This document is a cover letter and rhetorical analysis of Sir Ken Robinson's 2006 TED Talk on how schools kill creativity. The analysis examines the rhetorical features of Robinson's speech, including its context, purpose, assumptions, arguments, and intended audience. The student analyzes how Robinson uses anecdotes and humor to engage the audience while making the case that current educational systems over-emphasize academics at the expense of creativity and other talents. The analysis aims to understand the rhetorical strategies and effectiveness of Robinson's key argument that schools must change how they value and incorporate creative subjects and abilities.

1. 5
Ziyue Yin
ENGL 111
Professor Sooyoung Chung
12 November 2015
How schools kill creativity
Cover Letter:
The purpose of this draft is to provide a rhetorical
analysis of a speech made by Sir Ken Robison at a TED Talks
conference in 2006. For this analysis, the audience will consist
of my fellow classmates and the instructor. The setting for the
analysis is the class, with the presenter standing before the
seated comrades. The issue presented by Sir Ken Robison is a
very important one; it warrants deeper thought and a paradigm
shift on how we structure our educational systems. Robinson
describes how the current school system has been designed to
suppress other talents that people may possess which do not
have value in the corporate world. This current state of affairs
was plausible in the nineteenth century when not many people
graduated from universities and occupation were plenty.
Currently universities are producing more graduates than
corporations can take in. The world and the education systems
cannot continue operating like this, we must learn to value other
talent that people may have and cultivate them to create a better
tomorrow.
Rhetorical analysis
The subject of the analysis is “how school kills
creativity”. Throughout the world, all schools operate in a
similar manner. They value mathematics, sciences, and

2. languages over art subjects such as drawing, music, and dance.
This limits the expression of other talents that children may
possess. The current school system purposed to meet the needs
of an industrialized world. Technological innovation means that
computers are taking up more roles once performed by humans.
In the next thirty years, the world is going to be at a dilemma as
degrees will be essentially worthless. Because schools suppress
creativity and imagination, people will have few alternatives to
finding work. Because of this, we must change how we perceive
education.
The purpose of the topic is to inspire thought, to
encourage us to have an open mind as to what is important in
the world. In his speech, Sir Ken Robison issues a very thought
provoking statement “If all the insects disappear from the
world, the word will collapse in 50 years, if all the humans
disappear from the earth all other life forms will flourish in 50
years”. He uses this to try to provide perspective as to what
really matters in the world. We should not aspire to spend huge
amounts of time under schools only to end up at nine to five
jobs. We should aspire to reach the zenith of our potential by
exploring and mastering our talents.
The issue at hand is the cumulative suppression of
talents, creativity, and imagination by a school system
structured to only value academic ability. This broken system
must be changed soon to avoid creating calamity and dilemma
in the future. The context of Sir Ken Robison’s speech is the
current educational system, a system that has remained rigid for
many decades even in the face of a changing world. The current
education structure throughout the world is no longer serving its
purpose.
Sir Ken Robison makes the argument against schools and
their impact on creativity and imagination. He is a renowned
education advocate who advices governments and seminars
throughout the world. The speech in question was delivered
during a Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED)
seminar. This is a conference where people deliver their ideas to

3. the world. His speech was intended to educational institutions,
policy makers, and universities (Sirkenrobinson.com).
The main point that Sir Ken Robison makes is that
educational systems should start valuing and incorporation more
creative abilities and subjects in the classroom. Currently most
people never get to discover their talents because the knowledge
that they possess was enforced on them. This was at the expense
of other talent that they may possess. The argument that Sir Ken
Robison makes is one of policy. Changing the attitudes and
structures surrounding education requires input from policy
makers. His is an impassioned plea to policy makers. He is
urging them to appreciate creativity and imagination in today’s
school systems. The changing demands of the world require
this.
Sir Ken Robison is a successful orator; he structures his
arguments around a series of humorous personal anecdotes that
serve to keep the audience in thrall while at the same time
diving home his points (Sirkenrobinson.com). The assumptions
made by Sir Ken Robison in presenting his arguments are, all
people pass under the same educational structure, all
educational systems throughout the world are similar,
educational systems have been crafted to value mathematics
and sciences above other subjects. These assumptions are
mostly true for different countries throughout the world and are
a reasonable basis for propping up the assertion that schools kill
creativity.
Sir Ken Robison presents himself in a knowledgeable and
respectable manner. He is a renowned expert on educational
matter having at different times in his life chaired educational
institutions and panels on creativity. He has an approachable
character and way of speaking that encourages one to indulge in
his views. While presenting his opinions he also shows respect
for conflicting opinions.
In presenting his thesis that schools kill creativity, Sir
Ken Robison states that school suppress the art subjects, as one
grows up they are given lesser precedence. These are the

