Rhetoric 2/Senior Thesis (H)
Rhetoric 2/Senior Thesis is designed to be a capstone experience for Wilson Hill seniors. The course represents the culmination of the student’s training in the arts of grammar, dialectic and rhetoric, and it provides the student the opportunity to demonstrate, in a public and formal manner, his or her learning on a particular topic of interest. The spirit of the Senior Thesis endeavor is celebratory: while the project demands rigor and consistent effort over the course of the student’s senior year, the defining mark of this course is a celebration of what the student has accomplished in his or her academic career.
Topics include: the fundamental terminology, concepts and principles of classical rhetoric; presentation skills; various aspects of academic research, including how to discern reliable sources, how to find and use electronic (internet-based) sources and how to read texts strategically and analytically; planning, organizing and developing a 12–15-page formal thesis-driven academic essay; condensing the essay into a 500–700-word blog post; and presenting and defending a thesis to a broad audience.
Prerequisites: Rhetoric 1 or permission of the instructor
Homework Habits: Students typically spend 3 hours a week designing, researching and writing their senior thesis projects.
Suggested Grade Level: 12