Unit 1 Project: Studying Rhetoric on Instagram
(advice from professor)
be sure to read and thoroughly answer the promt
preferably no outside sources
I have added parentheses of where to find documents and additional details
if you have any questions please reach out
Use the work you have done so far in this unit to inform the development of a short textbook “chapter.” The genre of the textbook chapter functions as a means of bringing teaching into a book/article format. Our chapter will be shorter than what you might typically find in a book, but achieve the same goals. You will compose a 3-5 page piece in which you explain to an audience of first-year, college readers something about using Instagram to study rhetoric. Follow these steps:
Identify between 4-6 features of textbook chapters. One of your features should be a “reading,” in this case the reading will be an instagram posting (instagram postings from class included in files). You also need to include explanations–the sections where you teach readers through writing. Other features you might include are:
learning outcomes
key terms
exercises
figures
questions
summaries (often in bullets)
assignments
resources
Select which of these features you wish to include in your textbook.
Next, review several textbook chapters to get a feel for how these features work and the kinds of writing you might do to develop them.
Next, brainstorm about the concept(s) you wish to teach. Think of the FAQ you developed (I have provided this in files), your work with instagram (instagram coding reflection also in files), and what you feel most qualified to teach someone about related to instagram and writing (we have been learning about rhetorical devices; genre, audience, purpose, etc.). You might focus on reading visuals, how to conduct this kind of research, using instagram for promotion. You will want to pick one lesson to focus on.
Next, map out the organization for your chapter. You might start with learning outcomes, then move on to some explanations, then offer a reading, then more explanations about the reading, and then end with an exercise. You can use any combination of features; think about how putting them together will help you teach the concept(s).
Next, compose a draft of the chapter. Use an MS Word or Google document. As you work on features like key terms or questions, you will need to account for their formatting. You can use bullets. You may also want to add some design elements like icons or headings. For the explanations, the prose you produce will be key. Try to be thorough in covering what readers need to learn about the concept. At the same time, aim to be concise with the language. Shorter, more direct sentences work well for teaching concepts. Incorporate the reading, and then use explanations to use the reading as an example to teach the concepts. The reading will likely be incorporated as a screen shot that includes the image and the caption of the posting.
Bring your explanations and reading together with the various features you select. Once all the elements are assembled, review the chapter, making revisions and checking to see that it teaches the concept.
You can use AI for any of the project features other than the explanations. You should compose the explanations on your own. You can use AI to help polish the work in the later stages. Document your use of AI. You will include an AI use document with your submission.
Successful projects will:
teach readers something about using Instagram to study rhetoric
contain 4-6 textbook features that further the instruction of the chapter
include explanations that help readers understand the concepts involved with your lesson
include one or more Instagram postings that function as readings
discuss the readings in order to further the teaching of the concepts
ensure that explanations cover the concepts with concise prose
pay attention to the formatting of the features and use design (bullets, headings, etc.) to improve readability
document the use of any sources
document any uses of AI (include on the submission posting.)