4. subjects most apt to foster and cultivate creativity in children.
In supporting his opinion, Sir Ken Robison gives an anecdote
about Gillian Lynne, a legendary choreographer and dancer. In
her formative years, Gillian was not good in school but
intervention from her parents found and nurtured her dancing
talents (Gillianlynne.com). Robinson argues that schools should
be structured to appreciate more of these talents and not
suppress them. The speaker wants us express more interest in
his topic. He uses humor to evoke interest in the matter.
Sir Ken Robison’s speech is one sided in that it does not
present us with conflicting opinions. We are only able to
analyze the situation from one perspective. This is one
weakness in his argument. He is however successful in
demonstrating how schools kill creativity and how this state of
affairs cannot suffice in a changing world.
References
Gillianlynne.com,. 'Gillian Lynne - Biography'. N.p., 2015.
Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Robinson, Ken. 'Ken Robinson, Speaker, TED.Com'. Ted.com.
N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Sirkenrobinson.com,. 'Website and Blog of New York Times
Best Selling Author of "The Element", TED Speaker, Education
and Creativity Expert | Sir Ken Robinson'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11
Nov. 2015.

5. WRITING PROJECT 2: Analysis — Rhetorical Analysis
Description & Steps
Consult CHAPTER 8 of Writing: Ten Core Conceptsto develop
and complete your project. (You may also need to consult
CHAPTER 3, as directed by the steps in CHAPTER 8.) Below
are specific details related to this project to consider as you
progress through each core writing concept.
1
Explore
the Topic
For this project, you will return to the CORE READING you
wrote about in Writing Project 1 and write a rhetorical analysis
of that core reading. This time you will analyze its rhetorical
features—paying attention to its rhetoricalsituation, its use of
persuasive appeals or proofs, as well as linguistic and rhetorical
elements such as language, writing style, structure or
organization, imagery, etc.—in order to address and answer
“three main questions” about the core reading:
· “What are the main [rhetorical] features” of the core reading?
· “How do those features affect the intended audience” for the
core reading?
· “Why did the writer include those features” and write the core
reading in the ways he or she did? (Yagelski 212)
Step 1 of CHAPTER 8 will guide you as develop questions

6. about the rhetorical features of your core reading. Besides
CHAPTER 8, you should also consult Learning Activities in
Class Session 5 and Sessions 3 & 4 Class Discussion about the
core readings to deepen your thinking and prepare for your first
draft.
2
Examine rhetorical context
For this project, your audience will consist of your instructor
and other members of the class. To develop a rhetorical context
for this project, specifically describe your Audience, Time,
Place, and Purpose from Step 2 in CHAPTER 3 as well as the
“Examine the Relevance” questions in Step 2 of CHAPTER 8.
What you write for Step 2 will be your situation analysis, which
you will submit as part of your first draft, due in Class Session
5. See Assignment Specifics, below, for information on writing
the situation analysis.
3
Select a medium
Your medium for this project will be a formal academic
manuscript and must meet the guidelines listed below.
Instruction on these guidelines can be found in CHAPTERS 24
or 25 of our textbook and at the Purdue OWL website (links in
Resources).
· Minimum 750 words for the first draft; minimum 1000 words
for the final draft; both drafts double-spaced in 12-point Times
New Roman font
· Formatted according to either APA or MLA style (as specified
by your instructor).
· Use of correct in-text citations of any ideas or information

