Teach How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay STEP BY STEP

by | Jan 20, 2020 | Uncategorized

I am a big fan of requiring students to practice writing a rhetorical analysis essay. At first, it can be daunting. Even the word “rhetoric” can be difficult to explain at times. If you go step by step through the writing process, your students can master this skill. Plus, they can apply these skills to any essay they will have to write in the future! You can teach How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Step By Step!

7 Steps to Mastering a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

  1. Define rhetoric for your students: How can students even begin to think about writing a rhetorical analysis essay without even knowing the definition of rhetoric? Here is my definition: language that uses techniques and strategies for a specific purpose. (Check out this Rhetorical Appeals Chart, which includes the definition.) By defining the term, you are setting the stage for your students.
  2. Review rhetorical strategies: If I just say, “go write a rhetorical analysis essay,” I will overwhelm my students. If I have never taught various devices and strategies that writers use, my students will be lost. One easy way is to teach using a Rhetorical Appeals Chart. By defining and explaining LOGOS, PATHOS, and ETHOS, your students can start to understand how writers accomplish their goals. They can then learn to analyze other strategies and literary devices within the appeals. (Other devices might include imagery, tone, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, oxymoron, etc.) See this LIST for help!
  3. Choose a text to read with your students that they can handle: One of my favorite texts to teach is Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” It is an amazing SATIRE with plenty of devices (imagery, tone, irony, pathos, etc.) for your students to analyze. You will certainly want to read this text with your students, especially if they have not been exposed to satire before. The historical context and higher level language of Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” can be quite difficult for most adults. Now, for a simpler and smaller passage, try out Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” Middle and high school students will love her use of imagery, emotional language (pathos), an appeal to her credibility (ethos), etc.
  4. Read aloud, Think Aloud, and Annotate with your students: Too many times, we expect students to be able to understand what they read on their own. Most students need support and explicit instruction. When it comes to writing a rhetorical analysis essay, they need to be guided through the process. First, I suggest taking the time to read the text aloud whatever it is. As students hear you reading, they will more readily understand because of your fluency and tone. Second, I suggest a Think Aloud. When they hear you analyzing what you are reading out load, they will start to realize that they need to go through this process when they read to themselves. Lastly, annotate with your students. They usually have no idea what they are doing at first. Take the time to note the title, the context, the audience, the purpose, and the strategies the writer uses. Have them underline, circle, and highlight! Whatever they annotate, they can use in their essay 🙂
  5. Model how to plan your rhetorical analysis essay: So many times, after they have annotated, we just say, go write the essay. To bridge the gap, you can model what you want from them. You can start with an organizer that helps them focus on comprehending what they annotated. Try SPAUTS (Speaker, Purpose, Audience, Universal Idea, Tone, and Strategies). Students can then use all of these ideas in their essay!
  6. Use a Rhetorical Analysis Template when planning: Students first need a process that includes an reading comprehension organizer like SPAUTS. Then, you can further help with writing a thesis using a thesis template. For example, if you were writing an analysis of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” your thesis could look like this: In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards uses violent imagery, emotional language, and biblical allusions in order to convince his audience to accept Christ and change their ways. Notice: we have included the author, title, strategies, and purpose! Your template could look like the following: In ________________________(text), ________________(author) uses ______________, _______________, and _______________ in order to _________ (purpose verb) ________(audience) to ________________________________________________(universal idea). Check out my “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Rhetorical Analysis Pack!
  7. Provide a Sentence-By-Sentence Writing Guide as well as a model essay or body paragraph: I love to use templates. When students can go step-by-step, they will more readily write. It’s like having a blueprint for a house. Even AP or more advanced students need the help! So, what can we do? You can provide a template for what you want! I prefer a sentence-by-sentence guide. Students can choose to use it or not; however, I have noticed that good writers introduce their topic/focus, provide support, analyze their evidence and relate it to the purpose, and end with a reinforcement of their ideas.

By modeling what you want, you will more likely get what you want. This process also applies to writing a rhetorical analysis essay. Going through every step above is key to success. Here are some products that may make this process easier:

By Kristin Menke, The Integrated Teacher