Power Punch: Persuasion

Introduction:

The Tasks:

Your journey through this WebQuest will help you:

• become familiar with some famous speeches from the twentieth century,
• use critical thinking skills,
• recognize the techniques of persuasion- both written and oral (There are differences!), and
• write your own persuasive piece and present it in an effective manner.

The Process:

The world is full of persuaders.  People everywhere want you to buy their products, vote for their candidate, and drive their make of cars.  To be a critical consumer, you must be able to identify the characteristics of persuasion.  All forms of persuasion share common elements, even though they may be applied in different ways.  What elements of persuasion can you identify?  Be sure to read all the instructions for each step before you connect to the Website.  Can you identify elements of persuasion used in speeches?  If you need practice or guidelines in evaluating persuasive techniques in speeches, go to Speech Analysis.  This site contains some helpful questions and exercises.

1.  Now you are ready to examine a speech.  The first two you will look at were given by Winston Churchill.  The first is in an address to the people of Czechoslovakia.  (Don't panic!  It is short.)  The second is a speech delivered to the House of Commons.  Notice how he established common ground with his audience and then applied persuasion.  Summarize the first speech in 100 words or less.  As you read the second speech, note the elements of persuasion used.  Write a brief summary of the persuasive techniques he used.

2.  Now you will read a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.  This speech is one of his most famous.  Notice the language he used.  Notice the way he applied persuasion.  Summarize the speech in 150 to 200 words.

3.  Many people enjoyed the speeches of John F. Kennedy.  This one was his inaugural address.  What was his purpose for this speech?  Be sure you notice his logic and the way it was used to develop a persuasive argument.  Remember to write the summary!  Be sure it is no more than 200 words.

4.  Not all famous orators were Americans.  Did you know that Adolf Hitler was a powerful orator?  He is not often thought of as an example of skillfully applied rhetoric because many people do not agree with his ideology.  Read his famous intolerance speech.  Do you recognize any familiar techniques of persuasion?  Write another summary!  (200 words or less)

5.  Choose two or three of the speeches you examined.  Compare and contrast them.  Which persuasive elements do they both use?  How do the speeches differ?  Which techniques do you think are more powerful?  Which do you find ineffective?  Be sure to write your answers in paragraph form.

6.  Oral speech differs somewhat from written speech.  Listen to famous speeches by Churchill and Hitler and Kennedy and King.  Notice the volume and clarity of speech.  Do they use inflection (vary tone and volume to create emphasis)?  Do you detect eye contact and body language?  Make a list of the important elements of effective oral communication.

7.  Now you are ready to write your own persuasive speech.  You might want to research a controversial subject in order to develop points to support your argument.  Remember to use elements of persuasion.  For more help in writing speeches, go to this link.

8.  Practice delivering your speech using the techniques of powerful oratory.  Try giving the speech to yourself in the mirror.  You might be embarrassed, but it works!  Learn your speech and which points need to be stressed.  Put in some body language.  Arm or hand gestures are fine.  Now you are ready to deliver your speech before the class.

The Evaluation:

Conclusion:

Credits & References:

Teacher Advice:

Students will need to be able to recognize elements of persuasion.  They will also need good skills in summarization and editing.

This lesson will take several class periods to complete (it is good for a unit plan that could be spread over a few weeks).  The lesson begins with a link to a source on speech analysis.  Next, students are directed to sites that contain famous speeches with full text.  They are asked to write a brief summary of each.  Then two or three speeches will be compared and contrasted.  The unit is finished when each student writes and delivers a persuasive speech.  All their writing may be collected in a portfolio which may be graded.

Students may balk at the work load.  You may choose to limit the number of speeches reviewed and summarized.  If students say they cannot identify elements of persuasion, you might want to review propaganda techniques.  Students may be allowed to work in groups as evaluate the speeches.  Writing response groups may be used as they develop their own speeches.  Students might have fun videotaping their presentations.

Teachers will need to be familiar with persuasion in print and oration.  The teacher will also need to be able to use the Internet and know how their computers work.  The lesson isn't beyond the scope of a beginning teacher.

One teacher can implement this lesson.  It can also be adapted to situations where teachers work together.  It will be helpful if the teacher has the assistance of someone skilled with computers (particularly if the teacher is not a computer ace or there are many students who need help).