THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Rhetorical Devices Worksheet

On your own, quickly fill out the worksheet provided using page 227 as a guide.

Keep this sheet in your notes. You will need to refer back to it several times as we read the next few pieces.

Bell Work

Write your own definition of the word Rebellion.

What is the connotation of the word? Is it negative or positive?

List some examples of how rebellion can be (or has been) a positive thing.

Discuss

Describe a time in which you stood up for something you believed in, even when others wouldn’t.

Common Core Standard

RI 5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her

argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

Unit Goal/Essay Question

Using informational text from the unit, make a convincing argument for which text makes the most effective use of rhetoric.

Argument

An argument expresses an opinion on an issue and supports it with reasons and evidence. An argument contains these three important parts:

claim: the writer’s position on an issue or problem

support: reasons and evidence provided to prove a claim

counterarguments: arguments to answer opposing views

On a sheet of paper, make two charts like this:

Claim 

Support 

Counterarguments 

As you view two videos, fill in your charts with the claim, support, and counterargument as it is presented.

Mystery Menhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFC2o44koIA

The Loraxhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUvHO33iaxg

Independent Practice

Get into Baseball groups A a group, read “The Declaration of

Independence” on page 240. Answer questions A-F (skip letter E) as

you read to gain understanding of the text.

Create another chart and write down the Claim, the Support, and the Counter-claim in Thomas Jefferson’s declaration.

Rhetoric

Persuasive appeals: ethos-the standing of the writer or speaker

Pathos;appeals to emotion Logos-appeals to reason-facts, logical

statements

Language analysis: diction (word choice)-strong, vicious verbs, why present tense, negative diction

Syntax(sentence structure like parallelism and repetition etc

Images (allusion, imagery, simile, metaphor, personification etc)

Exit Ticket

On a sheet of paper write a paragraph to convince me that you should not have a vocabulary quiz on Friday/Monday. Your paragraph must include a claim, a supporting statement, and a counter argument.

If all paragraphs include all three parts and are convincing, you will have no quiz!