2 Election Ads Group Project

Learning Objectives

Course Objectives: “Develop and analyze arguments using logic and other appeals.” For this collaborative assignment (HIP), select a print, television, or video ad pertaining to the 2024 election. (Consider local, state, or national level.) As a group, identify the logical fallacies present in the ad. Do these impact the effectiveness of the ad? How do they do so? What rhetorical appeals are most prevalent? Then, create your own ad for this same candidate. Explain the choices you’ve made and how they improve on arguments of the original? Through this interactive assignment, students will learn to analyze rhetorical choices and apply them to their own project. 

Purpose/Rationale

Instructions

Select a print, television or video ad pertaining to the 2024 election at the local, state, or national level. (See the links on the course Blackboard for some ideas.) As a group, identify the logical fallacies present in the ad. Do these impact the effectiveness of the ad? How do they do so? What rhetorical appeals are most prevalent? What do you notice about the visual elements of the ad, based on our class discussions of visual rhetoric? Using your answers to these questions, create a 3-5-minute-long presentation using PowerPoint or other slides. You may choose to present to the class or create a video to present your information. Once you have finished part one of the assignment, create your own ad for this same candidate, doing your best to eliminate logical fallacies or other problematic elements. Explain in a paragraph (3-4 sentences) the visual and rhetorical choice that you’ve made and how they improve on the arguments of the original. You may create a print or video ad—have fun with this part! Video ads should be 30 seconds-1 minute long and print ads should be 1 page. 

Format Requirements

Students may choose to present their findings for part one of the assignment using a PowerPoint or other slideshow in front of the class, or they can create a video presentation. Presentations should be 3-5 minutes long. For part two, create a 30 second- or 1-minute video ad, or a one-page print format ad. 

Rubric/Criteria

Students will be graded based on a rubric that will address understanding of rhetorical concepts and logical fallacies, ability to work in a group, and general presentation requirements. Students will be given a formal rubric with the formal assignment guidelines. This assignment is worth 5% of the final grade.