This unit will provide an introduction to and close examination of several key issues associated with creating and presenting effective persuasive messages. The unit examines ten various aspects of persuasive messages, beginning with a brief introduction of what constitutes a persuasive message and including ways to be effective persuaders, how to choose a topic, how to use presentation aids, tips for effective delivery, and how to evaluate persuasive messages and the speakers who give them. The students will use knowledge of research and outlining that they learned earlier in the year to create their persuasive outlines, and the students will deliver 2-3 minute-long persuasive speeches at the end of the unit. Throughout the unit, students should see the tremendous influence they can have on the attitudes, beliefs, values, and/or actions of others when they use effective persuasive messages.
Day 1 (Mon. April 9): What is a persuasive message? SWBAT define persuasion, give examples of attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors, state three goals of persuasive messages, and list characteristics of each goal of persuasive messages.
IR - 10 mins
Warm-up exercise. What is persuasion? Before we work on our own persuasive messages, we need to have good idea of what a persuasive message is. In groups of three, students will come up with one to two sentence answer to the question on the board. Students will share their definitions with the class.
Powerpoint and class discussion on persuasion.
Goals of persuasive messages.
Persuasion Activity: Watch an example of a persuasive message given by a high school student. Take notes on the evidence you find of the different types of goals within the speech. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/etc/hunting.html
HW: [1] IR; [2] Start thinking about topics for your persuasive speech.
Day 2-3 (Tues., April 10): (a) Types of persuasive messages; (b) Increasing effectiveness of persuasive messages. (Block) (a) SWBAT state three types of persuasive messages, list characteristics of three types of persuasive messages, give examples of each type of persuasive messages.
IR
Warm-up: Brainstorm as many different persuasive messages in your own live. (3 mins)
Preview the day: Now that we know what the purpose of persuasive messages and have an idea of what kinds of speeches we will be writing in the next couple of weeks, today we can talk about the different types of persuasive speeches: questions of fact, questions of value, and questions of policy.
Powerpoint and class discussion of types of persuasive messages.
Analyze an outline and argue whether or not the speech is the type of persuasive message. (10 mins w/ partner)
(b) SWBAT discuss how to increase the effectiveness of persuasive messages and identify the three rhetorical appeals.
IR
Warm up: Students will view a cartoon and analyze what they notice.
Preview the day: Today we are going to learn about three ways to make your persuasive messages more effective: anticipate selective exposure, ask for appropriate amounts of change, and identify with your audience.
Review the content: How can you make your persuasive message more effective?
Complete the “Know Your Role” activity
HW: [1] IR; [2] Continue exploring ideas for topics for your speeches. Look in newspapers, on the Internet, or on television for topics that interest you.
Day 4 (Thurs. apr. 12): Topic Selection SWBAT: state reasons why it is important to keep an open mind during the topic-selection process, list ways to generate topic ideas, state criteria for choosing an appropriate topic, and list ways that perceptions affect their topic choices.
IR
Warm up: Draw a dot-grid, 3 dots, by 3 dots. Students must think "outside the box" to complete it. Just like they had to think outside of the box to complete this puzzle, they are going to have to think outside of the box when they write your persuasive speech, especially when you are starting to come up with a topic.
Preview the day: Today we are going to learn about how to generate topic ideas and how to choose an appropriate topic for your persuasive speech.
Complete the “Awareness Test” activity.
HW: [1] IR; [2] For tomorrow, everyone needs to bring a list of five topics for a persuasive speech and rank them in order from favorite to least favorite. This is important to have done because on Monday we spend the day researching your topics of interest and finding research for support of your speeches.
Day 5: Sign up for Topics: Friday, Apr. 13. SWBAT independently create an entry in their I.R notebooks
IR -10 mins
Turn in your list of 5 potential topics you would like to speak on. I will create a google doc for them.
"BBB"
Sign up for topics on Monday. There can be no repeats of topics.
HW: [1] IR; [2] Narrow down your list of topics to one by Monday. We will research support for your speech topic.
Day 6 (Mon.April 16): Website evaluation and source credibility. Library Day SWBAT find research to support their speeches in journals, books, and online articles; cite sources correctly using MLA format.
