Visual Rhetoric

Ruth Suckow, a native Iowan from Souix City, says that the culture of Iowa is, "at its worst, timid, deprecating, wishy-washy, colorless, and idealistic in a mild fruitless way.  At its best, it is innocently ingenuous, fresh and sincere, unpretentious, and essentially ample with a certain quality of pure loveliness--held together and strengthened by the simplicity and severity of its hardworking farmer people."

Iowa Nice

Visual Analysis Activity

Your Task: In teams, create a one page advertisement (a flyer or poster) that explains an aspect of the Midwest (one specific place in it that you know well or the Midwest as a whole). Your audience are young people not from the Midwest. What could you tell them about this place if you had the chance? If you are from the region or have lived here a long time, you can use your expertise as a local to help inform your advertisement. If you are not from the Midwest, you have an equally strong, unique point of view. You can see this place differently than locals, and with your own fresh perspective.

Your task will include developing a central claim, and a strategy for how to explain that claim using this visual. Will you appeal to the logic of your audience? Their emotions? How will you enhance your credibility as the author of this visual?

Think about the visual techniques that may help you achieve an effective communication. How can you use composition, detail, color, repetition, and clarity to further your claim?

Use the second half of Chapter 14 in Everything's and Argument (p.451-465) to guide you. Make this advertisement on a power point slide, word document, or publisher document -whatever you are most comfortable using.

Share this finished visual with me as Google document. make sure to include your names. Be ready to share it with your classmates.

Homework

By Tuesday 1/31

1) Watch Annie Leonard The Story of Stuff- view online at http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=gLBE5QAYXp8. Be ready to discuss in class

2) Watch Grizzly Man. Links to online film are in the readings folder on Blackboard. The film is also on reserve in the Media Center of Parks Library, available for three hour check outs at a time. 


3) Work on assignment 2 DUE 2/9 posted to Blackboard by end of day