Columbia College Chicago

Key Concepts

in Writing and Rhetoric

Resources for Instructors

Included here, arranged by key concept, are a variety of texts and videos that you may find useful in your classroom. You’ll note that some of them appear under more than one concept, simply illustrating our point that it makes most sense to teach these concepts in clusters.

After the list of key concepts, you’ll find some resources specifically for teaching WRII, some General Suggestions, and how to Find Support beyond this site.

We will update this page periodically. If you have suggested resources or activities, please consider contributing them via our faculty Moodle forum or on the PWR Facebook page. We will pull from those sites to update this page. Where possible, we included the name of the instructor who originally shared the resource so that you can contact them to follow up on how they used it. Thank you!

AffordancesC-Span’s Viral Video Moment (from Jennie Fauls)New Zelda Game (from Jennie Fauls)Lesson Plan: Beyoncé’s Lemonade (from Pegeen Reichert-Powell)How Design Teaches Us Without WordsAffordances MatterWhat is a Mode?Alphabetic TextHow Texas Teaches History (from Katrina Kemble)If Chinese Were Phonetic (from Jennie Fauls)Design and Ethos of Popular Typefaces (from Toni Nealie)Stop. Using. Periods. Period. (from Pegeen Reichert Powell)Font MenWord as ImageThe Noun ProjectArrangementLesson Plan: Beyoncé’s Lemonade (from Pegeen Reichert-Powell)Keeping an Eye on Recruiter BehaviorCirculationWhy Videos Go Viral (from Kathryn Bergquist)Lesson Plan: Beyoncé’s Lemonade (from Pegeen Reichert-Powell)Know Your MemeEthos#BlacksLivesMatter Website Statement (from Jennie Fauls)Design and Ethos of Popular Typefaces (from Toni Nealie)Lesson Plan: Beyoncé’s Lemonade (from Pegeen Reichert-Powell)FieldThe Godfather, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, and More Influences on Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad.From Hopper to John Ford here are some of the the creative influences in Better Call Saul. This could be used in a discussion of how the concept of Field can be applied not only to academic subjects, but also to the inspiration reflected in creative work. Field could refer to the creative leaders in certain genres.To pay homage to prior work, is to contribute to a larger conversation. It taps into a cultural consciousness created by seminal work. Knowing what important films, albums, or books have preceded your own, can help make you, as an artist, vital in your field. It not only provides inspiration, but also helps an artist participate in a larger conversation. (from Amanda Marbais)GenreRecut Mary Poppins TrailerCould also be used for Remix. Exposes genre conventions both in film (horror, musical) and in the genre of movie trailers. Subverts expectations of genre. (from Amanda Marbais)A genre-bending obituaryImageSerena Williams Recites Maya Angelou’s I Rise / BBC (linked source is Entertainment Tonight) (from Amanda Marbais)Isaac Mizrahi on Fashion and Creativity Ted talkFirst five minutes on inspiration from image as research. (from Amanda Marbais)WordsWords as ImageThe Noun ProjectKairosGoogle trendsRemixAdaptation and Faust (from Kathryn Bergquist)Nothing Is Original (from Jennie Fauls)Stars Wars: The Force Awakens is the Apex of Remix Culture (from Jennie Fauls)Game Of Thrones Opening Scene Remix (from Jennie Fauls)Recut Mary Poppins Trailer (from Amanda Marbais)Everything is a Remix Part IEverything is a Remix Part IIEverything is a Remix Part IIIEverything is a Remix Part IVRIP: A Remix Manifesto