Teaching intentions

The lesson plans are intended to develop student knowledge/understanding of persuasive

writing with specific focus on rhetoric devices and the ways in which they are used to
establish, enhance and strengthen a persuasive text. By the end of three lessons, in the
particular form of a speech, students will be able to apply developed knowledge of rhetoric
devices and utilise it to analyse and construct their own persuasive text.

Lesson one of six

Class: Year 7 Stage 4 English Time: 60 minutes

Outcomes
EN4-4B: makes effective language choices to creatively shape meaning with accuracy, clarity
and coherence.

Content point:
Engage personally with texts
- Recognise and appreciate the ways wide ranges of texts communicate by using effective
language choices

Materials
 Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s, 1992 ‘Address to the Plenary Session at the Earth Summit,
Rio Centro, Brazil’ full speech and Youtube video
 Persuasive Writing cloze passage
 Rhetoric Devices definition and purpose sheet
 The Analysis Task worksheet

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
5 min Teacher to introduce Teacher will initiate a discussion around persuasive writing
first activity and Teacher to write on white board and ask the scaffolding questions
mark the roll below
 What is persuasive writing?
Activity  What is the purpose of persuasive writing?
1
Teacher will instruct students to write their thoughts on the
following questions in their workbook.

Students: will work individually and attempt at the following

activity

Teacher will utilise this quiet time-frame to effectively mark the

roll.
5min Teacher to start Teacher: will ask students to share what they have written down
brain-storming to start a brain-storm.
activity
Activity The teacher is to provide the answers below at any point of the

SID:18022546 1
 2 Teacher to conduct activity to direct student focus or initiate the discussion (if students
formative are stuck)
assessment of Persuasive writing is a form of opinion/convincing writing. The
student knowledge writer uses words to convince and sway the reader about certain
on the concept of ideas, opinions or argument.
foundation based on
the gathering of People write persuasively for different purposes but the common
responses provided reasons are:
by students (what  To change other individual’s point of view or persuade them to
ideas are used to accept new points of view and take certain action OR
answer these  To simply inform others of a certain understanding, thinking,
question and knowledge or opinion
formulate student’s
current knowledge Teacher will be actively assisting students in expressing their
on persuasive understanding and ideas about argument (particularly in a more
writing) concise language)

Data gathered will Students: will be contributing to the discussion and copying down
assist teacher in brainstorm, adding the ideas of the teacher and peers to their own
determining the use workbook.
of meta-language
throughout the three
lessons.
Teacher will hand Teacher: will be going through the answer with the students
7 min out the cloze passage
worksheet Teacher will be actively asking students for answer

Students will have The omitted words will allow teacher to emphasize the key ideas of
six minutes to the worksheet (definition of persuasive writing, its purpose and
Activity complete the why it is important)
passage. Teacher
3
will spend four Students: will be completing the cloze passage as part of the mini-
minutes on lesson and contribute their answer
discussing the
answer with the
class.

20min Teacher to verbally Teacher: will inform students the next three lessons will be based
ask students the on rhetoric devices and their role/purpose/function in producing a
identified questions persuasive text.
and write them onto
the board Teacher will clarify to students that next few lessons and activities
will only focus on the following rhetoric devices:
Alliteration, Imagery, Anecdote, Repetition and Rhetorical
question
Activity
Teacher to hand out Teacher then ask students the following scaffolding questions:
4 Rhetoric Devices  What do you know about rhetoric?

SID:18022546 2
 definition and  Why are rhetoric devices used in a speech and for what
purpose sheet purpose?

Teacher will then instruct students to write down their answers in
their workbook

Teacher will then initiate a class discussion based on the following

question. Depending on the nature of the pupils, the teacher will
randomly select students or ask for volunteers. Selected students
will contribute their individual answers onto the board.

Teacher will write the planned answer to the above questions onto
the board for guidance and clarification
Rhetoric – is the art of persuasive speaking and writing.
The role of rhetoric in speeches is to persuade the listener of the
orator’s point of view and intentions.

