Project 2 outline

I thought that the section in the reading about conclusions was the most valuable part. I remember being taught to just re-state my thesis in the conclusion, but when you read any good writing, the conclusion is always more than that. A conclusion should open a topic up to readers to think about more rather than closing it down. That's why I will provide some thoughts on the effectiveness of Mckibben's rhetorical strategies in persuading the audience in the conclusion.
I'm planning to use a fairly unconventional structure for this essay. Because we are explaining how to write a rhetorical analysis in addition to writing a rhetorical analysis, I'm going to structure it as a meta-analysis of my own rhetorical analysis to show but also explain how it's done.

P1) I will start with a paragraph explaining what a rhetorical analysis is and how write one. I will then explain that later in the essay I'm going to do a rhetorical analysis of an article in our field.



P2) Here I will begin the actual rhetorical analysis of my article.

• Introduce topic, idea, and author of article. 
• Thesis: In his 2013 article titled "Obama and Climate Change: The Real Story", Bill Mckibben, a prominent climate activist and journalist, employs compelling and clear language to push for action. He uses shocking facts about the direness of our environmental situation, and potent language to emphasize that Obama has let us down when it comes to climate action. He ends with emotionally-charged stories of grassroots action and a hopeful tone for the future to leave readers feeling empowered to fight for change and pressure politicians into doing the right things.

P3) Focus on rhetorical context of article...

• Bill Mckibben's story and information relevant to the article
• Specific readership/audience of Rolling Stone Magazine: Liberal leanings.

P4) Shocking facts and stories... 

• They engage readers (especially those who care about the environment) emotionally.
• They provide an engaging narrative framework for the article
• They might be alienating to some readers who are already anti-environmentalist. 
• He uses these strategies to emphasize how weak Obama has been environmentally.

P5) Societal viewpoints on the topic: the shocking facts and stories are effective because people care about the environment right now. 

P6) Potent language

• Engages readers emotionally and build's Mckibben's credibility as a writer and authority on the topic.
• Gives mental image of the environmental destruction.

P7) He also uses emotionally-charged stories of grassroots movements at the end to give readers hope for change and empower them to fight for what's right.

• Importance of ending on a positive note in environmental journalism: Don't overwhelm people into inaction.

P8) Conclusion of Rhetorical Analysis:

• Say something interesting that I haven't already talked about to leave readers thinking. 
• Final reflection on effectiveness of Mckibben's rhetorical strategies in accomplishing his goal.

P9) Meta-analysis

• Explain how I went about the project process-wise (using examples from the essay that they just read), and how to identify the use of rhetorical strategies in a parer from our field.

Webb, Michaela. "Clouds" 2014

Reflection: I read Zayla and Austin's blog posts, and noticed that we did some things similarly. Austin and I both feel the same way about conclusions, and Zayla and I are both using a similar structure for our essays.