Course Schedule

Note about the schedule: The Homework listed below each date entry is due for the next class period, unless otherwise specified. For example, the bulleted homework entries listed below Tuesday, August 22 are due by the time of class on Thursday, August 24. 

Note about Canvas quizzes: Quizzes are also due by the time of the following class and will close once that class time begins.

Tuesday, August 22: Introduction to the course and to one another. A thorough review of the syllabus and course expectations. Discussion of sustainability theme.

  • Homework: Read “Citizenship” Keyword and take Canvas quiz. Remember Passcode: since1959
  • Homework: Read “Civic Engagement” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.
  • Homework: Read “Blogging Assignment” on course website (this one!) under the Assignments tab.

Thursday, August 24: Discuss reading. In-class civic ideology activity using the United Nation’s Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. Introduction to blogging. Set up blogs. Recorded class.

Tuesday, August 29: Review “Criticism” reading and discuss the purposes and methods of popular-press and rhetorical criticism. Relate popular-press criticism to blogging . Introduction to Unit One assignments and apply lens of rhetorical proofs from “Trust” readings.

  • Homework: Read “Commonplaces” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.
  • Homework: Read: “The Rhetorical Situation” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.
  • Homework: After reading the assigned Keywords, for your first RCL blog post (about 300 words), identify and discuss the persuasiveness of a commonplace deployed in an advertisement or civic artifact/event and analyze the artifact as a response to the rhetorical situation (the artifact you use could be your selected civic artifact for your speech or rhetorical analysis essay or it could be different). Try to seek out an artifact related to sustainability or the UN’s 17 SDGs.
  • Homework: As you explore passion blog topic ideas, consider what your version of happiness is. What are some passions of yours that you could share with the class–and the world!– in your blog? Think of passions large and small, serious and maybe not-so-serious. Think of things you do (or don’t do), watch, think about, or care about: the things that make you you. Then, pitch at least two ideas for your passion blog topic (about 200 words).

Thursday, August 31: Discussion of reading topics: commonplaces and the rhetorical situation. Discuss how they relate to Unit One assignments. Blogging, Week 1. Troubleshoot blog sites. Recorded class.

Tuesday, September 5:  Review the Five Canons and consider choosing a lens as invention. Consider the pedagogical function of sustainability artifacts by reviewing the five key meta-competencies of sustainability education. Discuss concepts and do in-class exercises from “Writing Rhetorical Analysis Essays” as both invention and organization. Present the style canon from How to Write with Flair. This week’s Flair challenge is avoiding the “to be” verb in your passion blog (peruse Lesson 1 of Flair, pages 17-28).  Recorded class 9/5/23.

  • Homework: Read “Best Blogging Practices.“
  • Homework: Read “Elevator Pitch Proposal” under Resources tab on the course website.
  • Homework: For your RCL blog, draft an elevator pitch for an artifact that touches upon one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and be sure to mention what lens you might use to analyze most effectively a civic artifact of your choice (300 words or less). You can consider the PSU meta-competencies as a commonplaces lens.
  • Homework: Write and publish your Passion Blog on your chosen topic (400-500 words) and incorporate the weekly style (or Flair) element (Peruse Lesson 1 of Flair, pages 17-28).

Thursday, September 7: More exercises from “Writing Rhetorical Analysis Essays.”  Blogging, Week 2. Recorded Class.

  • Homework: Review feedback on your blogs.
  • Homework: Refine and practice delivering your elevator pitch for next week. Students 13-24 go Tuesday; 1-12 on Thursday.
  • Homework: Read “Planning Spontaneity” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.
  • Homework: Read “Managing Nerves” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.
  • Homework: Read “Providing Feedback” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.

Tuesday, September 12: Quick review of readings. Elevator pitches and class feedback for Students 13-24. Discuss Flair of the week: the semi-colon (Flair, pages 38-41)! Include at least one in your passion blog! Recorded class.