Teacher to instruct the students to read the definition and purpose

sheet and resolve any student enquiry
Students: are to write down their answers in the workbook.

Students will then contribute, share as well as write down the

answer of their peers and the teacher

Students will read through the definition sheet and familiarize

themselves with the various devices.

Student is to request teacher’s assistance for any needed

clarification
20 min Teacher to play Teacher: is to inform students that they are going to listen, read
Severn Cullis and analyse a speech composed by a twelve year old girl.
Suzuki’s speech on
Activity YouTube with sub- Teacher to direct student to utilise the definition and purpose sheet
5 titles and provide when viewing the speech and doing the activity. The answers
full transcript provided will help students to learn and recognise the different
rhetoric devices as well as their usage.
Teacher to hand out
The Analysis Task Teacher will inform students that he/she is going to purposefully
read through the beginning of the speech whilst having the analysis
12 minutes for video questions in mind and pausing whenever he/she can spot a rhetoric
and quick read of device to analyse.
speech
7 minutes in the The teacher will do so in a think-aloud manner and explain to
Think-Pair-Share students about their thoughts when analysing and providing a
activity and working guided model for the students. This responsibility will gradually be
on the Analysis passed along to students.
Table for example:
After reading the lines “You adults must change your ways …”
This line stood for me. The word “Must” serves a purpose.

SID:18022546 3
 4 minutes for class The rhetoric device that I can identify was the choice of high-
discussion of modality. It was persuasive in the ways that it made me feel that I
Analysis tables was part of what was going on and I needed to take action.

Teacher will then pause for another line and inform students that
that there is a rhetoric device used, however, student should advise
the teacher of what it is and how it was used for persuasion.

Students: will split into PAIRS and work together to complete the
Analysis Table
Students are to share their answers in a class discussion after the 7
minutes provided.

Teacher and Students: will participate in a class discussion and

exchange thoughts on the speech as well as answers to the Analysis
Table.

Teacher will collect this analysis for formative assessment and

return this to students in the next class.

Homework Students are to revise the rhetoric definition and purpose sheet and
develop greater familiarity with the various rhetoric devices.
Furthermore, students are to search for examples of rhetoric
devices and how they are used in a persuasive texts; preferably in
the forms of a speech. This will help students to greater understand
the role/purpose/function of rhetoric devices as well as enable them
to actively engage in the next lesson’s activities.

Teacher to remind students to the bring Rhetoric Devices definition

and purpose sheet and explain that it will serve as a vital point of
reference for the next two lessons

Evaluation/ Extension
[What you have planned to do to evaluate the outcomes of the lesson or what you set as
extension (‘follow up’) tasks]
The lesson is centred primarily on building a solid foundation of persuasive writing and
ensuring that all-students are equipped with adequate knowledge for the upcoming lessons.
As this is the first of three lesson at a stage 4 level, evaluation is not strictly based around the
teacher’s assessment of students’ written response. Rather, it will be done through the
teacher’s informal assessment of students’ responses and the ways in which the ideas
articulated in these responses matches the identified learning outcome and content point.

This method of evaluation will be done through activity 5. In this activity, the answers
provided by the students should indicate how well they are understanding the uses of rhetoric
devices in a speech. For example, the student is able analyse that Severn deliberately used
repetition and that repetition was used to create emphasis for her main point. Based students’

SID:18022546 4
analysis, the teacher will formulate their judgements and evaluate how students are meeting
the intended outcome.

References

Harper, I. (1997). The writer’s toolbox: Five tools for active revision
instruction. Language Arts, 74(3), 193-200

Suzuki, S. C. (1992). Online Speech Bank: Severn Suzuki - Speech at 1992 UN Conference

on the Environment (transcript-audio-video). Retrieved from

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/severnsuzukiunearthsummit.htm

SID:18022546 5
 Appendix
Activity 3

SID:18022546 6
 Activity 4

SID:18022546 7
 Activity 5

Analysis Table

SID:18022546 8
 Lesson two of six

Class: Year 7 English 1 Time: 60 minutes

Outcome
EN4-4B: makes effective language choices to creatively shape meaning with accuracy, clarity
and coherence.

