What Influences Our Choices?
How does an author persuade an audience? How do we use language to persuade? How do we evaluate an argument?
Teacher Essential
Question
Sample Student
Essential
Questions
What influences our choices?
Stylistic Essential
Question
How does an author persuade an audience? How do we use language to persuade? How do we
evaluate an argument?
Key Vocabulary
Ethos, Logos, Pathos, Rhetorical Triangle, Audience, Purpose, Connotation, Denotation, Rhetorical
Appeals, Authority, Analogy, Parallel Structure, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning,
Counter-arguments, Conclusions, Premises
Rip Van Winkle
http://www.bartleby.com/310/2/1.html
Multi-Genre Text
Set that connects
to Essential
Questions



Why do people break rules?
Are people basically good?
What drives human behavior?
Civil Disobedience
English 11 Textbook
Walden
http://thoreau.eserver.org/walden02.html
“A Fable for Tomorrow
http://wilderness.nps.gov/idea61.cfm
“Declaration of Independence”
http://mrgunnar.net/english.cfm?subpage=365081 (lesson
plan)
“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oehry1JC9Rk
“Certain Kind of Fire” Handout
“Had I the Choice” poem
http://urbandreams.ousd.k12.ca.us/lessonplans/mlk/hando
uts/handout_4.pdf
http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/logr/log_310.html
“The Road Not Taken” poem
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/
“Letter from Birmingham City Jail”
http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/resources/article/annotated
_letter_from_birmingham/ (with annotations)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/back-to-school (text & video)
President Obama Back-to-School
remarks
“I Have a Dream”
Socratic Seminar
Analytical
Writing*
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadre
am.htm
JFK’s Inaugural Address
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education/Teachers/CurricularResources/~/media/assets/Education%20and%20Public%20
Programs/Education/Lesson%20Plans/Rhetoric%20of%20th
e%20Inaugural%20Address.pdf (Lesson Plan and full-text of
speech)
Citing the excerpts from Walden and Civil Disobedience, is Thoreau advocating reform or
revolution?
In-Class Rhetorical Analysis/Timed Writing:
The passage below is an observation of Abraham Lincoln made by Nathaniel Hawthorne when he
had the opportunity to meet the president in 1862. Read the passage carefully. Then write an essay
in which you define the attitude Hawthorne takes toward Lincoln and analyze the rhetorical
strategies Hawthorne employs to help clarify and define the attitude.
What Influences Our Choices?
How does an author persuade an audience? How do we use language to persuade? How do we evaluate an argument?
Visual Rhetoric Analysis
Creative Writing*
Reflective
Writing*
Mini-Lessons on
Writer’s Craft and
Style
Class time for
feedback on and
revision of writing
Clearly Defined
Publishing
Opportunities
Additional
Resources
Construct a two-minute Public Service Announcement to persuade a clearly defined audience of
your chosen argument.
PSA Reflection (Explain the rhetorical choices you made when constructing your PSA)
Journal Entries
Day 1: Ethos/Pathos/Logos
Day 2/4: Parallel Structure
Day 3: Premise, Conclusion, Connotation, Denotation
Others as needed for student revision
Day 5 (Visual Rhetoric)
Day 8 (PSA)
Publish your PSA by performing it in person to a relevant organization or committee or publish it
online via youtube, facebook, or a relevant website.
Rhetoric Resources
Scholarly Definitions of Rhetoric: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/rhetoricdefinitions.htm
Rhetorical Triangle: http://mrgunnar.net/files/Rhetorical%20Triangle.pdf
Full Text of Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil1.html
Rhetorical Analysis of Civil Disobedience
http://prelimsandbeyond.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/thoreau/
Video Clip “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oehry1JC9Rk
Video Clip “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” with TEXT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJj725XrHzs
Columnists: http://townhall.com/columnists/
Movie Clips of Speeches: http://americanrhetoric.com/moviespeeches.htm
21st Century Speeches w/ videos & mp3s http://americanrhetoric.com/21stcenturyspeeches.htm
Vocabulary Resources
Examples & Audio Clips of Parallelism: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/figures/parallelism.htm
Examples & Audio Clips of Analogy: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/figures/analogy.htm
Diction Warm-Up: http://americanrhetoric.com/rodmanphase1.htm
Writing Resources
Duke Writing Studio: http://twp.duke.edu/writing-studio/resources/academic-writing/overviews
Writing for Authentic Audiences: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/10-ways-topromote-writing-for-an-authentic-audience/
What Influences Our Choices?
