The Art of Persuasion Unit

1. The Art of Persuasion Unit A William and Mary Unit of Study

2. “The Road Not Taken” Necessary Vocabulary: Diverge (class repeat) • What is the root word? • What part of speech do you think it is?

3. “The Road Not Taken” • Read the example sentences and determine the meaning. • Notably, the author's conclusions diverge considerably from the analysis found in the Commission White Paper on Modernisation. • But from 1950 onwards, the aftermath of this war diverged from the earlier pattern. • I kept seeing several very cliche'd endings coming up, only for them to diverge away from the more obvious plot lines. • In this respect the BNP does not diverge very far from the traditional model. • Loop line A secondary railroad route which diverges from a main route, and then joins the main route again at another location. • What does diverge mean? • Separate, differ, or not conform (verb)

4. “The Road Not Taken” • Read the poem silently and complete this pre-assessment to turn in to me. We will discuss it. • State an important idea of the poem in a sentence or two. • Use your own words to describe what you think the author means by the words, “I took the road less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” • What does the poem tell us about the idea of change? Support your answer. • Create a title for this poem. Give two reasons from the poem for your new title.

5. Class Discussion • How does Frost describe the two roads? What are the similarities and differences in them? • What do the two roads symbolize? • How are choices in life like the choice made in the poem? • What do you think Frost means by the last two lines of the poem? • How does the speaker feel about each of the roads? Give evidence. • What reasons could you give to support taking “a less traveled road” in life? What reasons could you give for taking a “well-worn path”? • This poem suggests that the choices we make determine the direction our lives take. Do you agree or disagree? How can choices change one’s life?

6. Pre-assessment for Writing • On a clean sheet of paper, write a paragraph to answer the question below. State your opinion, include three reasons for your opinion, and write a conclusion to your paragraph. • Do you think the poem, “The Road Not Taken,” should be required reading for all students in the 7th grade?

7. “The Road Not Taken” Complete the questions for homework. This will be a grade. EOG questions

8. Friday Bell-Ringer During a recent police investigation, Chief Inspector Stone was interviewing five local villains to try and identify who stole Mrs. Archer's cake from the mid-summer’s fair. Below is a summary of their statements: Arnold:  it wasn't Edward         it was BrianBrian:   it wasn't Charlie         it wasn't EdwardCharlie: it was Edward         it wasn't ArnoldDerek:   it was Charlie         it was BrianEdward:  it was Derek         it wasn't Arnold It was well known that each suspect told exactly one lie. Can you determine who stole the cake? Who was it?

9. Mom can I…. Tuesday Warm-UP • Think of a time when you have tried to persuade someone, or have heard a persuasive argument. • What techniques did you use to try to get your way?

10. What would you say…. • If I could teach you to get whatever you want from your parents, teachers, coaches, or other adults? • How much is this information worth to you? • Fortunately, it is FREE!

11. Types of Persuasion • Emotional - appealing to reader's emotions • Reasonable - using reasons with explanation and support • Ethical - using the credibility of the author as a persuasive tool

12. Persuasive Writing Write this down! purpose of persuasive writing : to persuade or convince your reader to think as you think. This can be done in a number of ways: 1.) Present a number of clear, compelling facts that support your view. Ex. If you're trying to convince your reader that expanding the local power plant would be an environmental hazard, present some statistics that project the increase in pollution. 2.) Appeal to and acknowledge the reader's sense of fairness, responsibility, caring, and intelligence. 3.) DO NOT tell or even imply that your reader is insensitive, unreasonable or foolish. This will prevent him from hearing anything else you may have to say. 4.) Anticipate the arguments of the opposing side and address them with a viable alternative. Ex. Dogs are not allowed in your apartment complex and you want to convince the management to allow dogs as pets. They are opposed to having dogs for three reasons: barking, soiling the carpets, and the possibility of dogs leaving behind messy piles on the grounds that must be picked up or stepped in. Each of these issues must be addressed and eliminated as a concern. 5.) Explain what the reader has to gain by agreeing with you, and what they have to lose by disagreeing.

