Professor Rhetoric

Professor Rhetoric

Polishing our Rhetorical Skills

Helping a Friend

Before our Rhetorical Analysis Work

Your mission is to counsel Jamie, a stressed high school Social Media Producer.

Click on this link to begin the activity, guided by Raina.

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Helping a Friend

Open Ended

In what specific ways do the work habits you suggested to Jamie connect to your own approach to AP Language assignments, and what one strategy could you implement immediately to improve the quality of your own work?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

And Now an Article

Questions to think about..

1. How does Brooks challenge conventional wisdom about generosity?

Look for places where he presents ideas that might seem counterintuitive or that push against common assumptions about giving and receiving help.

2. What rhetorical techniques does Brooks use to qualify his claims?

Pay attention to places where Brooks acknowledges limitations, exceptions, or counterarguments to his main points about asking for help.

3. How do Brooks’ introduction and conclusion work together to frame his argument?

Notice how his opening anecdote about his elderly relative connects to his final story about the homeless man, and consider how these stories reinforce his central message.

4. What role do sentence structure and punctuation play in emphasizing Brooks’ key points?

Observe his use of varied sentence structures, coordination, subordination, and punctuation choices (colons, dashes, etc.) and how they contribute to his rhetorical effectiveness.

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Let’s practice our Rhetorical Analysis Skills.

Click here to begin the adventure.

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Practicing our Rhetorical Analysis

Open Ended

Identify the most effective rhetorical strategy Brooks uses in his article 'To Make Someone Happy, Ask for Help.' Provide a specific example from the text, explain how this strategy supports his argument that 'refusing to accept help can be selfish,' and connect it to one AP Language Unit 7 standard. Your response should be no more than 1000 characters (about 150-200 words).