THE POWER OF PERSUASION

Unit Overview

Persuasive texts can be found throughout one’s daily life—from print advertisements, to commercials, to political speeches, and to a myriad of other media. Persuasion plays a powerful role in how we think about the world, our relationships, and our decisions in life. Being able to dissect a rhetor’s (speaker’s) claims and the devices and appeals used to craft a persuasive document can allow interpreters to make more knowledgeable decisions and formulate more informed opinions about various topics.

Essential Questions

How do the genres of expository and persuasion differ?
What does it mean to persuade someone?
Why is it important to be able to persuade others?
Why is it important to be able to understand how others may be trying to persuade us?
How can writers effectively communicate their ideas on a specific issue?
How do authors of persuasive texts use organizational structures to support the message and purpose?
How do authors of persuasive texts use logic, evidence, and rhetorical devices and appeals to persuade?
How do persuasive messages, both explicit and implicit, shape our ideas, values, beliefs, and/or behaviors?
What are some ways the audience might have errors in reasoning, otherwise known as logical fallacies, which will undermine the rhetor’s argument?
How can persuasive writing be crafted so that it effectively motivates, influences, and/or communicates to the audience?
What are effective rhetorical appeals that help develop the persuasiveness of a piece?
How do writers incorporate knowledge of subject-verb agreement and transitions to clarify meaning in the message?

Objectives

You will:

analyze the attributes of expository and persuasive texts.
analyze print advertisements for use of rhetorical appeals and devices.
analyze speeches for use of persuasive elements.
analyze texts for effectiveness of the the organizational structure chosen by the writer.
analyze the point of view of the author for purpose and intent.
apply the rhetorical triangle to various speeches as a way to begin a rhetorical analysis of a text.
analyze texts for and determine remedies for faulty reasoning or logical fallacies.
create an original persuasive essay that utilizes the techniques modeled in the readings throughout this unit.
develop and apply an understanding for subject-verb agreement.
incorporate transitions to help the progression of ideas in a persuasive essay.
apply subject-verb agreement rules to your writing as a way to craft a grammatically sound text.

TEKS
Vocabulary
1B Analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words.
1E Use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine or confirm the meanings of words and phrases, including their connotations and denotations, and their etymology.

Reading
8A Analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
9 Analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding.
9A Summarize text and distinguish between a summary that captures the main ideas and elements of a text and a critique that takes a position and expresses an opinion.
9B Differentiate between opinions that are substantiated and unsubstantiated in the text.
9C Make subtle inferences and draw complex conclusions about the ideas in text and their organizational patterns.
9D Synthesize and make logical connections between ideas and details in several texts selected to reflect a range of viewpoints on the same topic and support those findings with textual evidence.
10 Analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis.
10A Analyze the relevance, quality, and credibility of evidence given to support or oppose an argument for a specific audience.
10B Analyze famous speeches for the rhetorical structures and devices used to convince the reader of the authors' propositions.
12A Compare and contrast how events are presented and information is communicated by visual images (e.g., graphic art, illustrations, news photographs) versus non-visual texts;
RC Figure 19A reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension (e.g., asking questions, summarizing and synthesizing, making connections, creating sensory images)
RC Figure 19B make complex inferences (e.g., inductive and deductive) about text and use textual evidence to support understanding.

Writing
13A Plan a first draft by selecting the correct genre for conveying the intended meaning to multiple audiences, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background reading, personal interests, interviews), and develop a thesis or controlling idea.
13B Structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way (e.g., using outlines, note taking, graphic organizers, lists), and develop drafts in timed and open-ended situations that include transitions and the rhetorical devices used to convey meaning.
13C Revise drafts to improve style, word choice, figurative language, sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed.
13D Edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling.
13E Revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher, and publish written work for appropriate audiences.
16A Write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience that includes a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise and relevant evidence.
16B Write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience that includes consideration of the whole range of information and views on the topic and accurate and honest representation of these views.
16C Write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience that includes counter-arguments based on evidence to anticipate and address objections.
16D Write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience that includes an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context.
16E Write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience that includes an analysis of the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas.
17A Use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking.
17C Use a variety of correctly structured sentences (e.g., compound, complex, compound-complex).
18B Use correct punctuation marks.
19A Spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings.