Discussion of Documentary Films

I believe documentary film is a great tool to teach rhetorical knowledge and skill. Even without thinking about it, documentaries include many elements of rhetoric. Documentaries can use pathos, ethos, and logos to persuade their audience to feel a certain way. Whether the documentary is using facts or emotion, they are meant to get through to an audience. At the same time, documentaries are valid sources as they directly show information for what they are trying to persuade the audience about. Working with documentaries helped reframe my understanding of how to select good questions because they force you to make your own assumptions and opinions on the topic being discussed. I also think documentaries are a good way to teach writing to students because they are interesting. While some students may get bored from reading text all day, being able to watch a documentary on something that interests you is refreshing. It’s always nice to be able to enjoy the material that you have to do homework on because then it won’t feel like work. I believe using documentaries is a fun way to teach writing.