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Lesson Plan
PBS

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...
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Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Elonis v. U.S.

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
With the explosion of social media sites, with online threats and cyber bullying, issues of freedom of speech have taken on a whole new aspect. Elonis v. U.S. represents the first time the Supreme Court has considered whether or not...
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Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

Author’s Purpose in Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
President Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech, delivered on June 12, 1987 before the Berlin Wall, provides class members with an opportunity to examine three key aspects of informational text: author bias, the use of facts and...
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Unit Plan
ReadWriteThink

Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A speaker, a message, an audience. After analyzing these elements in Queen Elizabeth's speech to the troops at Tilbury, groups analyze how other speakers use an awareness of events, and their audience to craft their arguments....
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Lesson Plan
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PBS

Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Learning About Opioids

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Feeling high is not the only side effect of abusing prescription opioids. Middle and high schoolers learn more about specific painkillers, including Fentanyl, Oxycodone, and Clonazepam, as well as their common brand names and extensive...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Presenting Persuasively (Grades 9-12)

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As a review of persuasive techniques, groups develop a one-sentence slogan designed to entice others to purchase a produce or adopt a point of view. The group then craft a storyboard for a commercial for their product.
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Lesson Plan
Education World

Public Speaking Lesson: The Impact of Bullying

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's one thing to prevent yourself from becoming a bully, but how do you convince others to follow suit? Take the first step in creating a better world with a public speaking lesson that prompts learners to write and present persuasive...
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Assessment
Fluence Learning

Writing an Argument: Free Speech

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
How do you assess whether pupils have mastered certain concepts and skills? Designing a performance task that asks learners to demonstrate their skills and providing writers with a rubric that identifies these skills and provides...
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Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

Reading Nonfiction: Analyzing Joseph McCarthy's "Enemies from Within" Speech

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Looking for a lesson plan that teaches class members how to analyze nonfiction? Use Joseph McCarthy's famous "Enemies from Within" speech as a instructional text. Worksheet questions direct readers' attention to the many historical...
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Assessment
Fluence Learning

Writing an Argument: Persuasive Speeches to Students

For Students 8th Standards
Powerful orators make their messages compelling with a combination of factors. Learn how to be an inspirational speaker with a reading assessment activity that presents a list of persuasive speaking techniques, as well as two speeches...
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Unit Plan
Northshore School District

American Voices and Their Audiences

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
Those new to teaching an AP level language and composition prep course and seasoned veterans will find much to treasure in a unit that is designed to help young language scholars develop the skills they need to analyze the language...
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Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

Rhetorical Devices in Political Speeches

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Columbus City Schools

Poetry Speaking and Listening Standards

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Celebrate April's National Poetry Month or enrich a poetry unit with a wealth of language arts material. Class members develop an oral interpretation of a poem and/or develop a podcast interview with a poet. 
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Lesson Plan
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C-SPAN

Presidential Candidate Research

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Don't let the young citizens in your social studies class get all their election information from inflammatory commercials and arguing pundits. Use a lesson plan from C-SPAN to guide class members through an election season with a...
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Lesson Plan
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Museum of Tolerance

The Pursuit of Democracy and Diversity: The Trial of Pro-Social Injustice in Historical Documents and Accounts

For Teachers 8th Standards
Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...
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Lesson Plan
National Literacy Trust

Mark The Bard!

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death with a packet of cross-curricular literacy lessons and activities centered around two of the Bard's most popular plays, Macbeth and The Tempest. Class members look for evidence of...
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Lesson Plan
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Dream of a Nation

Solution Debate

For Teachers 10th Standards
Class members choose a current social, political, environmental, or economic problem presented in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, research this problem and a variety of suggested solutions, before...
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Lesson Plan
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Dream of a Nation

Congressional Debate

For Teachers 10th Standards
Should junk food be banned in schools? Should the US open its borders to all immigrants? Should the US impose term limits for the House of Representatives and for the Senate? Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a...
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Activity
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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Recipe for an Inaugural Address

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
An inaugural address represents the first moments of a new beginning. Using John F. Kennedy's speech as a model for guided practice, groups examine the ingredients of an inaugural address. Individuals then repeat the analysis process...
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Handout
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Ohio Literacy Resource Center

Arguing with Aristotle Ethos, Pathos, Logos

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Introduce your classes to the Art of Rhetoric with a lesson that focuses on Aristotle's persuasive appeals and how they have been used, both ethically and unethically, to influence opinion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Persuade Me, Please! Reading a Persuasive Essay and Liking It!

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Persuade your writers that crafting arguments is not that difficult. They only need to follow the steps outlined in this resource.
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Lesson Plan
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Classroom Law Project

Should we believe everything we read? Becoming a discerning consumer of media

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Teaching Debate to ESL Students

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Language learners use the debate format to practice formulating, expressing, and defending their ideas. Working in teams, class members develop resolutions, use opinion indicators to express their opinions and reasons, and prepare...
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Unit Plan
International Debate Education Association

Speaking Across the Curriculum

For Teachers 6th - 12th
With the focus on 21st century skills it is even more important that all teachers incorporate listening and speaking activities into their curriculum. Here's a packet of practical ideas appropriate for any classroom.

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