The goal of this module is to teach students how writers use persuasive techniques to influence others. Students will be analyzing how an author's claim is developed and refined, analyzing the elements of an argument and analyzing persuasive techniques. Students will be examining a variety of texts including a testimonial before the United States Senate, a children's book, a political speech, and a commercial. Students will demonstrate their understanding by analyzing Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and write an informative essay describing the ways that King uses rhetorical devices and the effect those devices had on his audience. This module is designed for a class taught on a semester block schedule with 84 minutes per day in class.
Please note that the texts leading up to the "I Have a Dream" speech are all practice texts from varying genres to allow students to see the persuasive techniques they are studying in action. Once students read the "I Have a Dream" speech, they should be ready to work independently.