Content points:
Engage personally with texts
- Recognise and appreciate the ways wide ranges of texts communicate by using effective
language choices
Develop and apply contextual knowledge:
-Explore and analyse the ways purpose, audience and context affect a composer’s choices of
content, language forms and features and structures of texts to creatively shape meaning

Materials
 Transcript Extract from Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s, 1992 ‘Address to the Plenary Session
at the Earth Summit, Rio Centro, Brazil’
 Advanced Analysis Table work sheets

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
Teacher to Teacher: will initiate a discussion around the content and
introduce ideas of previous lesson
first activity
and mark Teacher will write on board and ask scaffolding questions to
Activity the roll prompt student thinking
1  Can someone tell me what we did and what we learnt last
lesson?
3  What were the different rhetoric devices that we focused
minutes on?
 How did they make Severn’s speech more persuasive?

Teacher will instruct students to write their thoughts on the

following questions in their workbook.

Students: will work individually and respond to the following

questions

Teacher will utilise this quiet time-frame to effectively mark

the roll.
Activity Class Teacher & Students: Students will participate in a class
2 discussion discussion and share their thoughts on the above questions
and Teacher will re-cap the key ideas of previous lesson and
3 mins contribution explain its link to current lesson (the understanding of various

SID:18022546 9
 rhetoric devices and how those understanding will be applied
in this lesson’s activities)
Teacher to
hand out Teacher to introduce students to the Advanced Analysis Task
Activity Advanced and explain that it is an extending understanding activity.
Analysis
3 Task Teacher should instruct students to use learning materials
from previous activities as a point of reference and assistance
20 15 minute to (for example, purpose and definition sheet help identify
Min complete rhetoric device, cloze passage to help determine the speaker’s
table intentions and previous analysis table as a starting point for
thinking)
5 minutes Teacher to inform students that they are working
for independently, and that this is formal formative assessment.
discussion
Teacher is not to provide a modelled answer, but rather
encourage students to think of their own. Teacher will
however, provide suggestive insight to help students’ think.

Students: are to appropriate what they have learned from

previous lesson to independently work on the task

Students & Teachers: will participate in a class discussion

once time is up

Teacher is to guide the discussion and prompt students to

think about the ways in which the purpose, audience and
context influenced Severn’s choice and use of rhetoric
devices. Teacher is to provide suggestions for students whom
are struggling with the task. For example prompting the
student to think of the ways in which Severn chose to use the
pronoun I in the lines “I am only a child” and how it helped
her to establish empathy from the audience whom are adults.

Students’ answers should also provide a formative assessment

of their mastery towards the content points/outcome of the
lesson. Teacher note down and assess student responses to
evaluate students’ learning. Furthermore, teacher will collect
students’ individual answers to mark and return it by the next
class.
30 Teacher to Teacher: is to introduce and explain to students that they will
minutes hand out work on an imitation writing activity.
Severn
Activity Cullis For this activity, students will read the extract several times
4 Suzuki’s The students are then to briefly re-think of previous activity (
extract the purpose of the devices identified, the audience it is
intended for and the effects that it had on both them and the
Students to audience.)
have

SID:18022546 10
 workbook
ready Students are then to create a template by writing down the
same sentences, but excluding the highlighted lines and
3 minutes replacing those sentences with lines/phrases that do not
for reading incorporate the use of rhetoric devices.
of extract

10 minutes
for first Teacher will provide a modelled response for the students. For
imitation example, in lines “why do we have everything still so
greedy?”
Teacher will substitute the rhetorical question and changing it
into a simple statement. “We have everything, but we are still
5 minutes so greedy”
for
discussion The teacher will then answer the questions and do a think-
aloud in this process of answering. The teacher will then offer
students whom are not confident with the task to do the same
thing but using different words. This will enable for a gradual
10 minutes transition of responsibility and enabling the students to have
for second be more confident at the task.
imitation
activity Students are to put the writer’s work away and not look at
it again as it might interfere with their original creative
process.
4 minutes
for Teachers and students will engage in a class discussion.
discussion Teachers to propose inquiry based question to help students
assess what they have written down:

Were the same lines as persuasive without the use of rhetoric

devices?
What changes did you notice?
Do you think Severn will still have the same appeal?
How would the audience/readers feel now?

