ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES

PROTEST AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT PROJECT

Planning Points

Approximate Time Needed: one week and a half (on the block schedule)
Correlation to English I SCS 1.02, 2.01, 2.03, 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 4.03, 5.01, 6.01, 6.02
Correlation to NC High School Exit Exam Competencies: C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, PI9, PI10, PI11, PI12

Lesson Objectives:

Students will work in groups to research a problem in the United States government as well as develop a thoughtful solution to the problem. Using their research, the students will develop logical solutions to the problem and write persuasive speeches encouraging others to accept their solution. They will also write a persuasive pamphlet about their solution. They will present their speech and pamphlet to a class, working to encourage the class to accept their solution.

Materials Needed:

Magazines and newspapers or media center resources for research and guidesheets (included)

Description:

1. Identify and explain persuasive devices such as rhetorical questions, parallelism, restatements, allusions, analogies, and aphorisms. As a class, read revolutionary documents, including Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention" and Thomas Paine's "Crisis, Number One." Identify how the writers used persuasive devices and the effect the devices have on the works.
2. The day before beginning the project, have the students journal about the three major problems found in the United States government. It will be helpful to brainstorm about problems in the US as a class before asking the students to write about the three biggest issues. In their journals they should explain what they individually believe to be the most significant problem, the second most significant problem, and the third most significant problem.
3. After reading the journals, divide the class into groups of three. Students who agree about issues should be placed in a group together. For example, two students may have named the government's poor health care program as the most significant problem with the US government, while the third student may have described the health care issue as the second most significant problem.
4. Explain the assignment and review the guidesheet with the students.
   • The students will meet in their assigned groups to discuss their view as well as develop a way to remedy the problem. They will need to read magazines and newspapers to learn about their issue. (Guiding questions are listed on the guidesheet.)
   • As a group the students will use their ideas and researched information to write a speech, modeled after Patrick Henry's "Speech to Virginia Convention." The students should revise and edit the document and prepare a final copy. The speech must contain rhetorical questions, restatements, parallel statements, and literary allusions.
   • Using the ideas and info, the students write a pamphlet modeled after Thomas Paine's "Crisis Number 1." The pamphlet must contain examples of emotional appeals, analogies, effective hyperbole, and aphorisms. They should revise and edit their document as well as prepare a final copy.
   • The group will use their speech and pamphlet to prepare a five to seven minute presentation to encourage students in another class to join them in their protest. They may choose to use charts, Powerpoint presentations, etc. also. They should allow the other class to ask them questions about their protest. They should have thoroughly researched the topic so that they can offer strong responses to the other class' questions.) They should also prepare ballots for the other class which will allow them to agree or disagree with the group and give the reasons for their decisions.
   • Arrange an opportunity for the students to give their presentations to another class.

Assessment:

See rubrics for the speech and pamphlet and a checklist for the presentations.

Teacher's Notes:

The project can be extended by having the groups write a Declaration of Independence for the formation of a new country.

Protest Against the Government

Objectives

In the next week, you and your group are going to protest an issue in the United States government, just as the American Founding Fathers protested policies of the British government. Your task is to persuade teenagers in your school to join you in your protest. In completing this task you (as an individual and a team member) will practice logical thinking, argumentative writing, and public speaking.

Using yesterday's journal entry about the three major problems with the United States government, I have assigned you to work with two other students who share your views. (You have been assigned to work with students who agree with one of the your three concerns about the government. For example, two students may have named the government's poor health care program as the most significant problem with the US government, while the other person may have described the health care issue as the second most significant problem.)

Task list.

Days one and two - Discuss your views as a group as well as ways to remedy the problem. Develop answers to each of the following questions. (You are individually responsible for taking notes about your group's ideas and solutions.)

After going to the media center and conducting research, decide why your issue is a problem in the United States. Use real facts and/or statistics. (You will need to use newspapers and magazine articles to effectively find the answer to this question.)

Brainstorm ideas that will remedy or eliminate the problem. (New laws, government programs, etc.)

How will you rally others to join you in your cause?

Day three - Using the ideas and info you discussed and discovered yesterday, your group is to prepare a speech, modeled after Patrick Henry's "Speech to Virginia Convention," which your group will deliver to another class. Your task is to convince the other class to join you in your protest against the government. As a group, you should revise and edit the document and prepare a final copy. Just as Patrick Henry convinced the colonist to revolt against England with the use of rhetorical questions, restatements, parallel statements, and literary allusions, you too want to lure your audience with these powerful devices.

Day four-Using the ideas and info you discussed in your initial meeting, prepare a pamphlet modeled after Thomas Paine's "Crisis Number 1." Just as Paine skillfully crafts an argument to rally his audience's support, so your pamphlet should rally your audience by using emotional appeals, analogies, effective hyperbole, and aphorisms. Again, as a group you should revise and edit your document. You should also prepare a final copy. Your pamphlets must be word processed. Use the capabilities of the computer to creatively enhance your product.

Day five - Your group will use your speech and pamphlet to prepare a five to seven minute presentation to encourage students in another class to join you your protest. You will use your speech and pamphlet as part of the presentation, but you may also choose to use charts, Powerpoint presentations, etc. You should allow the other class to ask you questions about your protest. (As a group, carefully consider your topic as well as thoroughly research it so that you can offer strong responses to their questions.)

Day six - You will visit another classroom, give your presentation and answer their questions. Each group member must participate in the presentation.

Speech and Pamphlet Rubric

Checklist for Presentation

__ Use of speech
__ Use of pamphlet
__ Five to seven minute presentation
__ Use of charts, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
__ Use of computer's capabilities to create an innovative pamphlet
__ Allowed the other class to ask you questions about your protest
__ Answered class' questions with researched information
__ Answered class' questions with thoughtful responses
__ Each group member participated in presentation

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