Altruism and Interconnectedness in Short Texts

Lesson 5
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ELA

Unit 1

10th Grade

Lesson 5 of 11

Objective


Analyze how King achieves his authorial purpose by identifying and interpreting his rhetorical strategies.

Readings and Materials


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Target Task


Discourse Questions

  • To what extent are the final three paragraphs of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” rhetorically effective? What about the overall letter? 
  • Is Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” mostly about justice, transformation, unity, or reconciliation? 
  • Which quote from Dr. King’s essay do you find the most compelling? Be sure to cite evidence from your experiences and readings to support and defend your position. 
  • Which quote from Dr. King’s essay would you challenge and on what grounds?  Be sure to cite evidence from your experiences and readings to support and defend your position. 

Criteria for Success

  • Speaking: Speak clearly and use disciplined, appropriate language
  • Argument: Share an original and sophisticated argument based on knowledge from the texts in the unit
  • Evidence: Present evidence that is specific, detailed, relevant, and cited from the text
  • Preparation: Come to seminar adequately prepared with annotated texts and outlined potential responses and questions
  • Discourse: Respond to the ideas or your classmates rather than sharing what you have prepared

Homework


  • Prepare for tomorrow’s Free Response Question by determining which text you will write on and reviewing your annotations. 

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Standards


  • LO 1.2B — Explain how the rhetorical features of an argument contribute to its effect and meaning.
  • RI.9-10.6 — Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

Supporting Standards

LO 1.2A
LO 2.3A
LO 5.1A
LO 5.1B
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.2
SL.9-10.1
W.9-10.2.a
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