High School Rhetoric and Research
Reflections on Time Management
"Welcome to a gold mine of insights into strategies for how to have more energy, be more relaxed, with more clarity and presence in the moment with whatever you're doing, and get a lot more accomplished with much less effort." -David Allen, Getting Things Done
"The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short." -Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks
These are the opening lines of two very different (but both best-selling) books on time management.
How can two intelligent writers and researchers exploring the same topic come to such different conclusions?
That's what this class is all about.
Explore Conflicting Perspectives
If perspectives are split between A and B, there's a good chance that true understanding lies somewhere between them — not in the middle, but in the work of moving back and forth with meaningful exploration in mind.
The goal of exploring conflicting conclusions is not to arrive at a nice, happy medium. You may well come out solidly in favor of one side or the other, but the work you've done of understanding them both will make you a stronger advocate and a more convincing rhetorician.
Learn Critical Thinking and Research Skills
This class is designed to provide high schoolers with college-prep research skills. In addition to carefully reading and taking notes on two books, learners will conduct research of their own with support to evaluate and select sources.
Communicating Ideas Clearly
After the research piece is completed, writers will use what they've learned for two different purposes.
First, they'll complete a "dissoi logoi," an ancient rhetorical exercises that involves exploring conflicting viewpoints fairly and accurately without showing favor to any specific perspective.
Finally, they'll take all that they've learned and their own opinion on the subject to craft something that meaningfully communicates their own ideas effectively. A infographic? A video? A planner? It's up to them!
Course Details
Schedule: February 2-May 16, 2026 with live meetings on Wednesdays at 11am Eastern. (No meetings or assignments due the week of March 23 (Spring Break).
If a learner cannot attend a session due to illness or a schedule conflict, they will still have access to all class materials and can check in with the instructor with any questions.
Time Commitment
Most learners can expect to spend 5-7 hours per week (including the live meeting) working on class materials.
(This class will meet or exceed 60 hours of coursework to count as 0.5 credits of high school ELA).
Supplies
- To participate successfully in class, learners will need the following:
- Copies of the following books:
- Getting Things Done by David Allen (978-0-14-312656-0)
-
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman (978-0-37-415912-2)
(Note: It is highly recommended that learners have their own copies of the physical book that they can annotate as they read. Learners who prefer audiobooks may want to have a combination of audio and print copies. Learners will need to cite specific lines and passages frequently.) (Bookshop Link)
- Microphone and camera for in-class participation
- PDF Reader
- Zoom (free account)
- Learners will submit work through Google Drive (a Google (Gmail) account can be acquired for free)
- Copies of the following books:
Assignments Open Each Week
In order to allow for learners and their families to have the flexibility they need, assignments open at the beginning of each week and are due at the end of that week. Learners can complete work at whatever time works best for them throughout the week.
Evaluation and Records
At the beginning of class, families will have the option to opt into numerical grading. All learners will receive a detailed class wrap-up report suitable for inclusion in a portfolio. All students receive detailed feedback (including video feedback) on major assignments.
Content Notes
Four Thousand Weeks derives its title from the average human lifespan and is very straightforward about the finitude of life. It gets very philosophical. While some readers find this refreshing and inspiring, others may find that reflection on life's relative shortness distressing.
Is this the right fit?
This is an advanced high school class. Learners will do best if they have the following skills:
- Can write about 1500 words (6 pages) on a single topic confidently
- Can integrate direct quotes and paraphrases smoothly into writing
- Can locate and evaluate sources for credibility and relevance
- Confidently reads texts at or above ~1100L on the Lexile rating
This class is a good fit for high schoolers who are confident in constructing essays over multiple drafts and have a solid writing process.
Finding the Right Challenge
Writers who have not had much experience writing academic essays would likely benefit from a High School Writing class before taking this one.
Skills Gained
We will practice in-depth research and critical thinking skills as well as constructing complex informative essays and a multimodal rhetorical text.
Students will gain the following skills:
- Exploring advanced reading and note-taking strategies
- Sustained attention to a single topic over multiple weeks
- Finding and evaluating sources for relevance and creativity
- Writing a complex informative text that explores multiple perspectives on the same topic
- Crafting rhetorical arguments through multimodal exploration
Meet Your Teacher!
