Unit 1: Rhetoric and Responsible Citizenship

Syllabus

When class begins, welcome students and announce your intention to convince them of what you have written on the board. Then present an argument for why you will be the best teacher these students have ever had. This can be prepared before and should intentionally use rhetorical strategies or appeals to persuade the audience. The presentation should be about one minute long and demonstrate engaging rhetoric. (For instance, how can you effectively use repetition for emphasis? What language is exciting and engaging?)

When finished, ask students to turn to a neighbor and discuss if the presentation was convincing and why or why not.

Then, the teacher will change the text on the board/projector to state: “Here’s why I am going to be the BEST classmate…” The teacher will direct students to create their own introduction. To engage students in a competition, the teacher should announce that the most engaging introductions will win a special prize. The students should take 10-15 minutes to create their introductions.

The teacher should circulate as students work, fostering healthy competition and prompting students to think about what will convince their audience.

After work time, the teacher should divide the class into groups of 4-5. In each group, every student will present their introduction to the group. Before presentations, the teacher should remind students to pick out what makes the presentation engaging or persuasive. (Taking notes may be helpful for some students). When all students in the group have presented, the group must come to consensus about which presentation was most convincing and why.

The teacher will open it up to full class discussion, asking each group what made their most engaging introduction successful. The teacher can keep a running list as students share the choices made by the speaker. When the list is completed, the teacher will point out that all items are examples of rhetorical choices. The teacher may choose to include choices from their own presentation.

To conclude, the teacher will explain that the focus of AP Language is to analyze rhetoric and make rhetorical choices in writing. Then, if time remains, the teacher can review the class syllabus.

Using rhetorical strategies models what you should see in the student samples. Make sure to use accessible strategies such as rhetorical questions and illustration as students can usually successfully identify these.

Gifted students are often engaged by competition, and the “reward” can be as simple as a piece of candy or a late-work coupon.

Circulation during the process is a great chance to begin building a positive culture and prompt students toward meaningful work.

Having students present in small groups instead of in front of the entire class is a great scaffolding method for public speaking.

Consensus means students must discuss what makes a presentation effective; therefore students are evaluating rhetorical choices.

This class discussion furthers the conversation about rhetoric and rhetorical choices. It also draws the link between rhetoric and every day communication. The small group discussion prior supports this full class conversation.

Big Ideas

BIG Ideas

Subject Annotation: BIG Ideas

Practice

Share with students how accurate they were. Commend their success or reassure students as determining purpose is difficult. Present the Rhetorical Triangle as a tool for deciphering an author’s purpose. Draw a triangle on the board or using a document camera and label the points as follows: speaker, subject, and audience. Define each or ask students to define each.

Then, present two hypothetical scenarios (see below), and ask students to discuss with a partner how the presentation of information would change.

Speaker: Adult

Subject: Photosynthesis

Audience: College Student

Speaker: Adult

Subject: Photosynthesis

Audience: Kindergartener

The teacher should highlight how when one aspect of the rhetorical triangle is changed, the language (or rhetoric) will also change.

To practice identifying BIG Ideas, or subject, students can collaboratively fill in a graffiti wall (large piece of paper) listing as many BIG ideas (or common subjects) as they can think of. It is recommended to launch their ideas by providing visual or short texts. (For instance, you can play a music video and have students list as many universal subjects — or BIG Ideas — they can identify in the video. You can continue with more videos, images, or art to continue their generation of BIG ideas.

When students have posters full of BIG ideas, hand out a practice text (See Suggested Texts on Pacing Guide). Ask them to annotate for BIG ideas in the text, listing possible subjects in the margins. At the end of the period, use a document camera (or copies) to share a sample of this BIG idea annotation and share out as a class what the primary subject of the text is.

Note: If you run out of time, the practice text can be used as homework with students determining subject on their own and sharing the next period.

This should be kept anonymous so students are honest about their answers. Be sure to encourage students just to try their best. It should be a low stress practice.