Following the class discussion students will now write down

the same sentences, excluding the highlighted lines and
replacing those with words and sentences that incorporate the
use of the rhetoric devices that is identified in the Advanced
Analysis Table.

Prior to student writing, Teacher should advise students to re-

think of the specific intention, purpose and effect that the
identified rhetoric devices had in those lines. This will help to
direct student focus and enable students to have a clear
objective in their writing.

SID:18022546 11
 Teacher and students will re-engage in a class discussion.
Teachers to prompt students the following inquiry based
questions:

What is the difference now with the incorporation of those

rhetoric devices and your own words?

Were the same lines as persuasive with the use of those

rhetoric devices but in different words and sentences?

If yes/no, how do you think they were more persuasive or less

persuasive?

Teacher is to note down students responses and conduct an

informal and formative assessment. Additionally, teacher will
also collect student responses for formative assessment.
Homework Students are to re-visit other part of Severn’s speech and
choose a particular part of the speech that they want to focus
on. Students are then to analyse the rhetorical devices used
and perform an imitation activity that is similar to what they
did in this lesson.

Evaluation/ Extension
[What you have planned to do to evaluate the outcomes of the lesson or what you set as
extension (‘follow up’) tasks]
Evaluation of outcome is to be done through the teacher’s informal assessment on students’
responses throughout the lesson (which are noted) and students’ written answers from activity
1, 3 and 4. The responses and answers provided should indicate students’ current
understanding of persuasive writing and the functions of rhetoric devices.

For example, activity 3 is aimed at consolidating student knowledge from last lesson and
extending their abilities to analyse the ways purpose, audience and context affected Severn’s
choice of rhetoric devices meeting outcome EN4-4B.

Activity 4 is aimed at extending students’ abilities to write as well as recognise and

appreciate the ways in which an author uses effective language choices to creatively shape
meaning. (Meeting outcome EN4-4B)

With strong focus on these aims and objectives throughout and after the lesson. The teacher
will evaluate by aligning and making comparable judgements between the answers provided
and the desired outcome/content points that is intended for the lesson.

SID:18022546 12
 Appendix
Activity 3
Advanced Analysis Table

Rhetoric device What appeal did Can you explain how the
Extract Severn establish rhetoric devices helped
that you can
through this device? Severn achieve this appeal?
identify
Why did she want to Which specific language
What does Severn
appeal this way? signalled this to you?
want her audience to
(think of the audience
think, feel, or do
that she trying to
when she uses this
appeal to)
device?

Which specific
Which specific
language signalled this
language signalled
to you?
this to you?
I am here to speak
on behalf of the
starving children …

I am here to speak
for the countless
animals dying ….

I am afraid to go out
in the sun now
because of the holes
in the ozone.

I used to go fishing
in Vancouver with
my dad, until just a
few years ago; we
found the fish full
of cancers.

Did you have to

worry about these
little things when
you were my age?

SID:18022546 13
 Activity 4
Transcript Extract from Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s speech

References

Harper, I. (1997). The writer’s toolbox: Five tools for active revision
instruction. Language Arts, 74(3), 193-200
Small, A. (2017). Lectures on English Curriculum 1A [Week 1-3]. Retrieved from

https://vuws.westernsydney.edu.au

Suzuki, S. C. (1992). Online Speech Bank: Severn Suzuki - Speech at 1992 UN Conference

on the Environment (transcript-audio-video). Retrieved from

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/severnsuzukiunearthsummit.htm

SID:18022546 14
 Lesson three of six

Class: Year 7 English 1 Time: 60 minutes

Outcomes
EN4-4B: makes effective language choices to creatively shape meaning with accuracy, clarity
and coherence.

