Chapter Seven
Explaining a Process: Cultures and Traditions
ii. Consider your rhetorical star and the qualities of an effective
process analysis.
b. Interpreting an advertisement
i. Determine the message ad’s artist conveys.
ii. Write a response to the advertisement.
c. Writing about an image
i. Consider the images in the chapter.
ii. Determine what cultural traditions are represented.
iii. Decide what process is being performed.
iv. Relate the images to your own culture and traditions.
d. Media connection for explaining processes
i. Watch, read, or listen to the suggested media from the text for
examples of process analysis.
ii. Exploring media may help you better understand methods for
explaining a process.
iii. Give credit to sources.
V. Analyzing the Rhetorical Star for Explaining a Process in Writing (pages 164-
166)
Learning Outcome 7-4: Analyze the rhetorical star for explaining a process.
a. Subject
i. Select a topic appropriate for a college-level audience.
ii. Make sure you are very familiar with the process you select.
iii. Ensure the process is not too easy or too difficult.
b. Audience
i. Determine who your readers are.
ii. Decide if you want readers to perform the process or to simply
understand it.
iii. Too much detail is better than too little, in case the audience is not
familiar with the process.
c. Purpose
i. Determine if you are instructing or informing.
ii. Instructional processes tell the reader how to make or do
something.
iii. Informative processes tell the reader how something works, how a
process is done, or how something is made.
iv. Keep your purpose in mind throughout the essay.
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