Discuss classical appeals of rhetoric through the speeches of Winston Churchill and FDR. Learners read, annotate, and analyze the speeches by the men before using a graphic organizer to track the use of ethos, pathos, and logos. 

Rhetoric from Aristotle (logos, pathos, and ethos) to the rhetorical triangle (audience, speaker, subject) and SOAPSTone (speaker, occasion, audience, purpose, subject, tone) here’s a presentation about the art of rhetoric that will...

Jump back into expository writing and analysis at the start of a new school year! Start with a review of an authors' stylistic choices in diction, syntax, treatment of subject matter, and figurative language. Writers choose a text to...

A graphic organizer is employed to help sixth graders determine author's point of view and word choice. They listen to, read, and watch portions of the "I Have a Dream Speech" taking word choice and author's craft into deep...

New ReviewWhere have all the activists gone? Class members compare 21st-century activism with the suffrage movement and the work of Susan B. Anthony. They begin by examining Anthony's biography and speeches to find evidence that her words and...

Add all of the pieces to complete the puzzle. Scholars take all of the knowledge they gained from the past 25 lessons and apply it to an end-of-the-unit writing assignment. Pupils write multi-paragraph essays comparing author's point of...

Scholars enter the midpoint of the unit and connect all previous 16 lessons about the text "Of Our Spiritual Strivings." They complete a Mid-Unit Assessment that requires a multi-paragraph response to a writing prompt. 

It's time to put it all together! Using the resource, scholars complete an end-of-unit assessment. They write a multi-paragraph essay, comparing either Audre Lorde's "From the House of Yemanjá" or "An Address by Elizabeth Cady Stanton"...

Virginia Woolf didn't believe a woman could have written Shakespeare's works. Using the resource, scholars engage in a silent discussion to analyze how Woolf uses rhetoric to convey her point of view in A Room of One's Own. Pupils write...

It's time to think deep and narrow. Scholars focus close reading on one short text but task take their thinking to a deep level. Readers use a Rhetorical Analysis Chart to analyze The Gettysburg Address and determine how Lincoln used...

Elie Wiesel's Nobel Prize Acceptance speech provides young historians with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to use evidence from the speech. They work together to analyze how Wiesel uses rhetorical devices and syntax to...

Using the engaging resource, scholars work with peers to research a lawsuit or proposed bill and write collaborative response essays. Additionally, pupils read a letter and complete a RAFT activity to analyze the author's role, audience,...

What is freedom, and why is it so important to Americans? Using a graphic organizer, scholars make connections between the United States Bill of Rights and a speech about freedom by Franklin D. Roosevelt. As a culminating activity,...

A person doesn't have to be an adult to make a difference!  Scholars take a close look at a speech from a 16-year-old girl. They discuss her word use, answer guided questions in groups, and complete a rhetorical tracking tool. Readers...

It is and it is not. Scholars take a look at how these words impact Eleanor Roosevelt's speech in which she tries to persuade the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Readers take note of rhetoric and figurative...

Scholars read the final paragraphs written by Martin Luther King Jr. in "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Readers work in groups to discuss King's word choice and point of view by completing graphic organizers. They also respond to a...

Some things are worth doing again. Scholars take a look to see which ideas Martin Luther King Jr. revisits and refines in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." To help with the process, readers answer guided questions, look at word...

Just read between the lines. Scholars analyze the use of rhetorical devices in a letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. by first having a discussion with guided questioning. They then complete a rhetorical impact tracking tool before...

Take your place in the world—or the text. Scholars look at how the placement of a particular paragraph adds to the meaning of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. Before working on a quick write activity, readers...

Choose your words carefully. Martin Luther King Jr. carefully chooses his words to provide evidence to support his claim about segregation. Scholars work in pairs to discuss previous lessons, complete homework assignments, determine his...

Readers analyze paragraphs from the "Letter From Birmingham Jail" and determine King's purpose and how he supports it. Scholars discuss given questions with their peers, learn new vocabulary words, and complete a quick writing prompt.

Rhetoric is the key to character. Scholars work through four activities using documentary films to complete rhetoric analysis. Learners participate in writing a note to a friend and then analyze their own writing. They also view clips...

The power to convince others of your argument lies in your knowledge of rhetoric! A thorough packet covers the basics of persuasion, including logical appeals and fallacies, and applies strategies to letters to the editor,...

Want to safeguard your students against peer pressure? Teach them all about rhetorical appeals, common attack methods, and various argument tones with a reference sheet on persuasive techniques.