Select a textbook. There are a number of great textbooks available to teach rhetoric and a textbook will help guide the class as well as allow you to format a syllabus and lesson plans that progress from the least to the most difficult. The textbook will allow you to introduce the concept of rhetoric and the different types of arguments and logical fallacies before proceeding to the basics of writing and composing their own arguments.
Provide your students with examples of arguments both from the textbook as well as real-world examples, such as newspaper and magazine articles. As you examine the arguments, have your students identify the thesis or main idea of the argument, how the author transitions from point to point, as well as how the argument is introduced and concluded. These four points will form the basis of their writing instruction. In addition to written arguments, have your students explore visual arguments such as advertisements, films and architecture.
Ask your students to respond to these arguments to practice their writing. These assignments should gradually increase your students' writing and rhetorical skills. Begin by having them respond to a written argument with one-sentence responses in order to introduce them to the construction of thesis statements. Next, have them create an outline of at least three points to support their thesis statement. The next step is to have them write introductory and concluding paragraphs for their arguments. Finally, have them put the entire thing together as a formal paper. After you have taught these elements, you can address smaller writing concerns such as grammar and style
Plan to spend at least one class at the beginning of the semester on academic research. Try to have this class in a library or computer lab where you can show your students how to use research databases and find reliable sources both in the library and on-line. An additional way to teach research skills is to assign an annotated bibliography, a list of sources with a brief summary of each source as well as the reason the source is important, based on the thesis statements they have created. Doing this earlier on in the semester will allow you to be sure that they are using reliable sources that actually address the arguments they will be making.