Rhetorical Devices: Improving Writing Strategy

1
Rhetorical Devices Improving Writing Strategy

• Objective As they prepare for the Unit 1
  benchmark (reading literature and writing
  narrative), students will be able to consider how
  rhetorical devices can be used to improve writing
  strategy
• Rhetorical devices can serve as transitional
  tools
• Rhetorical devices can aid in presentation of
  ideas
• Rhetorical devices can help to build cohesion
  and intention.
• As the students become familiar with rhetorical
  devices for strategy, in this case hyperbole,
  they will begin to include such devices in their
  own writing in order to fulfill the requirements
  for personal narrative writing as set forth on
  the CCSS narrative writing rubric.
• Do-Now Personal Narrative Writing. Underneath
  it all Be sure to include two strong examples
  of appositive phrases (opener, subject/verb
  split, or closer). Ten minutes. Go.

2
Consider these two statements

• What is causing the biggest problem is that
  there are over three billion people on the
  planet.
• This sentence merely states a fact.
• The planet is getting so crowded we may have to
  take turns sitting down.
• This sentence expresses the same idea, yet it is
  consciously exaggerated.

3
Hyperbole is the most popular and commonly used
rhetorical devices in the entire world of
rhetorical devices!

• It is also, however, the most overused rhetorical
  form. If you find yourself using hyperbole as a
  way to avoid using actual figures, or to fill
  space, rethink your strategy.

4
Hyperbole can be used when you want to make a
point strongly.

• There are more reasons for NASA to fund a trip
  to Jupiter than there are miles in the journey.
• Hyperbole helps to energize the statement and
  drive it home with gusto.

5
Hyperbole can help you to get your reader to snap
to attention and focus on what youre writing.

• At these words, the people became so silent you
  could hear a beating heart from across the room.
• Hyperbole can be used to break the trance your
  reader has fallen into. Often hyperbole, through
  metaphor, accomplishes this purpose best.

6
Hyperbole can be used to demonstrate the
difference between two things.

• Compared to the world during the last Ice Age, a
  Minnesota winter feels like spring in Hawaii.
• Note how hyperbole can be used to exaggerate
  differences.

7
Guided Practice Write a statement using
hyperbole about the following topics consider
the best and worst thing you could say about the
topic, then exaggerate your statement.

• Example My neighborhood is so boring that when
  a cat walks across the street, it draws a crowd.
• School in general
• A friends athletic ability
• The weather
• Your favorite or least favorite team
• A television show
• A musical group

8
Group work

• Exchange your responses to the guided practice.
  First, decide if each example works as hyperbole.
  Then, try to identify how each hyperbole is being
  used (e.g. to make a point strongly, as a wake up
  call, or to exaggerate differences.

9
Independent Practice

• Today you wrote In response to the prompt,
  Underneath it all You were asked to include
  two strong examples of appositive phrases
  (opener, subject-verb split, or closer). Read
  over your writing to see if you included
  hyperbole. If so, underline any clear hyperbolic
  statements. If not, you know the drill. Add at
  least two examples of hyperbole to your journal
  entry.

10

• The following lines represent the opening
  paragraph of Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon. For
  homework, write a response to these lines.
• 1. "The North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance
  agent promised to fly from Mercy" 2. "to the
  other side of Lake Superior at three o'clock. Two
  days before the event" 3. "was to take place he
  tacked a note on the door of his little yellow
  house" 4. "At 300 p.m. on Wednesday the 18th
  of February, 1931, I will take off from  Mercy
  and fly away on my own wings." 5. "Please
  forgive me. I loved you all. (signed) Robert
  Smith, Ins. agent