By taking a quick note of how many students had the correct answer, the teacher has a baseline for identifying author’s purpose. This data can be compared to their later purpose assessment: the paragraph on “Superman and Me”

The intention of presenting these two scenarios is for students to see the impact one aspect of the Rhetorical Triangle can have on the overall presentation of information. In this case, the speaker would check vocabulary, method of presentation and other aspects to suit a kindergartener versus a college student.

It is recommended to start with subject analysis as it is typically most easily identified by students. Common Core instruction has emphasized theme and central ideas, so their prior instruction should support this concept.

The value of the graffiti wall with music videos is that students are engaged with active “reading” of the video while recording common BIG ideas.

It is important to provide students with a model AFTER they have attempted on their own as it will encourage them to evaluate their own work and make changes. This practice builds better acquisition of the skill. If it goes home as homework, be sure to share the model the next day.

Audience Annotation: Rhetorical Choices

Practice

a) Why would authors have to consider both a direct audience and an implied audience?

b) How does audience affect the choices authors make?

Explain that the choices authors make to persuade an audience are called rhetorical choices. Share a list of common rhetorical choices with students, such as emphasis, illustration, comparison OR use the NMSI Doing Verb resource to help students identify the proper term to describe these choices.

Provide students with a new text for practice. The teacher should model how to annotate for rhetorical choices and BIG ideas, combining the two forms of annotation.

This need only be done for an initial portion of the text, leaving the remainder for independent practice. Utilize “think aloud” as you read through the text to explain to students why you are making each annotation.

(Consider: Which BIG ideas do you recognize? What rhetorical choices do you recognize?)

Allow students to finish annotating the text on their own.

This exposure to AP FRQ material is good preparation for rhetorical analysis.

Direct Audience: Those immediately receiving information.

Implied Audience: Who the message is intended for.

Think-pair-share scaffolds students’ thinking from individual ideas to those they can compare with a partner, to those shared by the entire class. This support builds confidence and increases participation.

Avoid sharing a list of rhetorical devices with students. It can be overwhelming to receive a long list, but it can also move students toward narrow thinking about things like alliteration and personification instead of rhetorical strategies. Doing Verbs, or –ing verbs, allow students to think more abstractly — which is rewarded by readers on the exam.

Modeling allows you to “walk” students through your thinking, so they can emulate such thinking on their own. Model this method for the beginning of the text, and then allow them to practice independently as a gradual release method.

Practice:

 “Superman and Me”

To begin the lesson, present a text which the teacher has separated, or “chunked.” This simply means the text has been sectioned out into logical pieces. In particular, the teacher should pay attention to shifts in tone or attitude recognized in the text. Mark these shifts with a clear line to start a new “chunk.” Additionally, annotate for any patterns you recognize, such as repetition or structures.

Either in pairs or small groups, ask students to determine why you have separated the text into these chunks. Circulate while students are discussing, listening for students who identify the change happening between sections.

Call on students and prompt them toward the shifts that are happening at each line. Clearly explain that an author’s tone (or attitude) changes as they write about a subject, which helps the reader understand his/her purpose.

Ask students to do the same annotation with a new text. (Suggestion: “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie). While they read, they should also practice their annotation skills from the two lessons prior: BIG ideas and rhetorical choices. Therefore, their annotation should include: BIG ideas in the margins, identification of rhetorical choices, lines to “chunk” the text or mark shifts, and any other patterns they recognize.

End the class with Formative Assessment 1, a quick write. (Prompt: In a well-developed paragraph, describe the overall purpose of the text, citing specific evidence and providing thoughtful commentary). Allow students 5-10 minutes to explain what the purpose of this final text is. Remind them to consider the subject, audience and speaker. The following questions would be helpful to post or include on a handout:

1.       Based on the subject, who do you think the author is reaching out to?

2.       What choices does the author make to appeal to this audience?

3.       What is the author saying about the BIG idea(s) you picked out? What is the central claim?

4.       Based on the speaker, their audience, and the BIG idea, what is the author’s intended purpose.

Students should hand in their quick write as well as their annotated text.

It is recommended to do this annotation style last of the three methods as many students will find this most challenging.

