rhetoric and Civic Life.

Monday, July 6: Meeting 7 Professional communication exercise. Elevator pitches for Unit 2 assignments. Discuss using visual aids for presentations. Blogging, Session 5.

• Homework: Continue refining and practicing TED Talk. Write and post passion blog; for RCL blog entry, post draft of introduction for the paradigm shift essay. Read Unit 3, History of a Public Controversy Project.

Monday, July 13: Meeting 8 Professional communication exercise. Blogging, Session 6. Introduction to History of a Public Controversy Project. Review Morgan Spurlock’s introduction to Supersize Me. Discuss “framing questions.” Groups brainstorm topics for project. Visit to One-Button Studio. Small groups practice delivering TED Talks.

• Homework: Continue refining TED Talk and continue drafting paradigm shift paper. Write and post passion blog entry; RCL entry will be done in the next class session.

Friday, July 17: Meeting 9 Deliver TED Talks in One-Button Studio. For in-class RCL blog, reflect on which presentations stood out for you. Name your top 2 overall presentations with a short explanation and then name your favorite top 5 moments. Blogging, Session 7.

• Homework: Decide on topic with your group for the History of a Public Controversy Project. Write and post your passion blog entry; for RCL blog entry, complete and post draft of paradigm shift paper.

Monday, July 20: Meeting 10 Blogging, Session 8, including draft workshop of paradigm shift paper. Discussion and in-class work on History of a Public Controversy project, with pull-out conversations with instructor about draft. Groups email work plan for group projects to instructor by the end of day.

• Homework: Read Chapter 7 of Rhetoric and Civic Life. Finalize paradigm shift essay drafts. Write and post passion blog entry; for RCL, discuss how stasis theory might work to discover or to deepen the “framing questions” for your chosen controversy.

Friday, July 24: Meeting 11 Final Paradigm Shift Papers due in ANGEL dropbox by the end of day. Blogging, Session 9. Discussion and in-class work on History of a Public Controversy Project.

• Homework: Work on group projects. Write and post your passion blog; for RCL blog, post a link to your TED Talk and discuss your own performance? What went well? What areas could be improved?

Monday, July 27: Meeting 12 Blogging, Session 10. Discuss and work on History of a Public Controversy Projects.

• Homework: Get project completed for viewing in tomorrow’s class. Work to finish professional communication portfolio.

Tuesday, July 28: Meeting 13 View History of a Public Controversy projects. Course wrap-up. A link to the final version of the History of a Public Controversy project, peer evaluation form, and final copy of Professional Writing Portfolio due by end of day in ANGEL dropboxes.