7. borrowed from source, including the core reading.
· A formal list of all sources (a References list for APA or a
Works Cited list for MLA) used, including the core reading you
selected, following APA or MLA style guidelines.
4
Have something
to say
Step 4 of CHAPTER 8 will guide you as you develop a central
claim or thesis statement for your rhetorical analysis as well as
help you select an analytical framework for your draft. The
framework will help you analyze your CORE READING and
support your thesis statement. Keep in mind that your thesis
statement may incorporate more than one framework.
5
Back up what you say
In this step, you will begin to write a first draft for this project,
due in Class Session 5. This draft isn’t complete, though, until
you’ve applied ideas you developed in Step 6.
To back up what you say, you will analyze your CORE
READING using the framework(s) you chose in Step 4. You
will also use quotations and paraphrases from the core reading
you selected to support your claims about the text’s rhetorical
features.
In addition, you will find and use one outside source that you
discover through the Ivy Tech Virtual Library databases,
applying the knowledge you learned in the IvyTilt Modules in
Session 4 to find one additional relevant source. This source
might be…

8. · an article about the author of the core reading;
· an article about the core reading itself;
· an article that provides information relevant to the core
readings’s content and/or rhetorical situation;
· another text by the same author that uses similar or different
rhetorical strategies; or
· an article about the same subject as the core reading that may
use different or similar rhetorical techniques to deal with the
subject.
This additional outside source does not need to be the major
focus of your discussion. Instead, use it to shed light on or
supplement one or more of your points about the author and
his/her rhetorical strategies.
Use at least 10 quotations and/or paraphrases from the core
reading and/or your additional source. ALL quotations and
paraphrases, no matter how many you use, and ALL sources
used, must be correctly cited following APA or MLA style
guidelines (as specified by your instructor).
6
Establish form and structure
Follow this step to develop your organizational strategy for
your composition.
TURN IT IN: After you have applied your organizational
strategy to your first draft, you’re ready to submit your
situation analysis and first draft in Class Session 5. See
Assessment Specifics, below, for information on completing and
turning in the first draft and situation analysis.
7
Get feedback

9. Students will conduct peer response in Class Session 6, where
you will find instructions on how to conduct peer response.
After you receive feedback from your peers in class, you will
need to review this feedback and develop a strategy for how to
apply that feedback to a revision of your first draft.
8
Revise
Follow this step to revise your first draft. Keep in mind that
your revision of the first draftshould incorporate peer response
feedback you received from your peers as well as guidance
offered in Step 8 of CHAPTER 8.
Along with your final draft, you will submit a cover letter,
describing and explaining the feedback you received from your
peers and how you revised your first draft based on that
feedback and on Step 8. See Assignment Specifics, below, for
information on writing the cover letter.
9
Strengthen your voice
In this step, you will think about and make changes to yourdraft
based on language choices: developing your voice, tone, and
writing style in the draft. Chapter 19 of Writing: Ten Core
Concepts offers a number of stylistic considerations. These
kinds of changes may also be discussed in your cover letter.
10
Make it correct

10. In this step, you will look for errors in grammar, punctuation,
and spelling and correct them. You will also look to confirm
that you correctly cited your sources and correctly formatted
your draft according to APA or MLA style and make any
necessary corrections. Do NOT discuss these kinds of changes
in your cover letter.
TURN IT IN: After you applied this step, you’re ready to
submit your cover letter and final draft in Class Session 7. See
Assessment Specifics, below, for information on completing and
turning in the final draft and cover letter.
WRITING PROJECT 2: Analysis—Rhetorical Analysis
Assessment Specifics & Grading Rubrics
The following provides specific information for completing and
submitting your project assignments – the situation analysis and
first draft, due in Class Session 5, and the cover letter and final
draft, due in Class Session 7.
FIRST DRAFT - Due in Class Session 5 (15 points)
1.
Situation Analysis Specifics
· Minimum 150 words (successful analyses are often longer)
· Following Step 2 in CHAPTER 3, analyze and specifically
describe your Audience, Time, Place, and Purpose of your draft
and answer the “Examine the Relevance” questions in Step 2 of
CHAPTER 8.
· NOTE: Your audience consists of other members of this class
and your instructor
· Place the situation analysis at the beginning of your first draft,
before the first page of your actual composition
2.
First Draft Specifics
· A Rhetorical Analysis of the core reading you wrote about for
Writing Project 1
· Clear identification, early in the draft, of the core reading by
full author name and full article title (following MLA or APA

