Lisa Parzefall
Assignments & Activities Archive
Activity Description
The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to rhetorical moves analysis as a way to approach and respond to a variety of genres as well as better understand rhetorical concepts such as audience and purpose. To do so, students begin by reviewing an example analysis by Jacobson, Pawlowski, and Tardy (221-223) of a student absence email. After that, students are split into different groups, each coming up with another common email scenario (e.g., request an extension, schedule an appointment, clarification on feedback). Each individual in the group writes their own email and pastes it into a shared google doc. From there, each group designs a table similar to Jacobson, Pawlowski, and Tardy (223), entering the various rhetorical moves they have made and labelled in the emails. Groups then share their work with the rest of the class, discussing their moves and how these moves were impacted by a variety of factors, including audience and purpose. The practice of rhetorical moves analysis of emails encourages students to see the fluidity within genres and promotes a discussion on audience, purpose, and constraints. Lastly, through a brief in-class reflection, students reflect on learning about rhetorical moves, any challenges or confusion associated with them, and the impact they may have in future compositions.