Rhetorical Peaks: Introductory Materials

Both the Flash and Unity versions of Rhetorical Peaks were designed to help students with introductory rhetorical skills related to argumentation and rhetorical analysis. It takes approximately 30-45 minutes to go through the game in its entirety, and it can be broken down into smaller sections of about 10-15 minutes. Depending on the technology available in your classroom and the time you have available, students can play the game within or outside of class. We recommend that you provide students with a handout to help them process their gaming experience. You can find sample handouts below. Once students have completed the game and the handout, you can have them write a more formal paper and/or discuss their experience in class.

In Rhetorical Peaks, players are introduced to the mysterious death of Lisa Sophist, the best speaker in the town of Rhetorical Peaks, through a letter delivered by Woodsy the raven. Woodsy then guides the player to Rhetorical Peaks where Postumius Terentianus, the town's ambassador, offers an introduction to the town and the recent tragedy. The player then has the opportunity to interact with three characters from the town. These conversations give the player different perspectives on Lisa and Rhetorical Peaks, and they suggest a few possible scenarios and motivations that might explain Lisa's death. The player can also look through Lisa's scrapbook–a collection of some of her favorite quotes and images–to get a glimpse into her state of mind.

At this point, the completion of the game must take place outside of the game itself. It is up to you and your class to figure out the next step, as there is no single outcome or correct solution built into the game. What you do next will depend on what rhetorical skills you want your students to practice and what you would like them to produce. The following handouts are offered to give you a range of possible ways to incorporate Rhetorical Peaks into your class.

Practicing Rhetorical Analysis

• Short Paper Assignment
• Class Discussion
• Group Work

Practicing Argumentation and Rhetorical Analysis

• Short Paper Assignment
• Class Discussion
• Group Work

Practicing Argumentation

• Short Paper Assignment
• Class Discussion
• Group Work

Again, you are welcome to develop your own materials to accompany the game. If you do, please consider sharing them with us so we can share them here.