Rhetorical Analysis

The song, “A Plant Will Grow”, by Lauren Mayer is helpful to easily teach people about the basic structures of plants including the seed, stem, leaf and root. It clarifies the growing process of plants from planting the seed to growing out of the soil. It also describes specifically what is needed for plants to grow such as nutrients, sun, water, and air. The argument of this song is that plants undergo important processes and special structures which make them helpful to humans. Although this song is geared towards children, it can be useful to people who are unfamiliar with the growth process of plants. In three minutes, anyone can learn the basic functions and development of plants which makes this mode of learning very effective.

The video I chose from YouTube describes photosynthesis and how it is essential for plants and animals. It outlines how plants release oxygen into the atmosphere which is essential for humans. They also consume carbon dioxide which slightly cuts down on the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Plants also produce usable chemical energy from unusable light energy. The argument of the video is that plants naturally aid humans by converting gases and producing energy that can be used. Students, researchers, and environmentalists would be interested in watching this video. This video is short and to the point and would be very effective in displaying the importance of plants.

The book I chose was my Botany book from my Marine and Freshwater Botany course. It includes a variety of pictures and information on how plants grow; the structures and functions involved and complete basic plant information. It also includes the ecological importance of plants through medicine, food, oxygen, cosmetics, etc. The argument of the book is that plants can be used for a variety of consumer needs based on their structures and functions. The audience would be introductory botany students or anyone interested in the basics of plants. This mode of learning would be the least effective due to the large amount of information present.

My visual aid includes three pictures. The first picture displays plants in a mortar which will be ground up to produce medicine. The second picture illustrates how plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. The third picture shows a variety of vegetables that are plants which can be consumed by humans; lettuce, tomatoes, celery, peppers. Any audience would be interested in the value and aesthetics of plants as a consumer aid. The argument is that plants are important for human survival. This would be a very effective way to quickly outline the main ways plants are helpful.