Rhetoric Analysis Unit Bundle: 39 page Lesson Plan + 171 slides + Extra Activity

This bundle combines the extensive Rhetorical Analysis Unit Extensive Slide Show (171 slides) with the Complete Rhetorical Analysis Lesson Plan and Unit (39 pages).

Complete Lesson Plan Documents (39 pages)

This is a complete four-week unit for Rhetorical Analysis, with bell ringers, quizzes, practices, formative assessments, and three versions of a summative assessment (with a Common Core-aligned rubric). This is indeed a complete unit that I've been teaching and refining for years. (I'll have some of my Animal Farm materials up at some point.)

This lesson is bundled with my "Rhetorical Analysis Complete Unit -- Slide Show" and also my "Build Your Own Nation! Learning Rhetorical Devices and Propaganda."

I pair this with Animal Farm during the two weeks leading into this unit. The "fan fiction" or imagined speeches I use for formatives and practice come from hypothetical situations in Animal Farm. However, the speeches stand on their own and don't require reading the novel as both the context and exigence are provided for each. While teaching the introductory paragraph and the first analysis body paragraph, I used MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech, with a link to the recording of the speech on YouTube.

An extensive list of both Common Core standards and TEKS standards are listed on the final pages.

Complete Slide Show Presentation (171 slides)

This is a complete rhetoric unit on one slide show. No more need to search for Aristotle's appeals in one place, rhetorical or literary devices in another, and propaganda techniques and logical fallacies in yet another. Everything you'll possibly need for rhetorical analysis is here.

A very comprehensive (171 slides), but well-organized and visually appealing, slide show covering rhetorical strategies and devices. All devices are broken into convenient categories, and each section begins with the most often used for high school rhetorical analysis. The categories are... Aristotle's three appeals, rhetorical (or literary) devices broken into trope (like metaphor, simile, etc.) and scheme (like repetition, parallelism), propaganda techniques, logic and logical fallacies. The slide show then precedes to rhetorical analysis with examples and practical lessons and applications.

I also offer a bundle for the lesson plans and all the formative and summative assessments I created for this unit.

In the Rhetorical Analysis portion of the slide show, I provide a systematic look at evaluating a speech (SPACE CAT) as well as the steps toward writing an analytical essay. I have found that a very detailed outline for their essays, especially at the 9th and 10th grade levels, are important--even at high-performing prep schools. So, I go into detail in the slide show and with the handouts about how to organize the most important information in an introductory paragraph with a strong thesis. This is followed by teaching a strong topic sentence followed by evidence and detailed analysis. From there, transitioning into new evidence with detailed analysis, ending with a linking sentence. So, I teach the introduction and a solid body paragraph. This can be scaled to suit your needs--you can extend that into a complete analysis essay with a concluding paragraph.

Convenient links are provided to all the devices in each section and a bigger one in the appendix. For example, here's a list of the tropes and schemes that are linked in the slide show: allegory, alliteration, allusion, anadiplosis, anaphora, antanaclasis, antimetabole, antistasis, antithesis, assonance, auxesis, chiasmus, cacophony, comparison, consonance, diction, epanalipsis or epiphora, epistrophe, epizeuxis or palilogia, ethos, euphemism, euphony, figurative language, hyperbole, irony, jargon, juxtaposition, litotes, logos, metaphor, metonymy, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, parallelism, pathos, personification, polyptoton, pun or paronomasia, repetition, rhetorical question, satire, sentence length and structure, simile, syllepsis (or zeugma), symploce, synecdoche, synesthesia, symbolism, tone and tone shifts, word connotations.

Build Your Own Nation! Lesson Plan

Students will understand the use of rhetoric (rhetorical and literary devices, propaganda, etc.) in national symbols, anthems, and slogans, and how these elements contribute to the identity and unity of a country. They will apply this understanding by creating their own country, including its form of government, flag, anthem, slogans, and speeches from its leader. (see my Rhetoric Lesson)

This lesson plan encourages students to apply interdisciplinary skills, combining elements of history, civics, language arts, and the arts to engage in a comprehensive learning experience. It promotes an understanding of how rhetoric shapes national identity and unity, which is essential for comprehending both American and world history contexts.

Lesson creator note: Allows for students who have a sense of patriotism but also for those who want to employ parody or explore the darker side of nationalism or non-democratic governments. This lesson pairs nicely with a. My lesson on Rhetoric from the store, b. Animal Farm, 1984, or any dystopian novel, and c. World or American History.