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2020-2021 - Honors English 11 - Rhetoric & Persuasion : Opening Activity

Overview

Seeking Change: At Robinson & In Your Community

It's easy to look at the world around us and criticize what we see, wishing things were different. More challenging are these ideas:

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”  ~ Robert F. Kennedy

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”  ~Albert Einstein

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” ~ Malala Yousafzai

Learning Targets: 

This week I will learn about current issues and the charities created to address my concerns so that I can select a topic and charity worthy of support. I'll know I'm successful when I complete the research proposal and assemble enough information to create a persuasive, engaging, and compelling video advertisement with my group. 

Global Goals & Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Individual Brainstorm:

  1. Take twelve minutes to scan through the Global Goals for Sustainable Development site and the Opposing Viewpoints Database (Database Passwords). 
  2. Make a list of SIX ideas / issues / topics you'd like to see addressed or changed in your lifetime. 

Breakout Groups

Google Slide - Graffiti Board

  1. Share & Discuss: With your breakout group, discuss the topics & issues you collected during the brainstorm. 
  2. Write: As a group, list all the potential topics on the shared Google Slide Deck (shared through the chat on BBCU) . 
    • Open the Slide Deck
    • List all the group member's names on an open slide 
    • Take turns typing; list all the individual ideas shared with the group
    • Once everyone has the opportunity to share, agree on the group's top three topic ideas
  3. Decide who will speak: One person from the group will share the group's thinking with the entire class; please be prepared to share out your groups' top three topic ideas with the class.