Category: Intro (Page 1 of 2)

READ “Understanding Discourse Communities” by Dan Melzer. Write a response to the questions below. Make sure to thoughtfully respond to the questions. Do not just write a few words in response, write a meaningful answer that is based in the text. Use evidence and examples from the text to support your thinking.

RESPOND to the post of at least ONE classmate! Use the tips for effective online discussions to help you with your response! Remember some of the probing questions!

• I agree or disagree with ____ because ____.
• What do you mean by ___ term?
• Could you clarify that remark/ comment / idea / concept?

READING QUESTIONS

1. What did you think of the piece? Be honest! Really! I want to know! Was it hard to understand? Interesting? Boring?
2. According to John Swale (and Dan Melzer) what features do all discourse communities have? (List all 6!)
3. What were the shared goals of Melzer’s guitar jam group? Explain! Provide an example!
4. What is a mechanism for intercommunication? What example does Melzer provide? Explain!
5. How does Melzer explain the idea of discourse communities having genres that further the goals of a discourse community? What genres did Melzer’s guitar jam group use to further their goals?
6. What does it mean for a discourse community to have a specific lexis? What is an example of the specific lexis (language) that Melzer’s guitar jam group used? Explain! Provide an example!
7. How do the beginners and experts in Melzer’s guitar jam group work together? Explain!
8. Can you think of a Discourse Community you might belong to?

Read “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Carroll and write response to the questions about the reading. Make sure to thoughtfully respond to the questions. Do not just write a few words in response, write a meaningful answer that is based in the text. Use evidence and examples from the text to support your thinking. Be prepared to discuss in class! 

Respond to at LEAST ONE Classmate!

READING QUESTIONS

• What did you think of the piece? Be honest! Did you find any parts interesting? Did you learn something new?
• Who do you think is the intended audience of the piece? Who is meant to read this text?
• What do you think is the purpose of this text? Why do you think the author wrote it?
• What are some examples of rhetoric that you see or hear on a daily basis?
• Think of one time you created rhetoric. What message were you trying to convey/ share?
• What is an example of a rhetorical situation you have found yourself in? Discuss the exigence, audience and constraints.
• Write down the definition of EXIGENCE, AUDIENCE, and CONSTRAINTS!

READ “Rhetoric and Genre Excerpt” by Elizabeth Wardle and Douglas P. Downs and write a response to the questions below. Make sure to thoughtfully respond to the questions. Do not just write a few words in response, write a meaningful answer that is based in the text. Use evidence and examples from the text to support your thinking. 

For example:

I liked this piece because I like how Wardle and Downs describe writing as a process. I had never thought of it that way before. They write, “Writing is a process. It takes time and practice. Writing that that are new to you, writing longer texts, and writing with new kinds of technology all take practice. And no matter how much you practice, what you write will never be perfect” (Wardle 16).  This is a helpful reminder to me as a writer. 

RESPOND  to at least one of your classmates! Read through the comments that your classmates post! Choose one to respond to! Write a thoughtful response. Some ideas of how to start (you don’t have to use these! just ideas!):

• Something you wrote that I really liked was….
• I liked [. __ ]  because
• I wanted to know more about [ __ ] because …
• What you wrote made me think about …..

READING QUESTIONS:

1. What did you think of the piece? Be honest! Really! My feelings won’t be hurt! Was it hard to read? Interesting? Was there something that really stood out to you?
2. Why do you think the author wrote this piece? Who is their intended audience? SUPPORT your answer with specific evidence from the text!
3. What do you think the authors mean when they say: “Writing helps people get things done, which makes writing powerful. But how and why particular writing does (or does not) work depends on who the people are, where they come from, what their goals are, what technologies they have available to them and the kids of texts (genres) they are writing” (Wardle 11). Do you agree or disagree with the statement. Explain!
4. Think about the different “rules” for writing that the authors describe. Describe two different situations when you applied different writing “rules.”
5. How do the authors describe the concepts of “rhetorical” and “rhetorical” situations?
6. What do the authors mean when they say that genres are like maps? What questions do the authors suggest you should ask when you find yourself reading a new genre?