Content points:
Respond and compose texts
- create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that raise issues, report events and
advance opinions, using deliberate language and textual choices.

Materials
 Success Criteria Sheet
 Informational Text
 Persuasive writing Tips and Outline

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
5mins Class Teacher will perform roll-call at and instruct students to state
discussion one thing they did or learnt from last lesson. This will help the
teacher to effectively mark the roll whilst prompting student
memory.

Students: will respond their name called and individually

answer to the question asked.
2mins Introduction Teacher will inform students that this lesson will be focused on
improving their abilities to write persuasively through utilising
various rhetorical devices. Teacher is to advise students that they
will be writing their own persuasive speech.
Activity
15 mins 1 Teacher & students: are going to read through the persuasive
writing tips and outline. Teacher will go through and explain to
8 minutes students that these tips and outline are important, as they will
Teacher to provide structure and valuable ideas for the next activity.
hand out
persuasive For the informational text, teacher to inform students to focus
writing tips specifically on the factual details provided as it will required in
and outline the next activity.

7 minutes Students: are to ask any questions for clarification when reading
through the two texts.

SID:18022546 15
 Teacher will
hand out
informational
text
Activity The first writing activity involves students reading through the
2 informational text. After reading, students are to split into pairs.
In pairs, students are required to utilise factual evidence from the
23 mins Teacher to informational text along with their knowledge and materials on
hand out rhetoric devices that has been acquired from previous lesson to
Success write a short 200 word persuasive speech.
criteria sheet
Students are to assist one another through contributing
Students to ideas/thinking to formulate the speech. If possible, teacher
have should students whom are less confident with the task with those
workbook who are.
ready
The details of this speech will be similar to that of Severn Cullis
13 minutes Suzuki’s. The speech should be written from the perspective of
for writing an eight year old (use of language not have too descriptive,
detailed and extensive). The audience are politicians and
5 minutes for delegates. Students will be writing and utilising rhetoric devices
teacher to that they have learnt to convince their readers/audience to act or
write and think differently about the issue.
mark his/her
exemplar Teacher is to instruct students to only use rhetoric devices that
are identified in the rhetoric devices definition and purpose
5 minutes for sheet.
students to
mark their Teacher to emphasize that students are to focus on the use of
own writing rhetoric devices in their speech as this is what they are assessed
and discuss in.
The teacher is to also participate in this activity and write his/her
speech on the board. The teacher will follow the outline’s
structure and state a-loud what his/her intentions when utilising
any specific rhetoric device.

Once 15 minute is up, The teacher will perform a guided model

by using the success criteria sheet to mark his/her own exemplar.

In pairs, students will utilise the success criteria sheet and mark
their speech together. Students are to exchange ideas and
contribute their honest thoughts to one another during the
marking process. For e.g What was missing and How the use of
rhetoric devices could be used better
15 12 minutes Teacher: is to instruct students that they are now to write their
minutes for writing own speech 200 words speech by utilising the materials and
knowledge that they have acquired.
3 minutes for
self-marking The details will be similar to that of previous speech with minor

SID:18022546 16
 changes. Students are still to use factual evidence provided and
the purpose of their writing remains the same. However, the
audience are teachers and peers. Students will write from the
perspective of a year 12 old (which entails more precise
language and greater vocabulary).

Teacher to emphasize that students are to focus on the use of

rhetoric devices as this is what they are assessed upon.

Teacher to explicitly inform students that they will work as

individuals and this is a summative assessment task.

Students are to put the writer’s work away and not look at it
again as it might interfere with their original creative process.

