Rhetorical Exercises

These carefully sequenced preliminary exercises (progymnasmata) were originally designed to prepare students for advanced rhetorical training and successful civic participation. Each individual exercise builds on a previous one and offers a new challenge. We'll work our way through 10 of the original 14 exercises, the cumulative effect of which should aid you in your final assignment: the advocacy paper. You'll complete the assignments on the class forum, carefully following the instructions given there for each one.

Specifics:

1. When the schedule assigns a rhetorical exercise, go to the class forum and select the topic that names that exercise (fable, description, comparison, etc.)
2. Follow the instructions carefully, and complete the exercise by the time the class meets the next time.
3. For full credit you must complete the exercise on time. I'll take .5 points off (that's a C) for each day an exercise is late.

NOTE: Though these exercises are worth only 2 points each, together they add up to 20% of your grade; so if you were to skip some or only half-ass complete them, you could easily bring your final grade down one or even two letters. Grade scale is below.

4. Feel free to respond to your classmates' exercises--if you really enjoyed one or you learned something, say so.
5. I will grade your exercises after the class period before which they are due and put your scores on egradebook.

Grade Scale:

• For a 2.0 (100%): You'll not only follow the instructions exactly but wow me with your insight and demonstrate extra effort. Your exercise will be well-written and proofread, with few errors or typos.
• For a 1.8 (90%): You'll complete the exercise correctly and completely and demonstrate a good, strong, above average effort. Your exercise will be well-written and proofread, with few errors or typos.
• For a 1.6 (80%): You'll complete the exercise mostly correctly and almost completely and demonstrate a slightly above average effort overall, perhaps selecting an overly simple narrative (or whatever) to work with, or taking other non-wowwing shortcuts. Your exercise will be well-written and proofread, with few errors or typos.
• For a 1.4 (70%): You'll complete the exercise, perhaps not completely, and demonstrate an average effort overall, perhaps following the steps mechanically but without much insight or interest. Your exercise will be pretty well-written, with some errors or typos.
• For a 1.2 (60%): You'll complete the exercise, but incompletely, demonstrating a below-average effort overall, mechanically following most of the steps without much insight or interest. Your exercise may be sloppily written or unproofed.
• For a 1 (50%): You'll offer a half-ass effort that looks like you threw it up in a mad rush right before the class bell.