Standard 3: Reading Across Genres

In this lesson, students will read an excerpt from John F. Kennedy's speech, commonly titled "A Moral Issue", in response to the Civil Rights Movement. Upon reading the text, students will analyze and evaluate President Kennedy's use of ethos, as well as the impact of delivering the speech via live broadcast. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn the basic rules for effective paraphrasing. Students will read the 1993 inaugural address of President Bill Clinton. They will paraphrase several key sections to develop their paraphrasing skills and deepen their knowledge of the United States foundational principles and global leadership referenced in the address. Students will also answer text-dependent questions to further analyze the ideas and content of President Clinton’s address.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will analyze testimony delivered to congress by Suffrage Activist Lucy Stone (1892) in support of amending the U.S. Constitution to give women the right to vote in this lesson. The lesson specifically focuses on Stone’s use of alliteration, antithesis (parallel structure), and rhetorical questions to help achieve her purpose.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will read Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July.” Students will analyze Douglass’s use of rhetorical appeals throughout the text. Students will specifically identify his use of pathos and logos and examine how Douglass uses these appeals to support his overall purpose. Students will also learn important historical context about Douglass and the abolitionist movement. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, "Training Day: The Importance of Professionalism in the Workplace," students will research proper business etiquette and effective workplace communication. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will describe a developmental principle using common academic vocabulary related to child growth and development. During a group discussion on developmental principles, students will define and provide examples of new and/or familiar vocabulary terms that are used in speaking and writing about early childhood education.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use and build upon their prior knowledge to investigate a question related to child growth and development. As an introductory lesson to developmental principles, students will first self-reflect on their own childhood development. Then, students will evaluate the reliability of online resources as they conduct research, synthesize the information, and present their findings to a peer.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will compare and contrast different learning theories and discuss their implications for teaching and learning, in this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson plan provides teachers with the tools to help students analyze President Kennedy’s inaugural address. Students will specifically examine the use of three types of rhetorical devices within the text: imagery, alliteration, and anaphora. Students will be able to practice identifying the use of these rhetorical devices and how they support President Kennedy’s purpose.

Type: Lesson Plan

Examine how the symbolism in Saki's short story "The Interlopers" contributes to the overall mood of the text.
This interactive tutorial is Part Two in a two-part series. Be sure to complete Part One first. Click HERE to view Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In Part Two of this two-part series, read more excerpts from Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula. You'll continue to examine how the author creates suspense using the narrative techniques of exposition, foreshadowing, and imagery. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how figurative language—including personification, hyperbole, and imagery—creates mood using excerpts from the short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about paraphrasing and the use of direct quotes in this interactive tutorial about research writing. Along the way, you'll also learn about master magician Harry Houdini. This tutorial is part one of a two-part series, so be sure to complete both parts.

Check out part two—Avoiding Plaigiarism: It's Not Magic here.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to analyze the use of rhetorical devices in a nonfiction text. In this interactive tutorial, you'll examine excerpts from President Obama's speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Selma and analyze his use of three specific rhetorical devices: antithesis, rhetorical questions, and anaphora. You'll also analyze how he uses these rhetorical devices to help achieve his specific purpose. Along the way, you'll brush up on some important American history. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This resource provides the tools to help students analyze the rhetorical devices in one of the most pivotal speeches of the civil rights movement. In 1965, President Johnson addressed Congress and the nation in the wake of the events in Selma, Alabama. The American public had been jolted by scenes of state troopers attacking peaceful marchers.

Just days later, President Johnson addressed the nation to promote the passage of the Voting Rights Act. He skillfully drove home his purpose through the use of two rhetorical devices: imagery and anaphora. This resource will help students analyze his use of these devices and how they strengthen his speech.

Type: Teaching Idea

This teaching resource provides the tools to help students analyze the use of rhetorical appeals in President Franklin Roosevelt’s speech, “A Day that Will Live in Infamy.” The president delivered this powerful speech in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Students will analyze Roosevelt’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos in his address to Congress and the American people. 

Type: Teaching Idea

This teaching resource provides teachers with the tools to help students analyze the central idea and mood within John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. This includes examining how President Kennedy supports the central idea relating to foreign policy and protecting liberty throughout his speech. 

Type: Text Resource