  • Homework: Students 13-24, start drafting your civic artifact speeches and essays based on elevator pitch feedback. Students 1-13  should continue developing and refining elevator pitches.
  • Homework: For your RCL Blog, write about another students’ elevator pitch that intrigued you. Talk about what analytical or organizational moves the speaker made, the artifact itself and why it was striking, or how you have additional ideas about the artifact. Just expand on a classmate’s elevator pitch presentation and continue your “conversation” with it, considering what it taught you and what more you would add to that conversation (200-300 words).
  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your weekly Flair. the semi-colon (Flair, pages 38-41)

Thursday, September 14: Elevator pitches and class feedback for Students 1-13. Blogging, Week 3. 

  • Homework: Students start revising civic artifact speeches and essays based on elevator pitch feedback. Everyone continue developing Unit One assignments.
  • Homework: Read “Designing Visuals” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.

Tuesday, September 19: Discuss formal essay writing and how to expand analysis. Review sample student essays from Penn State RCL. Specially discuss comparative essay options and introductions. Discuss Flair of the week: Puns (pg. 74) and Dashes (pg. 42). Recorded class.

  • Homework: For your RCL Blog, post your introduction of your rhetorical analysis essay, keeping in mind the elements that make a good introduction and strong thesis, and a brief outline of your speech.
  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your weekly Flair: Puns (pg. 74) and Dashes (pg. 42).
  • Sign up for next week’s conferences on signupgenius.com (link was  emailed).

Thursday, September 21: More discussion of delivering speeches and designing visuals. Review sample student work from Penn State RCL. Blogging, Week 4. Recorded class

  • Homework: Refine civic artifact speech outline and draft rhetorical analysis essay in preparation for next week’s conferences.

Tuesday, September 26: No official class. Individual Unit One conferences via Zoom.                                                                                                                                     

Thursday, September 28: No official class. Individual Unit One conference via Zoom. No blogging this week.

Tuesday, October 3: Working with Voice Thread, Recorded Speech Performances. Discuss Flair of the week: Metaphors, Flair 77 (Figures of Speech), Commas in a series Flair 45-53. Recorded class.

  • Homework: Read “Speaking Powerfully” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.
  • Homework: For RCL Blog, post a draft of your rhetorical analysis essay and a revised speech outline.
  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your weekly Flair.
  • Homework: Prepare speeches for video submission at 11:59 PM on Sunday, October 9.

Thursday, October 5: Final troubleshooting with Voice Thread and discussing The Paramedic Method for_Sentence_Revision. Blogging, Week 5. Use draft workshop questions to review the essays of your blog group members. Recorded class.

Tuesday, October 10: Introduction to Unit Two: the Evolving Ideas essay and TED-style talk assignments. Further discuss Evolving Ideas reading and concepts. Discuss Flair of the week: chiasmus (75-76) and parentheses (page 42-43). Recorded class.

  • Homework: Read “Representation” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.
  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your weekly Flair.
  • Homework: Review a peer’s speech in Voice Thread. For your RCL blog, reflect on your speech performance, considering the strengths and weaknesses you recognized in your own performance. Also consider what you learned from the strengths and successful approaches of your peers’ speeches.

Thursday, October 12: Review speeches in blogs and discuss in class. Introduction to Unit Two, continued. Discuss representation reading in relation to diachronic analysis. Final tips for rhetorical analysis essay. Blogging, Week 6.  Recorded class.

  • Homework: Final draft of rhetorical analysis essay due by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, October 17 in Canvas dropbox.
  • Homework: Read “Conducting Research” Keyword and take Canvas quiz.

Tuesday, October 17: Brainstorm topics. Discuss reading: research methodologies and resources. Listen to Hidden Brain podcast for examples of source variety. Hour-long Hidden Brain episode. Discuss Flair of the week: Understatement (73) and Exclamation! Recorded class.