Chunking the text allows students to think about a challenging text in pieces. For struggling readers, this is an important tool in comprehension.

It is important to circulate here so that you call on students who will move conversation in the correct direction. However, it may require prompting to get students to think about tone or attitude.

You may prompt students be asking, “What adjective would you use to describe the author’s attitude in each section?”

Combining these annotations exposes students to multiple methods of annotation for their reading on the AP exam.

A quick write is best practice for an AP class for multiple reasons as it gives students timed practice with writing, practices task analysis, and develops composition skills such as organization and development. This formative assessment allows the teacher to check in with students’ understanding of author’s purpose.

The included formative assessment has a simple holistic rubric. Score these responses individually, but provide collective feedback to the class on what could be more successful in their writing. (See Day 5).

SOAPSTone

The teacher should then introduce SOAPSTone, a tool for deep analysis of rhetorical texts. The teacher may provide the NMSI resource as a guide. To introduce the tool, it is best to model how to complete the assignment using a simple text, such as an image or short poem. (For instance, you could use Migrant Mother, the iconic image from the Great Depression). Use think aloud to explain that you identify as the Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, and Tone.

Students should then practice with a new text which they annotate as practiced. You may do this with students working independently or in small groups. The advantage of the small-group option is that you have fewer submissions, allowing more time for meaningful feedback. To use this method of practice, ask that all students complete the SOAPSTone, informing them that at the end of the period or work time, you will simply collect one from the group. All names must be included on each student’s SOAPSTone for this reason.

Collect their SOAPSTone assignment at the end of the period. It is important to provide feedback on this assignment as an assessment of students’ understanding of purpose.

An exemplar from student work provides students an idea of what mastery looks like while showing them that their peers are able to accomplish the task. This serves as a quick self-assessment for students.

Starting with something simple like an image provides a quick opportunity to model the SOAPSTone process for the class. This particular image is iconic and easily recognizable, which makes it accessible for students.

Collaborative work for this assessment supports students who may be struggling with the skills while encouraging those finding success to help their peers. Completing the collaborative assignment this way guarantees that all students stay engaged and accountable for the same quality. Circulation while students work will insure all students participate in group discussion.

When assessing the work, focus on the commentary or rationale for each aspect of SOAPSTone. I would likely provide comments throughout their work but not assign a grade (as this is their first practice).

Discussion

Responsible Citizen Body Maps

·         Why is it important to analyze an author’s purpose?

·         How could an audience be manipulated by an author?

·         What does it mean to be a responsible reader?

Have students share their responses in pairs. This can be done using various methods. Students can “speed date” with their peers, spending a short time sharing their responses. Teachers can use a carousel formation to promote movement while students share their thoughts.

Put students into small groups of 3-4, and provide them with a large piece of butcher paper. The paper should be five-and-a-half feet to six feet long. Ask students to have one member of the group lay down on the paper so they can be traced. Essentially, every paper should have the outline of a person.

In their groups, students should label that qualities of a responsible citizen. Use the guiding questions on the handout (see Activity 1).

Save time at the end of class for students to share their Body Maps with the class. As they share ideas, ask students to connect them to school and what students should be taught.

On Post-its or index cars, have students finish the following phrase:

“I must read the world around me critically because…”

Any engaging method for students to share their ideas with multiple classmates is appropriate.

Groups should be kept at this size to avoid any students “coasting” or watching others do the work.

These mini presentations are preparation for the performance task but also an opportunity to come to consensus on what a responsible citizen is.

This exit slip is a quick check on students understanding of responsible citizenship. Feedback isn’t necessary, but assess where students are.

“Fake News” Sources

Have students analyze the sources for the Socratic Seminar using the RIBS template. (You can access the Socratic Seminar Sources in this document; please be sure to remove the exemplar BEFORE you share this document with students!)  It may be productive to complete the first one together as a class. This allows the teacher to utilize “think aloud” and explain how reputation, intended audience and purpose, bias, and significance contribute to the source’s credibility.