13. Persuasion Techniques Tools of persuasion Use the worksheet to create a persuasion poster

15. POS Review Identify the part of speech for each of the underlined words. It could be a list. Saturday morning was come, and all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life. Wednesday Warm-UP conjunction verb noun adjective verb

16. Stems • Hyperlink to words • Let’s go over the word stems…

17. Persuasive Pillar INTRODUCTION Lead/Issue Statement 1st Main Argument Write this down 2nd Details Details Details Details Details Details Main Argument Details Details Details Details Details Details 3rd Main Argument 4th CONCLUSION Creative restatement of Main Arguments 5th

18. Expository or Persuasive? • Expository writing: the author’s purpose is to inform the audience. • Persuasive writing: the author’s purpose is to convince the audience to think as the author thinks!!!! Write this down

19. Expository or Persuasive Game? • The Bee Colony: A Metaphor for an Exceptional Life • Downtown Hickory: Center of Society in 1940 • Every middle school boy should own a BB gun. • Music should be taught in all grade levels. • The Various Methods of Pollinating Flowers • Tarzan of the Apes is the most exciting novel. • The Jungles of Africa provide habitats for many species. • Seventh grade is the worst year of school for most. • Lincolnton is a great place to live. • Reading strategies improve comprehension. • Drop-out rates have increased disproportionately to the population increase over the last decade. • Teachers should make class more fun; but students should adhere to class expectations in order that everyone has fun.

20. Elephant Readings • Read and complete the questions for home work. • The Elephant – done together

21. Warm-Up (Stems List 18) Answer in complete sentences. Use the definitions of stems in the words in your explanations.

22. Going over Saving The Elephant • Exchange your papers. • Check to see if they followed directions. • Saving the elephants • Check to see if they did. • Topic: Elephant Endangered • Tusks/ivory use • Dangers of farming/logging • Ripped from habitat for entertainment • Check • Yes, that elephants need protection • Tusks, habitat, zoos, circus • Evidential information • persuasive

23. Focus Activity Answer one of the following: • Have you ever outwitted someone? Describe the occasion and how you managed to fool another person? • What are some tasks you enjoy doing that others might think of as work? What are some things you think of as work which might seem like play to someone else?

24. Whitewashing? • What does this term mean? • How is it used today? • Have you ever heard of Mark Twain? • Pseudonym? • Southern? • Satirical, funny! Let’s read the story

26. Warm-Up (Friday) • Hyperlink to interactive game • What has happened in the story? • Let’s finish reading the last page

27. Persuasion Books (p2) • Re-Read the story alone. • Once you have read the story, complete the chart

28. What worked? What didn’t work?Why?

29. Literary Response Questions #1 What adjectives would describe Tom best? Why are these attributes important? What evidence from the story supports your choices?

30. Literary Response Questions • What was Tom’s “great, magnificent inspiration”? How did he “put the thing in a new light”? • Tom found the world “not so hollow” after all. What does he mean by this statement? • How does Aunt Polly perceive Tom? In what ways is this different from how he perceives himself? Which perception is more accurate? Why? • What title might you give to this selection from the book? Give reasons for your answer.

31. Atmometer Craniotomy Cardiologist Fishmonger Ferrous Booklet Ideologue Nanosecond Foreboding Narcolepsy Monday (Warm-Up) Fill in the blank with the correct stem word. • The ______________ measures the rate of evaporation of water. • The ________________ studied the patient’s electrocardiogram. • The company geologist studied the _______ rock with care. • The computation is made in less than a _______________. atmometer cardiologist ferrous nanosecond

32. Reviewing the selection • Last week we read a selection from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer • Who wrote the selection? • When does the story take place? • What was the author’s tone? • What is the atmosphere? • What literary techniques did the author employ?

33. Literary Response Questions • What was Tom’s “great, magnificent inspiration”? How did he “put the thing in a new light”? • Tom found the world “not so hollow” after all. What does he mean by this statement? • How does Aunt Polly perceive Tom? In what ways is this different from how he perceives himself? Which perception is more accurate? Why? • What title might you give to this selection from the book? Give reasons for your answer.

