Introduction to
Rhetorical Strategies and Persuasive Techniques
Overview
This lesson is designed to give students the opportunity
to become familiar with rhetorical strategies and specific
persuasive
techniques. Students may complete the handouts individually
or in groups.
Objective
Students will understand the rhetorical strategies and persuasive
techniques used in presentations and media messages.
Standards
Addressed
Language Arts — Writing Standards
Communications:
Oral and Visual, Listening and Viewing — Benchmark
B
Grade 8
02. Identify and analyze the persuasive techniques
(e.g., bandwagon, testimonial, glittering generalities, emotional
word repetition
and bait and switch) used in presentations and media messages.
03.
Determine the credibility of the speaker (e.g., hidden
agendas and slanted or biased material) and recognize fallacies
of reasoning used in presentations and media messages.
Grade
9
02. Identify types of arguments used by the speaker, such
as authority and appeals to emotion.
03. Analyze the credibility
of the speaker (e.g., hidden agendas, slanted or biased material)
and recognize fallacies
of reasoning
used in presentations and media messages.
Grade 10
02. Interpret types of arguments used by the speaker
such as authority and appeals to emotion.
03. Evaluate the credibility
of the speaker (e.g., hidden agendas, slanted or biased
material) and recognize fallacies
of reasoning
used in presentations and media messages.
Communications:
Oral and Visual, Listening and Viewing — Benchmark
C
Grade 8
04. Identify the speaker’s choice of language
and delivery styles (e.g., repetition, appeal to
emotion, eye contact)
and how they contribute to meaning.
Grade 10
04. Identify how language choice and delivery styles
(e.g., repetition, appeal to emotion, eye contact) contribute
to
meaning.
Language Arts — Reading
Reading Applications: Information,
Technical and Persuasive Text, Benchmark B
Grade 8
05. Assess the adequacy, accuracy and appropriateness
of an author’s details, identifying persuasive
techniques (e.g., bandwagon, testimonial and emotional
word repetition)
and examples
of bias and stereotyping.
Grades 9 and 10
04. Assess the adequacy, accuracy and appropriateness
of an author’s details, identifying persuasive
techniques and examples of propaganda, bias and stereotyping.
Procedure
-
Have the class
complete the handouts that accompany this lesson.
-
The purpose
of these handouts is to familiarize the students with
each of the persuasive techniques. There are two approaches
that can be taken with this lesson:
Over a period of
days, students can complete each of the handouts, going
over the definition and reviewing
their
responses.
Students can work with a partner, and
each pair of students can complete a different handout.
The pairs
then present
their work to the class. There could be discussion
and examples given
during the presentations
- Disseminate all of the completed
handouts to the class so they can use them as resource
sheets for the remaining
activities
in this teacher guide.
Evaluation
Each of these pages can be graded with a score of one to
five.
These handouts can be corrected and filed with students
as resource pages to be used in with the extension
activities in the teacher guide or the games and activities
on the
Web.
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