How does an author persuade an audience? How do we use language to persuade? How do we evaluate an argument?
Day
Class Activities
Homework
1
Introduce Unit & TEQ: What influences our choices? (15 minutes)
Discuss different kinds of choices that we make:
 Social: How do I select my friends? How do I act in varying social
settings?
 Ethical: Will I eat meat? Will I lie on my time sheet? Cheat on a test?
Break the law by drinking at Friday night’s party?
 Consumer: Do I follow a budget? What do I buy?
 Academic: How often do I study? Will I apply to college? Where?
Read “Declaration of
Independence” and
“Rip van Winkle.”
Find at least 8
examples of ethos,
pathos, or logos in
each work.
Journal Entry: (15 minutes)
What influences you? Recall choices you’ve made in the last month (or that you
will be making soon). Reflect on the influences (both positive and negative) that
contributed to the choices you made.
Mini-Lesson: Ethos, Pathos, Logos (40 minutes)
 Rhetoric PowerPoint
 Obama Speech to Students
Introduce PSA Project (15 minutes)
Teachers: Review the following websites for ideas for introducing PSA
Ad Council PSA Website: http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Work
Sample PSA Lesson Plan: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroomresources/lesson-plans/mytube-changing-world-with-1069.html?tab=4#tabs
Student Examples of PSAs:
http://youtu.be/iG6dAnIMDys Dog fighting PSA
http://youtu.be/Xpjuye4xwDg Student PSA Animal Testing
2
Have class brainstorm topics for PSAs with specific audiences and purposes.
Discuss “Declaration of Independence1”: Rip Van Winkle (uninspired colonist)
Journal Entry: How does the DOI address and attempt to persuade this
audience?
Mini-Lesson: Parallel Structure in “Gettysburg Address”
Introduce Visual Rhetoric Project
 Analyzing Print Ads/Campaign Ads
3
Journal Entry: Read Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” What is a
choice that you’ve made that has considerably impacted your life?
Discuss: What is Frost’s attitude toward the road “taken” as opposed to the road
“not taken”?
Mini-Lesson: Premises, Conclusions, Connotation, Denotation
1
http://mrgunnar.net/english.cfm?subpage=349357
Read “A Fable for
Tomorrow.”
Annotate to answer
the following
questions: What is
the purpose of this
essay? How does
Carson employ ethos,
pathos, and logos?
Read “Letter from
Birmingham City
Jail” and “I Have a
Dream.” Annotate for
audience, purpose,
parallel structure,
ethos, pathos, logos,
connotation,
What Influences Our Choices?
How does an author persuade an audience? How do we use language to persuade? How do we evaluate an argument?
Discussion: How did the rhetorical devices you found in “Silent Spring” impact denotation.
the author’s purpose? How does the tone shift throughout the essay? What kinds
of arguments (ethos, pathos, logos) does Carson use? What conclusion does
Carson want readers to reach? What premises support that conclusion?
4
5
Introduce Socratic Seminar assignment (Civil Disobedience excerpt from
textbook and Walden excerpts)
Journal Entry: Use this photograph and handout as a prompt for student journal
writing.
Read “Poetry &
Power” Handout and
JFK’s Inaugural
Mini-Lesson: Parallel Structure in King’s speeches
Address. Annotate
http://mrgunnar.net/files/King%20Letter%20questions%20and%20worksheet.pdf rhetorical devices
found in JFK’s
Discuss rhetorical devices students found in “Letter from Birmingham City Jail.” speech.
Read Walt Whitman’s poem “Had I the Choice.”
http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/logr/log_310.html What choice does the
speaker make? Why?
Prepare for Socratic
Seminar
Model Rhetorical Analysis: JFK’s Inaugural Address (see attached document
for procedure)
6
Class time to work on Visual Rhetoric project
Socratic Seminar: Civil Disobedience excerpt from textbook and Walden
excerpts
7
Citing Walden and Civil Disobedience, is Thoreau advocating reform or
revolution?
Computer Lab: Drafting/Revising PSAs
8
In-Class Essay: Rhetorical Analysis of Hawthorne’s attitude toward Lincoln
9
Peer Review: PSA
Public Service Announcement Presentations (1 or 2 days)
Visual Rhetoric
Project Due
PSA project &
reflection due
*All journal entries and drafts should be kept as separate documents for possible inclusion in the portfolio.