Rhetorical Knowledge

Rhetorical knowledge is essential to all forms of writing because it allows the writer to bend the
text in a way that portrays their point of view most clearly and effectively. Being choosy with
words ensures that the feeling, or connotation, of the words match the tone of the text.
Language goes past simple dictionary definitions. The way in which that language is arranged in
a sentence continues to influence the way the information is portrayed to the reader. A writer
with rhetorical knowledge is conscious of literary choices.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Recognize rhetorical and literary strategies in texts in order to apply the same effects to
their own writing.
Assess how genres shape and are shaped by readers and writers experimentation with
conventions, including mechanics, structure, and style.
Establish the ability to utilize differences in voice, tone, formality, design, layout, and
medium in order to suit different situations and contexts.

Critical Reading
Critical reading is the process in which reading the text goes beyond the literal understanding.
This process is the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate ideas. Critical thinking
of resource material allows writers to separate the claim from the evidence and sources.
Writers also read between the lines, connect patterns or underlying themes, and follow the
chain of reasoning more effectively when reading critically. Each of these are foundational
principles for effective writing.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Use reading for inquiry, learning, and discovery.
Criticize both their own, and others, work. This includes evaluating many different types
of texts and identifying different rhetorical choices of writers.
Find and evaluate (for credibility, sufficiency, accuracy, timeliness, bias) primary and
secondary texts for research purposes. These texts should be from official publishers
or writers, no random website article.
Critically read a variety of texts, which establish a relationship between assertion and
evidence, connect patterns between verbal and non-verbal wordplay, and understand
how each of these elements affects different audiences specifically.

Composing Process
Writers use numerous strategies during their composing/creating processes. Their writing
begins as a simple idea before it is developed, before it is finalized. The composing process is
rarely straightforward and almost never follows the same basic path. Academic writing begins as
an idea that needs to be researched. After adequate research, a draft is composed. This draft
can then be tweaked and broken down in any way necessary depending on context and
occasions.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:

Demonstrate the ability of being able to correctly progress through the composing
process.
Identify and use the processes of writing strategies (Ex: brainstorming) when interacting
with a piece of work.
Use the writing process to obtain a deeper understanding/connection with a writers own
work, strengthening their claims.

Knowledge of Conventions
Conventions are the foundational rules and expectations of writing. They are, in essence, the
building blocks for all writing. These basic writing rules are used in a variety of ways in literature
(spelling, grammar, etc.) and also influence a single texts purpose. As writers, knowing these
basic rules is made even more important by then being able to guage how to most effectively
break them.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Know all of the different rules for writing depending on what is being written. The genre
and style of writing largely influence what literary conventions are to be used.
Be curious. Figuring out why conventions in writing are used is vital to developing as a
proficient writer. Writers should strive to come to their own conclusions about how to
best utilize literary conventions in their work.
Cite sources accordingly. Writers should only take ownership of their own original work.
Make a concerted effort to practice the conventions of writing, such as grammar,
punctuation, and spelling, so as to grow more comfortable with them.

Critical Reflection
Critical reflection is being able to specifically describe to a reader or listener what you are
thinking, in a way that also clarifies your thoughts for yourself. Ex: to explain the choices made
in a composition, to interpret and address revisions made in response to feedback.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Use writing as a means of reflection.
Show that reflection is a necessary part of learning, thinking, and communicating.
Reflect on how/why a student writes the way they do.
Look back at oneself through writing and uncover what it says about them personally.