Visual Argument from a Research Topic

In your research paper, you used visual rhetoric in conjunction with your written argument; however, the text-heavy nature of the traditional research paper continues to privilege the written word over images. For this assignment, you will invert this power structure and construct an argument based on your research topic in which the visual is the dominant mode of discourse. The images you use in your visual argument may be identical to the ones you use in your paper, may be a subset of the ones you use in your paper, or may be completely different from those that you use in your paper – as long as the topic is the same. Relatedly, your argument may mirror that in your research paper, or you may narrow your focus to produce a more powerful piece of visual rhetoric.

There are many forms that this final assignment might take: it might be a poster; an electronic or print photo essay; it might be an op-ad; it might be a web-page or linked hypertext document; it might be a dynamic montage created with PowerPoint, Windows Movie Maker, or i-Movie. Browse the Student Writing on the Web through the Envision Website for ideas. Choose the medium that will be most appropriate and persuasive given your topic/argument. When you have decided on the medium for your argument, use the strategies in the At a Glance boxes in Chapter 8 for advice on constructing your visual argument.

In addition to thinking about the medium, you should consider how you will use images and words in your visual argument. Will you use one image or several? Will you juxtapose them for contrast? Arrange them to create a story or narrative? Photoshop them for added effect? How will you use words? As a frame (in a photo essay, you might introduce a series of images with one caption)? As a running sidebar (so that the photos and the words work in parallel)? As captions (relying principally on hybrid visual-verbal discourse)? What is key is that your form and your visual-verbal relationship be appropriate for your topic and argument.

Create a draft of your visual argument and exchange with a peer review partner. Meet to discuss the effectiveness of your argument as a piece of visual rhetoric and to suggest revisions.

Having revised your visual argument, submit it to a class visual rhetoric exhibit. Remember, this will be an exhibit, not an oral presentation, so you will not be introducing your visual argument – it must speak for itself.

However, after the exhibit, write a 1 page reflection letter in which you reflect on the reception of your argument (in peer review and then in the class exhibit), on your rhetorical decisions in creating your text, and on your thoughts for future revisions. At the end your reflection letter, you should append a list of sources (in MLA format)for the images that you use in your project.