Through this course we will be developing various skills that are needed to compose a persuasive argument. We will begin by reading through some works by classical rhetoricians from Ancient Greece. Rhetoric—or the study of language to persuade—will provide us with a foundational understanding of various strategies needed to construct an argument. We will then examine how argument works in public discourse by analyzing various controversies in Hawaii and focus on the skills needed to analyze how persuasion works. The course will culminate with a research paper where you will write in support of or against a bill that is about to be passed in Hawaii’s Legislature.
You will be writing a variety of papers building towards the final research paper, including: rhetorical analysis, summary/response, summary/synthesis, and a research proposal. For this Writing Intensive course, you will be composing about 20 pages of writing through the semester. Class participation will also be a major component of your final grade.
You will be required to purchase a course packet and have a working computer and printer to download additional readings from Laulima.