This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 7th Grade ELA. 

In this 3 day lesson plan on The Rhetorical Triangle from PBS Learning Media, students will focus on understanding Aristotle’s three elements of persuasive speech—the ancient Greek words ethos, pathos and logos. Additionally, students will be able to analyze the effectiveness of rhetorical strategies and elements in commercials and speeches.

In this lesson, students view non-print campaign advertisements and analyze them for factual and persuasive information, then determine which advertisement is the most persuasive and share reasons to support their decisions with a peer.

Students will write a three paragraph letter to a judge either in defense of or prosecution of Roger from the short story "Thank You Ma'am." Students will engage with the text as they cite evidence in support of their arguments. Students will get to present their letters to a mock jury and try to win their case for or against Roger.

This lesson helps students "hear" some of the diverse colonial voices that, in the course of time and under the pressure of novel ideas and events, contributed to the American Revolution. Students analyze a variety of primary documents illustrating the diversity of religious, political, social, and economic motives behind competing perspectives on questions of independence and rebellion.