34. Reasoning Questions • What was Tom’s problem? • How were the consequences of Tom’s eventual solution different from the consequences he would have faced if Jim had agreed to trade places with him? Which solution was better for Tom? • Tom’s solution was based on assumptions that he made about the boys. What did Tom assume about the boys? • What is meant by, “He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it- namely that in order to make a man or boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain”? • Would you have been persuaded by Tom’s argument? Why or why not?

35. Change Questions • What techniques did Tom use to change people’s minds? • Are the changes that took place in the story positive or negative? Why? • In what ways was the white-washing arrangement thought to be positive by everyone? • How does the classification of something as work or as play change the way you feel about it?

36. Re-read the last paragraph of … the Tom Sawyer excerpt. • Would Aunt Polly’s lecture change you? Why or why not? • How do you think the lecture affected Tom? • What changes took place in the story? Turn in all of last week’s work

37. Class work: EOG questions • How do you determine the correct answer? • Do you look for evidence? • Do you eliminate wrong answers? • What do you do if 2 answers seem correct? • Complete the EOG packet and provide proof for each answer. • IF there is no evidence, the answer is WRONG!

38. Warm-Up (Stems List 18) Answer in complete sentences. Use the definitions of stems in the words in your explanations. • Are pine bark beetles xylophagous? • Is September the seventh month of the year? • Is a prognosis a disease? • Would a magnet attract a ferrous particle? • Is the Statue of Liberty a monument to xenophobia? • Would a craniotomy give you a headache? • Could a vasoconstrictor attack you on a jungle path?

39. Class work: EOG questions • How do you determine the correct answer? • Do you look for evidence? • Do you eliminate wrong answers? • What do you do if 2 answers seem correct? • Complete the EOG packet and provide proof for each answer. • IF there is no evidence, the answer is WRONG!

40. Exchange your papers… • B • A • B • C • D • All • B • C • B • C • D • C • D • D Explain each answer

41. Effective and Ineffective Persuasion • What makes an effective persuasion? • I will be giving you 2 essays on the same topic.

42. Keep the Beaches Private • Let’s read it together… • Number the paragraphs. • Let’s look at question 1together… • Is the writer’s POV clearly stated in the introduction? • Let’s keep going…#3 • Paragraph 2 – underline the sentence that begin with there is, the, or these…. What does this tell you about word choice and sentence variety.

43. Warm-Up Wednesday…

44. Warm-Up Wednesday… Persuading • What are some chores you do at home? • Working in with the group at your table, choose one chore and prepare a one-minute speech to persuade another member of the class to want to do the task, as Tom persuaded his friends to want to do his chore. • Clearly describe the chore in a way that makes it attractive to someone. • Give at least 3 reasons to persuade someone else to do the chore. • Record your group’s persuasive use voice memo on the iPods. We will be rotating groups to hear how persuasive you are. Back of paper for notes

45. How do we record…. • Turn the device on • Insert the headphones • Select Voice Memo on the first screen. • Touch the red button to begin recording • The microphone is built into these headphones.

46. On the piece of construction paper • On the back of the table tent with your names, create this chart.

47. Finish going over the beach docs… Library in small groups

48. Friday Warm-Up • Take out your stems list • Study for 5 minutes • Let’s play a game!

49. Keep the Beaches Private • Let’s read it together… • Number the paragraphs. • Let’s look at question 1together… • Is the writer’s POV clearly stated in the introduction? • Let’s keep going…#3 • Paragraph 2 – underline the sentence that begin with there is, the, or these…. What does this tell you about word choice and sentence variety.

50. What is it asking you to do? Frequent absences from school quite often result in low grades and achievement for these truant students. The principals and teachers are concerned and need your advice. • Write a letter to your principal or teacher explaining how to reach the students who are consistently absent. • As you write your letter be sure to: • Focus on the problem of how to solve the attendance issues and clearly present your solution. • Support your solution to the problem of how to solve the attendance issue with specific, developed details. • Organize your letter so that your ideas progress logically • Use correct grammar. • Choose words that are well-suited to the purpose, audience, and context of your letter. Context? Purpose? Format? Audience?