As an experiment, I am putting up some audio of me talking about modules. My first effort is a 15-minute talk about my mini-module, “Stasis Theory: Asking the Right Questions.”
In discussing stasis theory, I reference two other posts on this blog:
Modifying Stasis Theory for the Classroom
If I get good feedback on this, I will do more.
Update: One of my friends told me that the touch of reverb I had added to this was distracting, so I took it out. Now it is just my voice, plan and simple.
Thank you! I’m just prepping to teach your mini unit and this was a nice intro for me… might even play it for my students as an intro.
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I’ve used this mini-module for years because almost all rhetoric texts short-change stasis theory. HS students are far too often misled into believing the key organizing principle for writing arguments is the paragraph.
When they can see how op-ed columnists use stasis theory to shape their essay-length arguments, they have a much easier time letting go of all the rules & prohibitions that stifle their rhetorical thinking.
It’s surprisingly simple: columnists almost always open with a central claim of fact, definition or, more frequently, quality (value). They then support that position with a line of reasoning blending claims from nearly all stasis categories — and they invariably conclude with a policy claim.
Hermagoras himself said a speaker must convince the audience to see an issue as a problem before calling them to action. As resistant as I am to formulaic writing, the truth is, stasis theory is THE formula for producing effective arguments.
Thank you for making the theory more accessible and for promoting its value!