Head over to the library to learn about website credibility and evaluation (CRRAAP test).
Learn how to document your sources. Create an MLA Works Cited page on a Google Docs or write them down on paper where you wont lose them.
Day 7 (April 17) Block: (1) Creating an Annotated Bibliography; (2) Research support for your speeches. CCSS.W.9-10.3a,7,8. (1)SWBAT demonstrate their ability to research based on self-generated inquiry questions, and to pay specific attention to the quality of their sources as they research using online and print sources for their persuasive speech.
IR
Students share aloud their topic to ensure that everyone is doing a different topic.
I will go over the requirements for their annotated bibliographies. Typically, students are only required to turn in an MLA works cited sheet with research projects. By asking students to provide a written evaluation of each source, I will be able to see that they have evaluated the sources they use for their speeches and what specific information they are pulling. Each student will be required to formally write up at least three of his or her sources using the following criteria:
MLA citation
Written source evaluation using the C.R.R.A.A.P. test
Written summary of information gathered from the source
(2) SWBAT conduct short research by working on their persuasive speech annotated bibliographies.
Before the students log into their computers I go will over the organizational structure their final speeches will take. Students will spend the class period looking for sources for their speeches. They will be graded on three major things for this project--research process, written notes/speech outlines and the speech itself. They will need the majority of the day today to research, but I want to make sure that they have their organizational framework in place as they begin to take notes. I will have each student create a file folder with "pockets" for their information and speech notecards. I will provide empty manila folders, envelope pockets (legal envelopes cut in half), and notecards for each student.I will explain the format to them and then have them grab supplies to create their own folders.
Independent Research: Once they've finished creating their folders, I will have them log on to the computers and their Google Drive. From there I will ask them to locate Easybib, a fantastic (and free!) resource that creates MLA formatted citations (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.3a) for students. Once they are logged into Google, all their work will automatically link to their Google accounts for easy access both at school and at home. This tool is so easy to use and even allows for annotations to be written directly into their citations. I will remind them of the basic requirements of their annotated bibliographies and then encourage them to dive into their inquiry process. The standards require that students participate in a variety of independent research processes (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7 and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8), so I will really try to leave them be. While they research, I will circulate the room to answer questions about the technology or their inquiry topics/questions.
Be sure to document your sources and write down the specific statistics, quotes, etc. on a piece of paper and Google Doc. Your source citations are due at the of the class today.
Each source is required to have a complete MLA citation.
hW: [1] IR; [2] Work on outline (folders) and annotated bibliographies.
Day 8 (Thurs., April 19): Ethics and Persuasion SWBAT explain why it is important to be an ethical persuader, list way to ensure they are ethical persuaders, and explain the importance of clear language as ethical persuaders.
Students will look at a Peanuts cartoon. They will discuss what they notice. What are the ethical components we need to remember?
Preview the day: Today we are going to talk about your responsibilities as a speaker to be an ethical persuader. First we will talk about why it is important to be ethical in your persuasive messages, and then we will discuss some ways to make sure that you are ethical.
Lecture and discussion on ethics and persuasion.
Complete the “Language Ambiguity” activity.
HW: [1] IR; [2] Work on outlines.
Day 9 Friday (April 20) Independent Reading: SWBAT independently create an entry in their I.R notebooks
Day 10 (Mon.April 23): Credibility SWBAT list the three types of credibility and incorporate it into their own persuasive messages.
Discuss how a speaker makes themselves appear credible.
Practice pronouncing words, voice volume, rate and articulation
HW: [1] IR; [2] Revise outlines. Final draft due day speeches begin.
Day 13 (Thurs. April 26): Evaluating persuasive messages (peer feedback). *Substitute on this day*
Peer evaluation of speech outline.
Revise your own speech outline.
HW:[1]IR; [2] Finish final speech outline, and practice Final speech delivery (for Monday). [rough draft of speech outline and peer evaluation handout due Monday]
Friday (April 27): No School
Days 14-15: (April 30 -May 1) Persuasive Speech Round