Persuasion: Intro/”America’s Promise” 4/26 (day 1)
Objectives: SWBAT Identify the elements of rhetoric and apply them to foundational American persuasive
documents. Create an argument that appeals to the three aspects of persuasion (ethos, pathos, logos)
Standards: See American Rhetoric/Persuasion Overview
Materials:
Lit Book
Smart Board
Video Clip “Morgan Freeman”, MLK “I have a dream” (Class set?)
Anticipation Guide
Glossary of Rhetorical Devices
America’s Promise Handout (handout for video clips)
Overview
Plan:
Warm Up: (10-15 minutes)
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With a partner, pick one important word/concept from the reading [lit book pg 260-261] and write it
on the board. (Initial your names)
Fill out anticipation guide (first part “agree” or “disagree”)
Transition: Over the weekend you read a brief background on American Persuasion. I would like you to pull
out your KWL’s and write down a few of these words.
*Create a Class KWL with a piece of chart paper. (write KWL) and let students come up with markers.*
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Tell me what you already know about persuasion
o What is it?
o Give an example
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What would you like to know about persuasion?
o Why is it important?
o How to improve your persuasive skills?
o Is it relevant to our lives?
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How would you like to learn about persuasion?
o Read, watch video, audio, debate, write?
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At the end of the unit we will return back to this KWL
Transition: You will probably be surprised how often you are exposed to or use rhetoric/persuasion
yourself…
Quick Write: (5 minutes) Write down an example of when you tried to convince your parents of something.
Model: Remember when you were younger, and your parents tried to make you eat your vegetables?
How did they try to persuade you?
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Maybe they told you eating vegetables will make you healthy and strong
Maybe they used Popeye as an example
o Did not use facts or statistics by telling you how many vitamins and minerals are in broccoli.
Or that carotene is good for your eyes…
o POINT: Your parents were selective in the way they chose to persuade you. They tend to
know what will work or what wont work because of their AUDIENCE.
 Maybe you can convince the elderly (maybe someone with cataracts) that eating
broccoli may help them
 But it wont work for a five year old.
“Explain a situation where you tried to convince your parents to do/to have something. How did you try to
persuade them. Did it work? If not, briefly explain why”
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Share a few as a class
Instruction Ethos, Pathos, Logos (10 minutes)
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Distribute glossary of rhetorical devices
Transition: What you will notice is that those of you who were successful in persuasion used effective
methods of persuasion. According to Aristotle, a historic philosopher, there are three distinct methods of
persuasion…
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Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Highlight these three on your Glossary
o Reference back to student examples or the Model and APPLY E.P.L
 Logos: “Eating vegetables will make you strong and healthy…daily vitamins etc”
 Pathos: “Don’t you want to be big and strong like pop-eye? Like big brother?”
 Ethos: “I am your mother, eat your food because I said so”
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NOW, fill out the bottom of Anticipation guide (Ethos, Pathos,
Logos)
Independent Practice (10 minutes)
 If you are trying to convince your parents to stay out an hour past curfew, how might you persuade
them?
o Ethos, Pathos, Logos example
Transition: We begin our unit on American persuasion with the most foundational and most quintessential
piece of rhetoric, the Declaration of Independence, which you have already read. But now we are going to
analyze it for it’s rhetorical elements/effectiveness.
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Distribute “America’s Promise” handout
Dec of Independence (15-20 minutes)
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Preview video. Read questions aloud. Tell students what to look for.
Watch video (7 minutes)
Give 3 minutes after video for students to answer independently
Share with a partner/then as a class
Transition: M. Freeman explained in the beginning of the film that the Declaration of independence inspired
other movements/rhetoric (reference to quote at top of handout). MLK’s I have a dream speech is perhaps
the most famous. His speech is an example of the unheard voices that were not protected by the dec. of
independence.
MLK “I have a dream” video clip(15-20 minutes)
 Show the first 5 minutes of film
 Allow students to work independently on questions/share/whole class
Closure/exit ticket: (5 minutes)
 What aspect of persuasion were you already familiar with?
 What about persuasion would you like to learn more about?
 How do you feel about persuading your classmates in small group vs whole class?
Homework
Read “Letter to a Missionary” do Lit book questions 1-5