Teacher will collect students’ workbook and success criteria

sheet for summative assessment and evaluation.
Homework Students are to write their own 300 words persuasive speech
utilising the materials/knowledge that they have acquired.
Teacher to hand out
Success criteria sheet The speech can be of any issues that students’ find relatable or
interesting for example Illegal dumping of trash and its effect on
the environment.

Students will write on the issue that they have chosen and
purposefully utilise rhetoric devices learnt to persuade audience
to take action.

Students are required to conduct their own research and gather

factual knowledge to use as evidence in the speech.

The audience will be that of the students’ choice and depending

on context/purpose of speech.

The student is to self-assess their own writing using the success

criteria sheet and then handing it over to another individual for
marking. This could be their peers, parents, siblings.

As students are in year 7, continual practice will help to

strengthen their abilities to write and utilise rhetorical devices.

Evaluation/ Extension
Outcomes of the lesson is to be evaluated formally through students’ written response. As the
writing activity is centred on the identified content point and outcome, the teacher will utilise
students’ evaluation of their own work as a basis for establishing judgements. The teacher
will then mark students’ individual work using the success criteria and formulate their
judgements on whether a student is meeting the content point and outcome of the lesson.
Lastly, with a strong focus of the learning outcome/content in mind; Teacher will ensure that
the judgements made are fair and just. The teacher will do so by making comparable

SID:18022546 17
judgements between students’ written work. By comparing students work, teacher will be
able to see how an individual student is meeting the outcome of the lesson compared to the
rest of his/her class. Additionally, it will also provide teacher with evidence regarding their
own teaching, so that they may reflect on the effectiveness of their own current teaching
practice.

References
Camilleri, J. (2017) Student Success Criteria [Week 2 Tutorial]

Harper, I. (1997). The writer’s toolbox: Five tools for active revision
instruction. Language Arts, 74(3), 193-200

Suzuki, S. C. (1992). Online Speech Bank: Severn Suzuki - Speech at 1992 UN Conference

on the Environment (transcript-audio-video). Retrieved from

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/severnsuzukiunearthsummit.htm

SID:18022546 18
 Appendix
Activity 1: Informational Text

The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there
have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice
age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of
human civilization. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in
Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.

Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.

- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is extremely likely
(greater than 95 percent probability) to be the result of human activity since the mid-
20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia.1

The evidence for rapid climate change is compelling:

Sea level rise

Global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century. The rate in the last two decades,
however, is nearly double that of the last century.4

Image: Republic of Maldives: Vulnerable to sea level rise

SID:18022546 19
 Global temperature rise

The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1
degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon
dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.5 Most of the warming
occurred in the past 35 years, with 16 of the 17 warmest years on record occurring since
2001. Not only was 2016 the warmest year on record, but eight of the 12 months that make
up the year — from January through September, with the exception of June — were the
warmest on record for those respective months. 6

Warming oceans

The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about
2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.7

Shrinking ice sheets

SID:18022546 20


The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from NASA's Gravity
Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost 150 to 250 cubic kilometers (36 to
60 cubic miles) of ice per year between 2002 and 2006, while Antarctica lost about 152 cubic
kilometers (36 cubic miles) of ice between 2002 and 2005.

Persuasive writing Tips and Outline

Persuasive Speech Tips and Outline

 Think of the speech’s purpose and ideas that you want to convey
 Formulate your main idea/argument and think of how you are going to present it.
 Think of the appeal that you want to establish and who your audience/reader is
 Think of the rhetoric techniques that you are going to utilise and how you are
going to utilise it in your speech.

Introduction: Introduce yourself and the reason why you are writing/presenting this
speech. Provide details of who you are. This can include things such as your age, your
name, the school you attend and the organisation that you represent.

Body: Introduce your argument and start working at what you are trying to convey.

 Utilise factual evidence from the informational text to support your argument.
 Utilise the rhetoric devices that you have learnt from lesson one and two to
your advantage.