Students can work through the sources independently or in groups. Engaging practice, such as using a gallery walk where students go from source to source evaluating using RIBS, will increase participation.

At the end of the hour, have students rank the seminar sources from least to most credible as final practice. This can be expanded to a class discussion where the teacher moves sources up and down the ranking as determined by class contributions. Be sure to point out that credibility lies on a spectrum with varied levels of credibility. Ask students to generate a list of “deal breakers” which make a source unusable, either in their notes or as a poster for the classroom.

This preview of the Socratic Seminar sources increases student engagement with the sources. This will make their navigation of them during the seminar easier. Walking them through analysis of the first source guides their thinking in the right direction.

Depending on your presentation of the acronym, movement may be necessary at this point in the lesson. If so, a gallery walk gets students out of their seats and interacting with the sources.

This ranking activity again practices consensus — an important aspect of academic discourse.

Simplifying evaluation to a list of “deal breakers” will help students evaluate sources quickly, as needed in their AP FRQ Synthesis question.

Discussion Norms

Write Beside Them: Seminar Preparation

Then, in preparation for the following day’s discussion, the class should develop discussion norms. The teacher may begin this conversation by having students make suggestions on index cards or Post-its.

Students could also create primary lists in small groups, or the teacher can simply provide think time for students to consider what they expect in a productive discussion. Compile a list on the board or a piece of paper, creating consensus as a class.

Finally, students will complete a written preparation for the discussion. Ask students to review their sources from the previous day. Then review the essential question for discussion, which is included at the top of Formative Assessment 2.

The teacher should then ask the students to treat the question as an essay prompt and compose an introduction paragraph. While students write, the teacher should compose their own introduction, using a document camera so that students can see their work. Stop after writing the introduction to talk students through the different elements: the structure and organization, how it engages the audience and the claim sentence. Ask students to check for the same in their own writing.

Continue the “write beside” method for the entire “essay.” In particular, point out the following concepts: assertions (or supporting reasons/ideas), evidence (why you chose different pieces and how you integrated the evidence), organization and commentary (or explanation of how the evidence supports the claim).

Time may not allow for a complete essay, but students should leave class with an idea of their own opinion and the evidence they can use to support that opinion in preparation for the next day.

The practice with task analysis is effective in preparing for AP FRQ prompts. Done regularly, it improves a student’s ability to correctly determine a writing task.

Student-generated discussion norms are more successful, as students hold one another accountable for meeting the expectation. This increases ownership in the discussion. Facilitating this as a class discussion is best so that the teacher can correct any misconceptions, such as the idea that students should simply agree with their peers.

Because students will have limited experience, this is also a diagnostic of their understanding of introductory paragraphs.

When modeling, it is important to express to students that your writing is a model, meaning that it can be used as a guide, but it cannot stand in for their own thoughts. Tell them you expect their own ideas — not that they read in the model.

The “write beside” method is like a guided tour for students in writing their essay. This walk through teaches organization and other writing elements that will translate to their own writing.

Again, a timed, on-demand practice is helpful for students in preparing for the AP exam.

The teacher should recommend that students sit with paper and pen/pencil. Be clear that the next day students will be expected to reflect on the discussion using specific details, insights and “aha moments” from the seminar.

Call on a student to start the discussion(s). Students may require prompting, so the teacher should circulate, or listen in, to direct students to one of the sources, ask for clarification or counter an idea. The teacher may also call on quieter students to share their insight during lulls in the conversation.

At the end of class, ask students to write some notes on what they learned, what they agreed with or disagreed with, and thoughtful insights their peers had. These notes will be used the next day.

(Note: This seminar may not last a full period, especially as students are getting to be comfortable in the school environment. It might be a prudent time for independent reading or further annotation practice).

Being explicit about the expectations for the next day guides students in their listening and participation throughout the seminar. However, it is also important to remind students that good discussion means good listening. Their notes should be simple and quick as to not pull them from the conversation.

Circulation and teacher contributions throughout the seminar should wane or gradually release as students become more comfortable and effective in their discussion. This promotes independence.