11. style for formatting titles) and brief overview of its content
(This is usually part of the introduction.)
· Clearly developed thesis statement making a claim about the
purpose or effectiveness of rhetorical features of the core
reading
· Well-reasoned analysis of the core reading’s rhetorical
strategies, supported with evidence
· Use of at least one additional source found using the Ivy Tech
Virtual Library databases.
· Use of at least 10 quotes and/or paraphrases of the core
reading and/or your outside source, cited using correct in-text
citations
· APA or MLA manuscript style, as specified by your instructor,
with in-text citations and a References or Works Cited list
including ALL sources used. (References or Works Cited list
does not count in the minimum word-count requirement)
· Observation of the conventions of Standard English
· 750 words minimum for first draft (the minimum 150 words
for the situation analysis is not included in this count)
First Draft Rubric
Criteria
Points
Effective situation analysis, minimum 150 words
5
Complete draft with introduction including clear thesis
statement, body, and conclusion—minimum 750 words
5

12. Correct APA or MLA formatting, as specified by instructor,
including correct APA References page or MLA Works Cited
page; use of at least 10 quotes or paraphrases, using correct
APA or MLA in-text citations
5
TOTAL
15 points
FINAL DRAFT - Due in Class Session 7 (120 points)
1.
Cover Letter Specifics
· Minimum 150 words (successful cover letters are often longer)
· Address letter to your instructor
· Describe, explain, and (where applicable) provide brief,
specific examples of the following in your cover letter:
· The feedback you received from your peers and how you
revised your first draft based on that feedback
· The content you have changed to address Step 8 above,
improve the composition, and appeal to your audience
· How you think the changes above have improved your draft
· Discuss any problems you encountered in your revisions and
how you solved them
· Place the cover letter at the beginning of your final draft,
before the first page of your actual composition; delete the
situation analysis
2.
Final Draft Specifics
· A Rhetorical Analysis of the core reading you wrote about for

13. Writing Project 1
· Clear identification, early in the draft, of the core reading by
full author name and full article title (following MLA or APA
style for formatting titles) and brief overview of the article’s
content (This is usually part of the introduction.)
· Clearly developed thesis statement making a claim about the
purpose or effectiveness of rhetorical features of the core
reading
· Well-reasoned analysis of the core reading’s rhetorical
strategies, supported with evidence
· Use of at least one additional source found using the Ivy Tech
Virtual Library databases.
· Use of at least 10 quotes (words, phrases, or key sentences)
and/or paraphrases (key details or ideas rephrased in your own
words), of the core reading and/or your additional outside
source, cited using correct in-text citations
· APA or MLA manuscript style, as specified by your instructor,
with in-text citations and a References or Works Cited list that
includes ALL sources used. (References or Works Cited list
does not count in the minimum word-count requirement)
· Observation of the conventions of Standard English
· 1000 words minimum for final draft (the minimum 150 words
for the cover letter is not included in this count)
Final Draft Rubric
Criteria
Description
Points

14. Cover Letter
Effective cover letter, describing peer feedback, explaining
how peer feedback was implemented, and explaining how these
changes improved the draft
10
Thesis
Clear thesis that makes a claim about the purpose or
effectiveness of rhetorical features analyzed in the core reading
10
Introduction/
Conclusion
Introduction attempts to express relevance of the analysis to the
audience. Conclusion effectively summarizes the content and
conveys the significance of the analysis to the audience.
10
Organization
Organization is supported with helpful and effective transitions
and with coherent arrangement.
10
Analysis
Effective rhetorical analysis of core reading demonstrated, with
sufficient evidence used to support the thesis
30
Style
Voice, tone, and stance are appropriate and effective for
material, purpose, and audience. Style is clear, consistent, and
cohesive, appealing appropriately to the intended audience.
10
Conventions

15. Clear control of language conventions with few distracting
typos or errors
10
Evidence and citations
Appropriate use of at least 10 quotes (words, phrases, or key
sentences) and/or paraphrases (key details or ideas rephrased in
your own words) from the core reading and/or additional
outside source, cited using correct in-text citations
10
Outside Source
Use of at least one relevant additional source found using the
Ivy Tech Virtual Library databases. The writer’s voice is
discernable from the author of the source and discussion of
source information is discernable from source information
itself.
10
Document style
Correct document format in APA or MLA style, as specified by
your instructor, including correct References page (APA) or
Works Cited page (MLA)
10
TOTAL
NOTE: Proportional points may be deducted for final drafts that
do not meet minimum word counts.
120 points