Rhetoric II

Developing students into sound, talented rhetoricians is both difficult and time-consuming. This course intends to work carefully and thoroughly with students, giving them much opportunity for practice and application of the skills developed in Rhetoric I. Class size is considerably smaller to allow more extensive presentation time and individual attention. Consequently, the course price is higher. Rhetoric II is a course in the strategy and application of rhetoric. In this course students will learn to (1) observe rhetorical situations and assess which persuasive strategy is best for a given situation, (2) orient themselves to that situation given their rhetorical goals, (3) decide which course of action is wisest, (4) and act most effectively. This course will focus on the development of wisdom and skill over theory, and assumes a solid grounding in the rhetorical theory presented in Rhetoric I. Special attention will be paid to the rhetorical strategies of Jesus Christ during His ministry, as well as political developments in the United States over the past decade. This course is eligible for dual enrollment credit for junior and senior diploma students. Homework will average approximately 3 hours per week with a bit more when preparing a speech.