The teacher should also take notes on how students succeed in discussions and what things could be better. As an early discussion practice, this does not need to be individual but rather more of an account of what the teacher notices. One way to complete this is a simple narrative of what happens in discussion and what you see. It would be wise to film discussion for later review and makeups.

These quick notes at the end of the class help students recall the information the following day for their reflection.

Seminar Synthesis

Then direct students back to the “Fake News” Seminar prompt. They can either revise their preparation essay to include observations from the seminar, or they can begin anew, composing a new essay on the topic. Prior to students writing, the teacher should remind them of what was covered in the Write Beside activity: claim, assertions, evidence, commentary.

Be explicit that this writing activity will be assessed for their grade on the seminar.

This revision or restart is great practice for the AP FRQ questions.

A generic AP Synthesis Scoring Rubric is appropriate here as students will be practicing the same skills. Your introduction of this rubric could be more extensive in preparation for their unit test.

Suggested methods include: practice scoring with the rubric, creating metaphors or analogies for all stages of the rubric, creating posters with adjectives describing each score or paraphrasing the different scores.

In reference to their next writing assignment, hand out the prompt for their unit test. Ask students to highlight the task sentence while you read the prompt to them.

You can then utilize Formative Assessment net, a NMSI-style deconstruction activity. These are essentially questions posed about each prompt to gets students generating ideas and clarifying the task. At the end of the period, these should be collected for individual feedback before their exam.

Creating some sort of progress monitor process is valuable promoting student growth. This would be an opportune time to utilize such a tool.

Feedback on this activity may be as simple as checking and revising the claim statement at the end. Any quick method of guiding them on the unit exam would be effective.

The teacher should explain that whenever we enter a political discourse (like that shown in the cartoons) we are going to find agreement and disagreement between the sources. To participate in this discourse effectively, the teacher should explain that a good expository writer will find ways to get these different perspectives to interact.

The teacher should then direct students to Activity 2: Source Talk. The assignment is best done in partners with both able to interact with the text and compose the dialogue between the sources. By the end of the period, students should submit a completed transcript of a discourse between all the sources.

The PowerPoint presents each type of paragraph as a mathematic formula. For logical, concrete-thinking students, this is an accessible way of understanding structure and organization.

As presented, this activity can be done on paper; however, it is equally effective to use a digital format as well.

A simple feedback form is provided, focusing on counterargument, consensus and evidence. Provide commentary on the feedback form to guide students on their unit test.

At the end of the period, students should hand in their essays. No additional time should be provided to create an authentic experience—however, the necessary exceptions for IEPs and 504 plans should be respected.

This early in the year, scaffolding with additional supports (as listed) will increase success.

Model: Adapt Test Essay

Share a sample speech with students (see Suggested Texts in the Teacher-Facing Performance Task). Ask students to read or watch the speech with attention to how the speaker appeals to audience. Students should keep a list in their notes. After watching or reading the speech, discuss as a class what make the speech appealing to the audience so that students can add to their list.

The teacher should then hand out the Performance Task handout. It should be read aloud with students looking for their specific task. With the context of the performance task, the teacher should ask students to create another list in small groups. This list should be of what might appeal to a school board and those in attendance at the meeting. Have groups share out so the class creates a comprehensive list of what appeals to the scenario’s audience. The teacher should remind students to think of those sitting in the hypothetical board meeting, not simply board members, by considering the details of the scenario.

Students should then be directed to look at their unit test essay to determine what revisions to make as well as what changes will better address this audience. If deemed helpful, the teacher can provide the example speech with all changes from the unit test exemplar highlighted. This will demonstrate examples of how to adapt the unit exam to the speech performance task.

Students should spend the remainder of the period revising and adapting their speech. It is important that the teacher circulates to prompt students to think about audience and task.

It is wise to let students speak in pairs before sharing out to the class to increase participation.

Group work is effective here to create richer lists from multiple perspectives.

Revision of their unit test is, again, good practice for their AP FRQs.

Highlighting the changes will help students see the intentional changes for audience.