  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your weekly Flair. Understatement (73) and Exclamation!
  • Homework: For your RCL blog, post a favorite TED Talk from Ted.com and explain what you like about it. In the same post, brainstorm topics for your Unit Two projects, explaining why you think the topic(s) could work and how you might pursue your research and craft the arguments.

Thursday, October 19:  Further discuss research methodology and Penn State-specific sources. Discuss what makes TED Talks work. Blogging, Week 7. Recorded class. 

  • Homework: Refine elevator pitch for the next week’s presentations.

Tuesday, October 24: Review essay format possibilities. Review student examples of Evolving Ideas TED-style Talks from Penn State RCL. Flair of the week: Allusions (page 81) and Alliteration (not in the text, but it’s two or more words with the same initial sounds, e.g. Fun Food Friday and Taco Tuesday!). Recorded Class.

  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog entry (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your weekly Flair (above).
  • Homework: For your RCL Blog, record a one-two-minute elevator pitch for your Unit 2 Emerging Ideas Project on Zoom or Voice Thread and share the link as your RCL Blog.

Thursday, October 26: Asynchronous Day–Recorded class. Blogging, Week 8.

  • Homework: Based on elevator pitch feedback, develop outline of TED-style Talk and visuals and/or outline evolving ideas essay.

Tuesday, October 31: Review comments on elevator pitches. Discuss sample essays. Discuss citation and differences between essays and TED Talks. Discuss Flair of the week–rhetorical questions!

  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog entry (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your weekly Flair, two rhetorical questions!
  • Homework: For RCL blog, post your slides for your TED Talks to workshop.
  • Homework: Sign up for Unit Two conferences on signupgenius.com (link will be emailed)

Thursday, November 2: More discussion of Evolving Ideas essay. Blogging, Week 9. Workshop of TED Talk slides.

Tuesday, November 7: Election Day. No official class. Individual Unit 2 conferences held on Zoom

Thursday, November 9: No official class. Individual Unit 2 conferences held on Zoom. No blogging this week.

Tuesday, November 14:  Introduction to Unit Three Project. Discussion of readings and History of a Public Controversy Project. Review Morgan Spurlock’s introduction to Supersize Me. Discuss “framing questions.” Discuss Flair of the week: the colon to introduce a list (pg. 42 of Flair) and Anaphora, or “Repeated First Words” (pg. 72 of Flair). Recorded class.

  • Submit TED-style talks in Voice Thread by Friday, November 17 at 11:59 PM. Remember to share it to the course space, even if it looks like it’s already there.
  • Homework: Write and post your Passion Blog entry (400-500 words). Don’t forget to incorporate your Flair of the week: the colon to introduce a list (pg. 42 of Flair) and Anaphora, or “Repeated First Words” (pg. 72 of Flair)
  • Homework: For your RCL Blog, include two paragraphs in which you brainstorm two different ideas for your History of a Public Controversy Project (one paragraph for each idea).

Thursday, November 16: Work on ideas for History of a Public Controversy Project in breakout groups. Blogging, Week 10. Recorded class.

  • Submit TED-style talks in Voice Thread via Canvas by Friday, November 17 at 11:59 PM. Remember to share it to the course space, even if it looks like it’s already there. 
  • Homework: Evolving Ideas final essays are due in an Canvas dropbox on Monday, November 20 at 11:59 PM 
  • Homework: Email me your topic and work plans, copying all group members, by Monday, November 27 at 11:59 PM.

Thanksgiving Break!

Tuesday, November 28: Discuss copyright and fair use principles. Breakout time in class. Recorded class.

Thursday, November 30: Discuss photo and information pacing. Learn about types of camera movements and angles. Breakout time in class.

Tuesday, December 5: Group time in class.

  • Homework: Prepare project for in-class viewing.

Thursday, December 7: History of a Public Controversy draft presentations.

Final cuts of the History of a Public Controversy project and peer evaluations are due Monday, December 11 by 2 PM.