11th Grade Rhetoric And The Founding Fathers Lesson Plan (English)

Topic: The Founding Fathers used rhetoric and persuasive language to encourage colonists to join the war against Great Britain.

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and analyze examples of persuasive language used by the Founding Fathers in their writings and speeches.

Materials

• Copies of selected writings and speeches by the Founding Fathers
• Handouts with examples of persuasive language (e.g. appeals to emotion, logical arguments, etc.)

Warm-Up

• Ask students to brainstorm a list of persuasive techniques they are familiar with (e.g. appeals to emotion, logical arguments, etc.).
• As a class, discuss the examples on the handout and how they can be used to persuade others.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of rhetorical analysis, explaining that it is a way of understanding the purpose and function of writing by looking at the writer's use of language and structure.
• Using the handout as a model, demonstrate how to conduct a rhetorical analysis by analyzing the persuasive techniques used in a given text.
• Emphasize the importance of considering the context in which the text was written, as this can inform our understanding of the writer's intent.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in small groups to conduct a rhetorical analysis of a text from the Founding Fathers period (e.g. a speech, a pamphlet).
• Have each group present their analysis to the class, explaining their observations and insights.
• As a class, discuss the different persuasive techniques used in the texts and how they contributed to the writers' goals.
• Note: This could be done with a video or audio recording of the text being analyzed.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a different Founding Father to research and write a persuasive essay on.
• Have students use the techniques of rhetoric analyzed in the guided practice to craft their argument and persuade their audience.

Closure

• Have students share their persuasive essays with the class.
• Discuss the different approaches taken by the students and how effective they were in using rhetoric to persuade their audience

Assessment

• Use the persuasive speeches given by the Founding Fathers during the Revolution as a form of assessment. Have students reflect on how well the Founding Fathers were able to use rhetoric to persuade their audience.