Courses: Rhetorical Criticism, Communication Theory, Communication Research Methods, Introduction to Communication Studies. Objectives: This is an introductory exercise that acquaints students with rhetorical criticism as a means of communication inquiry. By the end of the exercise, students will be able to: understand symbols as connected and contextual; define terms such as text, reading, criticism, and rhetoric; explain close reading and rhetorical criticism; and perform introductory-level rhetorical criticism.