Think of the different effects that the effects of different rhetoric devices and how
they can be used purposefully to articulate your speech.
For example, think of how you can create emphasis of an important point using
repetition and alliteration. Think of how the use of anecdotes can help you establish a
certain appeal and greater connect with the audience

SID:18022546 21
Conclusion: How will you end this?
Think of using rhetoric devices in a way that imposes a sense of guilt in your ending,
this will possibly leave a lasting impact on your audience, moreover, it will push them to
take action and prevent global warming (your intentions for this activity) !!!!

Think of how you can use the rhetoric devices that you learnt to create a strong
emotional and lasting ending

Remember!
If you are stuck, look back at Severn Cullis Suzuki’s speech and the analysis that you
did on her uses of rhetoric devices.

Success Criteria

SID:18022546 22
 References

Boas, E. and Gazis, S. (eds) (2016), The Artful English Teacher: Over 100 Practical

Strategies for the English Classroom, Adelaide: Australian Association for the

Teaching of English.

Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet: Evidence. (2017, August 7). Retrieved from

https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

Suzuki, S. C. (1992). Online Speech Bank: Severn Suzuki - Speech at 1992 UN Conference

on the Environment (transcript-audio-video). Retrieved from

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/severnsuzukiunearthsummit.htm

SID:18022546 23
 Rationale

In this rationale, I will address the questions of what, why and how and explain the rationale

behind the three series of lesson plans. The question of how the lessons relates to the unit

reading will be answered and weaved throughout the response. By conclusion, this rationale

would have demonstrated how the lessons are connected in a thoroughly developed and

unified manner. Through synthesis and utilisation of various scholarly sources, theories and

appropriate unit reading throughout the response, this rationale will reflect and showcase how

the planned lessons are coherent, well sequenced and connected to the selected unifying

element as well syllabus outcome and content points.

What are you teaching?

The ability to write persuasively through the utilisation of a specific set of rhetoric device is

the focus of teaching for the three set of lessons. The lessons planned embed a sequence that

builds students towards composing their own persuasive writing piece, with a clear

understanding of and ability to incorporate specific rhetoric devices into their writing. The

model text was Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s, 1992 ‘Address to the Plenary Session at the Earth

Summit, Rio Centro, Brazil’. This text was chosen due to its suitability, readability and

relevancy to the students. Boas and Gazis (2016) highlights how in-order for a students to

effectively learn about an aspect of writing, it is mandatory for students to firstly be interested

and engaged with what they are learning. The issues identified in the text are still on-going

and the perspective is that of a twelve year old which enables for greater engagement from

students. Furthermore, the simplistic use of language and vocabulary throughout the speech

enables for a clear understanding of the composer’s intention and purpose. More importantly,

it allows students to delve directly into analysing the effects and purpose of rhetoric devices

SID:18022546 24
and the ways in which they are used to strengthen the speech; an idea which is central to the

outcome of the lesson as students will utilise this understanding to compose their own text.

The series of lessons and activities are planned for a stage four, year seven class. Lesson one

teaches students about the definition, purpose and functions of persuasive writing and

rhetoric device and help students to recognise the ways in which these devices are used to

establish, enhance and strengthen a persuasive text. Lessons two builds on from lesson one to

consolidate students’ analytical abilities. Furthermore, the lesson is planned to extend

students ability to develop and apply contextual knowledge; this lesson teaches and pushes

students to think of the ways in which purpose, audience and context shapes a composer’s use

of rhetoric devices in his/her text. Lastly, Lesson three consolidates students’ knowledge and

understanding from lesson one to teach and reinforce students’ ability to respond and

compose a persuasive text.

How and why you are teaching it?

Many year seven students struggle to grasp on what exactly persuasive writing is. Most

students know, have read a lot of persuasive texts and have attempted to write them in

primary school; however, many still struggle when proposed with the question of how to

write a persuasive text. Atwell (1968) highlights that in-order to tackle the question of how

to write persuasively, it is crucial for us to first have a solid understanding of what persuasive

writing is and why one would write persuasively. As this is a stage four, year seven class, it

was important to not make assumptions of students’ knowledge on persuasive writing as an

individuals’ understanding of what they are writing greatly impacts the ways in which they

formulate ideas and express themselves (Atwell, 1978). Thus, the first lesson design embeds

a sequence that builds students’ understanding of persuasive writing and rhetorical devices.

