Lesson Plan: Rhetorical Devices

“Democratic Debate & Rhetorical Devices”

The first Democratic presidential debate is scheduled for October 13. Political speeches and debates provide opportunities to explore current events and the political process with your students. They can also illustrate the power of strong persuasive writing and public speaking skills. This lesson spans two class periods. On the first day, students will identify and analyze rhetorical devices in famous political speeches by Frederick Douglas, President Lincoln, President Roosevelt and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For homework, students will research a contemporary issue. On the second day, students will take a stance on that issue by writing and delivering a political speech using one or more of the rhetorical devices they’ve studied.

Objectives
Students will:

• Identify and analyze rhetorical devices in historic speeches
• Write and deliver an argumentative speech using one or more rhetorical devices

Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.4
  Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
  
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4
  Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
  
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1
  Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
  
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1
  Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
  
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.9
  Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"), including how they address related themes and concepts.
  

Materials

• Flocabulary Frederick and Abraham video
• Flocabulary FDR Speech video
• Flocabulary Civil Rights video
• Flocabulary Public Speaking video
• Rhetorical devices worksheet
• Lined paper

Products Created

• Completed rhetorical device worksheet
• A political speech that uses 1 or more rhetorical devices and makes an argument about a current-day issue

Time

• Two class periods

Sequence

Day One:
1. As a warm-up, have students discuss the recent or upcoming presidential debates. You might ask which candidate they feel is the most persuasive and why. You might also show a clip of a candidate using a rhetorical device that students are familiar with, such as hyperbole or parallelism, and discuss if and how that device makes the speech more compelling.
2. Explain that rhetorical devices are techniques that authors and speakers use to persuade readers and listeners. These techniques may appeal to logic, emotions and ethics.
3. Explain that famous public speeches are great examples of how rhetorical devices can make an argument more persuasive. Hand out the rhetorical devices worksheet.
4. Watch any/all of our videos that feature excerpts from famous speeches. These include Frederick and Abraham, FDR's Speech and Civil Rights. Read the infoboxes and discuss the historical context for each speech. You may want to read the speech in its entirety.
5. For each speech, name and define one or more of the rhetorical devices used. Students should record the names and definitions on their worksheets. You may focus on any of the rhetorical devices used but a suggestion from each is below:
   
   Frederick Douglas — Analogy: a similarity or comparison of the relationship between two different things.
   President Lincoln — Allusion: a direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place or work of art.
   President Roosevelt — Paradox: a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.
   Dr. King — Anaphora: Repeating the word or words at the beginning of a line, clause or sentence.
6. Working alone or in partners, students should complete their worksheet by finding examples of each rhetorical device and describing the effect it has on the reader or listener.
7. Students will share their answers with the class, adding examples to their worksheets that they may have missed and discussing the effect of each rhetorical device.
8. For homework: Students should research a contemporary issue. Explain that they will be writing and delivering an argumentative speech on this issue in the next class period.

Day Two:
1. Students should take out their homework and share the issues they chose to research.
2. Explain that students will now have the chance to apply one or more of the rhetorical devices to their own argumentative writing.
3. Go over the steps of writing a speech. You might show our Public Speaking video to help review this process.
4. Students will research their chosen topic further, using the article links in the Week in Rap and other sources. They should take notes so that they can form a well-supported argument on the issue.
5. Students will draft a short (2-3 minute) speech. Their speech must argue one side of their chosen issue and include at least one rhetorical device discussed in class.
6. Have students revise their speech and practice reading their speeches with partners. Remind them to speak slowly, make eye contact and not to read directly from their notes.
7. After practicing, students will deliver their speeches to the class.
8. After each speech, the class should identify the rhetorical device(s) used and describe its effect.

Wrap Up/Extensions

1. Make it a debate! Determine the list of topics and assign students a stance to take. Rather than delivering their arguments as a speech, students will debate the issues like the candidates do.
2. Become speechwriters! Have students choose a presidential candidate, research his or her campaign platform, and write a short speech about a campaign issue from that candidate’s perspective.

Guided Reflection

• “I used to think _______, and now I think _______.”
• “One thing I learned is __________, and one question I still have is _________.”