This formal paper prompt challenges FYW 150 students to do some primary (field) research on the topic of language innovation, and then position what they see “in the field” by connecting it essays and research from “language experts.” Here is Continue reading
The following writing exercise challenges students to find an example of experimental/innovative language use they are familiar with. This can be a poem or song lyric, anything. They then annotate it with commentary informed by class discussions and readings and Continue reading
This article is an introduction to the relationship between discourse, literacy, identity, and privilege. It’s useful for instructors to be familiar with as Gee’s discussion suggests why identifying and moving between “multiple discourses” is so prominent in our learning outcomes Continue reading
This accessible read introduces students to some sophisticated concepts around genre and genre analysis. The goal, as Kerry explains, is “to give [students] an awareness of how genres function by taking what is often quite theoretical in the field of Continue reading
For a FYW150 course, one approach to including a research and information literacy component is to task students to investigate a case study related to the class topic. The attached prompt provides an example research project related to capital punishment. Continue reading
This handout guides students through questions that jumpstart their rhetorical investigation of texts. Questions are organized around the rhetorical situation, audience, author, genre, content, and more. This handout can be used to guide in-class discussions of texts and for reference Continue reading
This slide-deck provides content for a lecture-style introduction to core FYW150 concepts, including rhetorical terms, genre, discourse, and visual rhetoric. The slide-deck also includes core learning outcomes for FYW-150 and a writing prompt. Attached as a downloadable PDF. Rhetorical Modes Continue reading
Attached is a syllabus for a FYW 150 course structured around a controversy on a single theme, and asks students to engage popular, trade, and academic texts. The paper sequence described in the syllabus is Map stakeholders and core positions Continue reading
For a FYW150 course using the “controversy” model, a good early paper asks students to construct a “map” of different stakeholder views in a controversy. Challenges FYW students tend to encounter are Creating a main theme: so the paper goes beyond flat summary Continue reading
Commercials are great for visual rhetoric, but what are some good readings to help students go beyond the usual “logos, pathos, ethos” critique? The essay, “On Reading a Video Text,” introduces students to a robust framework for visual rhetoric and Continue reading
