This post is part of the series The Rhetoric of Changing Times, a collection in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its global consequences. In this series, we'll look at poignant historical speeches and documents and examine questions and topics for discussion/writing. Feel free to share your thinking in the comments or assign these questions … Continue reading The Rhetoric of Changing Times: First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Essential Tools for Teaching Rhetoric: Logos
What are the essential tools for teaching rhetoric and rhetorical analysis? This blog series will explore one tool each week. Logos Logos: it's "the principle of reason and judgment," according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Our current understanding of logos in rhetoric is actually linked with Jungian psychology (the same Jungian psychology that gives us … Continue reading Essential Tools for Teaching Rhetoric: Logos
75 Questions for Rhetorical Analysis
One of the very best close reading strategies I teach is questioning using Costa's levels; however, students sometimes need to build familiarity with what effective questions actually look like. They need to internalize them. They need to use them regularly. Asking the right questions can move struggling students beyond pedestrian summary into the realm of … Continue reading 75 Questions for Rhetorical Analysis
Close Reading With Costa’s Levels of Questioning
Have you ever told your students to find the "deeper meaning" of a text? Or asked them to share their "deeper understanding" of a concept or skill? Then you, like me, are guilty of one of the most common sins of teaching English Language Arts. Here's the problem: most kids have no idea what "deeper … Continue reading Close Reading With Costa’s Levels of Questioning
Friday Discussions
This year, I committed to making student voices a bigger component of every day in my classroom. I'm making sure to build in lots of intentional informal speaking opportunities on a daily basis. I'm holding Socratic Seminars at least once every quarter. In addition, I'm starting a new routine in all of my classes: the … Continue reading Friday Discussions