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Activity two (brain storm/discussion) and three (cloze passage) was incorporated within the

lesson for this purpose. The activities enables students whom do not know much about

persuasive writing to establish a foundation and allows for those that do to re-fresh and

strengthen. Activity four develops students’ understanding of rhetoric devices and does so by

actively engaging the student and teachers through scaffolding questions as well as answers

given from the definition and purpose sheet. Specific rhetoric devices identified in the

definition and purpose were chosen due to their frequent and simplistic use throughout the

modelled text. As this is intended for stage four lessons; more complex and greater number of

rhetoric devices could be overloading and negatively affects students’ metacognition

(Gannon, Howie, & Sawyer 2010).

Activity five of lesson one and three and four of lesson two (analysis tables) develops and

extends students’ abilities to apply contextual knowledge. Additionally, the activities are also

designed to establish an inquiry based learning (Small, 2017). The activities do so by

actively engaging the students in an analysis that is systematically scaffolded (Boas & Gazis,

2016). The questions require students to consider the ways in which the composer uses

rhetoric devices to creatively shape meaning and students must weigh evidence to justify

their answers. The purpose of this is to provoke deep thoughts, as well as lively discussion

and new ways of questioning and understanding (Small, 2017). Moreover, it contributes to

students’ development of skills and abilities in a critical way; this is useful for students as it

provides students with a greater insight into the role/purpose/function of rhetoric device

which will help students in constructing their own persuasive writing piece.

Lesson three incorporates the knowledge and abilities that students have acquired from

previous lessons and place that into the practicality of writing to meet outcome EN-4B.

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Atwell (1987) highlights how an individual writing task is one is that is highly challenging

and will require high level of support. This is an idea that has been sequenced throughout the

activities in the series of lesson; however, it is only made explicit in lesson three. Lesson one

and two begins by building the Gradual Release of Responsibility model (GRR) by

establishing students’ understanding through the materials and activities provided; this

included things such as teacher'. It works the outline. This responsibility then passed students

through the pair-writing task and towards a larger frame of release in which the students are

progressing and working towards the required goal (writing their own text) via a deliberately

structured instructional sequence and over the span of three lessons. Lesson three explicitly

demonstrates the GRR model as it effectively showcases the mantra of I do, you watch; I do,

you help, you do, I help; you do, I watch’ (Boas & Gazis, 2016), . This is demonstrated in

lesson three through the teacher’s writing of his/her own speech on the board and narrating a-

loud the ways in which he/she is addressing then to their individual writing. The GRR model

is incorporated throughout the lessons as it provides a gradual and purposeful transition of the

completion of writing task from a teacher as they model to the student to the students as they

independently apply the required skills (Boas & Gazis, 2016). This is particularly useful in

the context of a stage 4 lesson as it assists students in effectively engaging with the lessons’

outcome.

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 References

Atwell, N. (1987). Writing mini lessons. In In the middle: New

understandings about writing, reading, and learning (2nd ed.).

Board of Studies, NSW (2012) NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum: English K-10

Syllabus: Vol 2: English Years 7-10. Available:

https://syllabus.bostes.nsw.edu.au/assets/englishk10/downloads/englishk10_full.pdf

Boas, E. and Gazis, S. (eds) (2016), The Artful English Teacher: Over 100 Practical

Strategies for the English Classroom, Adelaide: Australian Association for the

Teaching of English.

Gannon, S., Howie, M. and Sawyer, W. (eds) (2010) Charged with Meaning Putney: Phoenix

Education.

Small, A. (2017). Lectures on English Curriculum 1A [Week 1-3]. Retrieved from

https://vuws.westernsydney.edu.au

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