GENERAL INFORMATION

Subject(s)
LanguageArts(English)
TopicorUnitofStudy
Debate,Persuasion,Argumentative
Concept(s)
Theclasswilllookatrhetoricalapproachestoarguments.
Therhetoricalapproaches,whichwearecallingtherhetoricalstrategies,willbeintroducedaseffective
waystoargue.
Essentialquestion:
Howdoesoneargueastatementusingeffectivestrategies?
Grade/Level
Grade8
TimeAllotment
1classperiods.1.25Hrs.perclass.
AssessmentofPriorKnowledge
StudentswillbeaskedhowtheygoaboutwinninganargumentthespecificquestionIaskedwashowthey
winanargumentonsocialmediabecauseitisrelativetotheirpersonallives.Studentsmightprovidesome
ignorantanswers(theonewhoyellslouder)andsomemayprovidesomelogicalanswers(theonewho
presentsfactinsteadofopinion).

InstructionalMaterials
Studentswillneedpaper,writingutensils,creativeutensilssuchasmarkersandcoloredpencils,and
assignmentsheets.
Resources

Materialsandresources:
ASMARTBoard

Technologyresources:
Studentsmayusecomputersfortheassessmentpiece.

Summary
Thestudentswillcontinuethedebateandargumentationunitbyintroducingtherhetoricalapproaches,
ethos,pathos,andlogos.Definitionsforeachwillbegiventhroughclassdiscussion;followingthat,
studentswillviewseveraladvertisementsandidentifywhichrhetoricalstrategywasusedinthe
advertisement.Thestudentswillthenbeassignedtochooseoneassignmentinordertoapplytheir
knowledge.

STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVES

Standards
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MDMarylandCollegeandCareerReadyStandardsMathandELA/Literacy(2013)

Subject:EnglishLanguageArts&LiteracyinHistory/SocialStudies,Science,andTechnicalSubjects
Grade:Grade8students:
ContentArea:EnglishLanguageArts
Strand:SpeakingandListeningStandards
Domain:PresentationofKnowledgeandIdeas
Standard:
4.Presentclaimsandfindings,emphasizingsalientpointsinafocused,coherentmannerwithrelevantevidence,soundvalid
reasoning,andwellchosendetails;useappropriateeyecontact,adequatevolume,andclearpronunciation.

MDMarylandContentStandards

Subject:READING/ENGLISHLANGUAGEARTS
Grade:8
ContentStandard:Standard4.0Writing(Writing)
Area:A.Writing
IndicatorStatement:2.Composeoral,writtenandvisualpresentationsthatexpresspersonalideas,inform,andpersuade
Objective:d.Composetopersuadebysupporting,modifying,orrefutingaposition,usingeffectiverhetoricalstrategies
Detail:Writeanassertionanduseevidencethatappealstoaudienceemotion,reasoning,ortrust

USANat.CouncilofTeachersofEnglish:StandardsfortheEnglishLanguageArts

Standard4.:Studentsadjusttheiruseofspoken,written,andvisuallanguage(e.g.,conventions,style,vocabulary)to
communicateeffectivelywithavarietyofaudiencesandfordifferentpurposes.

LessonObjective(s)
Studentswillidentifyanddifferentiatebetweenthethreerhetoricalapproaches.
Studentswilljustifyhowtousearhetoricalapproachinaneffectivemanner.
Studentswillplanandcreateeitheracomicorpersuasiveadvertisementthatappliesknowledgeofthe
rhetoricalapproaches.
AffectiveObjectives:
Studentswillcooperatetogetherinordertobrainstormideasforassessment.
Studentswillapplyrhetoricalstrategiestodailyproblemsolving.

PROCEDURES AND MODIFICATIONS

Introduction(Motivation)
Studentsareassignedadailywritingpromptcalled"Write,RightNow!"Today'spromptasksstudentsto
decideiftheirschooloffersenoughtimeforthecreativearts.Itcontinuesbyaskingstudentshowthey
mightimprovetheirschool'suseofthecreativearts.
Teaching/Activities
1.Theclasswilldiscusshowtheybelievetheycanwinargument.Eachoftheclasseswillciteeffective
strategiestheirclassmatesusedduringthepreviouslesson'sdebate.Thismaycreatesomewhatalonger
discussion,sotheinstructorshouldeitherencouragemorediscussionorattempttofindasegueiftimeisan
issue.
2.Studentswillbegivenanotessheet.Thissheetwillbeusedtorecorddefinitionsandexamplesofethos,
pathos,andlogos.
3.Theclasswilldefineethos,logos,orpathstogether.Theywillbegivenashorter"official"definitionby
theinstructor,buttheinstructorshouldencouragestudentstodefinethethreestrategiesthroughexamples.
Thethreebasicdefinitionsare"ethos:convincethroughcredibility;pathos:convincethroughemotions;
andlogos:convincethroughfact,research,andreason.
4.Theinstructorwillaskwhichstrategywouldworkthebest.Ashortdiscussionwillfollow.
5.Theclasswillviewthreeadvertisementsthatclearlyuseeachofthethreestrategies.Studentswillhave
toexplainhowtheyknowwhichstrategyisbeingutilized.
6.Theclasswillthenviewtwoadvertisementsthatintegrateatleastoftwoofthestrategies.

7.Studentswillbegiveninstructionsfortheirassessmentassignment.
Closure
Studentswillbeaskedtoassesshowtheycouldhaveusedeachstrategyinthepreviouslesson'sdebate.
DifferentiatedInstruction
IhadtodifferentiateforBlockTwobyusingmorescaffoldingtechniques.Whileintroducingtherhetorical
strategies,theclasswasgivenmoreguidedinstructionwithdefinitions.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION
Assessment/Rubrics
Studentsweregivenachoicefortheirassessmentforthisweek'sassignment.
Option1:
CreateAProductdesignaproductthatcouldbsoldtothepublic.Inordertosellthisproduct,youmust
createanadvertisementthatisbotheyecatchingandinteresting.
Questionstoconsider:
1.Whatwillmakemyproductinteresting?
2.HowcanIincorporateoneormoreoftherhetoricalapproachesintomyadvertising?
3.WhatcausesmetowantsomethingwhenIseeitinastoreoronTV?
Option2:
PersonifyingtheAppealsyouwillcreateashortcomic(atleastthreepanels)thatpersonifiesethos,
pathos,andlogos.
Questionstoconsider:
1.Howdoyoupersonifysomething?
2.Inwhatkindofsituationwouldyourcharactersfindthemselves?
3.Whatqualitieswouldeachofyourcharactershave?
Reflections
Iwasinitiallyhesitanttoteachtheconceptofethos,logos,andpathosbecauseIwasworriedthatitwould
betoodifficultforsomemiddleschoolsstudentstounderstand;however,eachstudentseemedtoatleast
understandthedifferencebetweenthethreebytheendofthelessonandmoststudentscouldapplyeachto
theirassignment.Iwasdisappointedinthetardinessofsecondblock'sassignmentsthatstemmedfromthis
lesson.WehadseveralstudentsdecideNOTtoturntheminontime,butItreateditlikealearningpoint
becauseitallowedmetodealwithhowtodisciplinestudentswhodidn'thavetheirwork.Overall,Ithought
thedesignofthelessonworkedextremelywellintermsofkeepingthestudentsontaskandprovidingthem
withpertinentknowledgethatcanbeusedandappliedlaterinthedebateunit.