+
Unit Plan
1
1
Santa Ana Unified School District

Persuasive Writing

For Teachers 9th Standards
Should students be paid for doing well in school? That is the question at the heart of an argumentative writing unit that walks writers through the steps of crafting a persuasive essay. The carefully scaffolded scripted plans provide...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Master of the Airwaves: How FDR Used Radio to Ease the Public’s Fears

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The political and economic climate during the 1930's was uncertain and tumultuous. But Americans' minds and hearts were eased with the reassuring words of their president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and addresses over the radio. High...
+
Worksheet
Scholastic

Making Judgments Practice

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
Encourage young learners to identify persuasive writing techniques in a text with this resource, which includes two multiple-choice worksheets with advertisements for students to analyze.
+
Lesson Plan
iCivics

Propaganda: What’s the Message?

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
As class members progress through eight fully prepared learning stations, they will identify how bias is present in persuasive media, as well as differentiate among types of propaganda techniques like bandwagon propaganda and the use of...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Advertising in the Contemporary World: An Introduction to Persuasive Texts

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Beginning a persuasive writing unit with your middle schoolers? Approach it through something that persuades us all: advertising! Through studying video and print advertisement, your class will practice Common Core skills for reading...
+
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Advertising and Healthy Decisions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze alcohol and tobacco ads and create parodies of them. The eight lessons in this unit include discussions about why teens smoke or drink, the psychology behind the advertising, and writing persuasive letters to agencies,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Franklin D. Roosevelt

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Discuss the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This story, called "Franklin D. Roosevelt" by Laura Hamilton Waxman, is used to explore comprehension skills. Some of these skills include identifying prefixes and suffixes, making comparisons,...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Words Before Blows: Julius Caesar

For Teachers 10th Standards
Scholars examine how Brutus and Mark Antony employ ethos, pathos, and logos in their speeches to persuade the angry crowd in Act 3, scene 2 of William Shakespeare's tragedy, Julius Caesar. To set the stage, groups first identify the...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Million Dollar Question: Informative Writing

For Teachers 9th Standards
Introduce high school freshmen to the characteristics of informative writing with a 5-day lesson that distinguishes informative writing from other modes. Scholars learn how to search for and cite reliable resources, then research and...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Putting it Together: Analyzing and Producing Persuasive Text

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Young orators demonstrate what they have learned about persuasion and persuasive devices throughout the unit by analyzing a persuasive speech and then crafting their persuasive essays. Class members engage in a role-play exercise, use...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Writing Is Elementary, My Dear Watson: Writing Paragraphs With Evidence And Reasoning

For Teachers 9th Standards
Did Smitty do it, or is he a victim? Sleuths apply their observation and reasoning skills to build a case for an argumentative paragraph. Class members closely observe a cartoon, make a claim, cite evidence from the image, and support...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Introduction to Arguing Effectively: Argument Writing

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Which is better—Chick-fil-A or MacDonalds? High schoolers learn how to craft an argument essay by beginning an opinion statement. They state a claim, back up their claim with evidence, and consider counter calms. Scholars then create a...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Emotions: Julius Caesar

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Scholars, high schoolers, class members! With the help of this lesson, you too can identify the three persuasive appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos) the characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar used to convince their...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Ethos, Logos, Pathos: Persuading Your Audience

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Ethics, emotion, reason—scholars investigate advertisers' persuasive techniques to attract buyers. After examining the techniques used in infomercials, writers craft a persuasive essay on a topic of their choice.
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Building Arguments With Evidence: Constructing Arguments Part 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The second session in the two-part "Building Arguments with Evidence" lesson asks scholars to craft an argument essay on a topic of interest to them. Writers establish a claim, locate evidence, and justify their stance.
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young environmentalists learn how to craft a persuasive essay about an environmental issue they consider important. After studying the components of a persuasive essay and examining a student model, writers brainstorm possible topics and...
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Give Women the Vote? Analyzing Suffrage Propaganda

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Propaganda is often used to shape public opinion. Scholars investigate the persuasive techniques used by the pro- and anti-suffrage movements. Groups compare how these devices were used during the suffrage movement with how the same...
+
Activity
1
1
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Pearl Harbor Activity #2: Why Do Words Matter?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Words matter! That's the big idea behind an activity that asks scholars to replace words in FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech with synonyms. They then listen to a recording of President Roosevelt's address and compare his version to their own.
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Persuasion Portfolios

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
After class members brainstorm a list of current social and political issues, groups each select a different topic from the list to research. Teams create a portfolio of at least 10 examples of stories about their issue, stories that...
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Battle for the Bill of Rights: Ultimate Survivor Amendment Game

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
To understand the importance of the wording of the articles of the First Amendment (freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, and freedom to assembly and petition), teams argue before a jury for draft amendments of one...
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Propaganda Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Working in teams, pairs, or individually, scholars select one resource from a gallery of historical sources and consider which examples might be considered propaganda, the techniques used to persuade audiences, and evaluate how the...
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Disinformation Nation: Separating Politics and Propaganda

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Separating political rhetoric from propaganda is no small feat. Class members are challenged to examine two different sources about a candidate in an upcoming election and determine whether the primary purpose of the source is to inform...
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Disinformation Nation: Is It Propaganda?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Propaganda or not? That is the question researchers must answer as they analyze techniques used in ads. Pupils use a three-part definition to determine if the ad is propaganda or advertising.
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Political Persuasion: It’s All About Image

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Political candidates work hard at creating an image they believe will appeal to voters. High schoolers collect 10 photos and other images of a candidate and analyze them to determine what techniques create a positive or negative impression.