This article outlines a three-part pedagogy capable of responding to the risks, rewards, and headaches associated with public rhetoric and writing. To demonstrate the purchase of this pedagogy, I revisit one of the oldest and most misunderstood public rhetoric and writing assignments: the letter-to-the-editor assignment.

Public rhetoric pedagogy can benefit from an ecological perspective that sees change as advocated not through a single document but through multiple mundane and monumental texts. This article summarizes various approaches to rhetorical ecology, offers an ecological read of the Montgomery bus boycotts, and concludes with pedagogical insights on a…

Shows how students can be taught to recognize their own values and become sensitive to the values of others as expressed in their writing. (DD)

Explains the model of argument developed by the philosopher Stephen Toulmin and suggests how it may be used to teach written argument. (DD)

Presents a two-stage pedagogy to help students establish original policy arguments. The two steps are designed to help students arrive at their own policy arguments once they have carefully identified and assessed the arguments of others. (HTH)

Describes an approach to composition instruction in which the students are given a body of real or fictional evidence about a particular case and asked to interpret or explain it by means of a closely-reasoned argument. (HTH)

Describes how the four traditional kinds of writing (description, narration, exposition, and argumentation) are used in advertising and suggests ways that advertising and the four modes may be used to teach composition. (DD)

Acknowledging that the tradition of school rhetoric in the nineteenth century was narrow and restrictive, refutes the charge that nineteenth century rhetoricians lacked originality. (HTH)

Suggests ways in which principles of courtroom rhetoric can be used to increase students' skills in the invention, organization, and expression of arguments. Explains how fictional legal cases can serve as exercises in argumentation for college composition cases. Additional legal case assignments are appended. (HTH)

Presents a formula for essay writing that forces the student to adopt a point of view from which to analyze and evaluate an author's argument. The format also addresses the problem of organization and mechanics. (HTH)

An approach to composition, involving group efforts to formulate solutions to real-world problems, is described. (JH)

Writing parodies of advertising slogans can sensitize students to the emotional appeals of those slogans.

Examines Plato's characteristics of ideas and guidelines for definitions in rhetorical arguments. Discusses several classroom assignments based on Platonic rhetoric with emphasis on definitions. (HTH)