Civil+Disobedience

Civil Disobedience! ** **// “ //**// Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.” //  Thomas Jefferson Students will examine several non-fiction works in order to understand how individuals throughout history use nuances of language to promote major individual, societal, and governmental change. To this end, students will study a variety of authors and genres through study of Thomas Jefferson’s aphorisms, Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience,” varied poetry, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Nonviolent Resistance” and “I Have a Dream” speech. Using creative, as well as analytical verbal and written expression students will explore various interpretations and rhetoric styles.
 * Civil Disobedience Unit **
 * The Individual’s Ability to Create Change **

** Essential Questions ** : 1. Reading to identify the main idea, reasons and supporting examples used in a text. 2. Refining and improving oral presentation skills including use of oral speaking techniques and presenting information in an organized and cohesive manner. 3. Writing higher order thinking questions that accurately measure the content conveyed in the presentation. 4. Learning effective note taking skills. 5. Refining and improving analytical thinking skills including by examining diction, syntax, connotation, denotation, allusions, figurative devices, and poetic devices. 6. Analyzing, interpreting text in a written format. ** Essential Terms for Understanding: ** Click here to study for your Civil Disobedience Quiz Click here to see the journal page. Click here for Civil Disobedience text
 * 1) How do authors use connotation, denotation, figurative language, diction, and syntax to communicate their ideas?
 * 2) What organizational structures and styles do author’s use in order to accomplish their purpose?
 * 3) What are the devices of persuasive rhetoric?
 * Skills **
 * ** Connotation: ** the common associations of a word.
 * ** Denotation ** : the dictionary definition of a word
 * ** Syntax ** : The structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence, including, for example, sentence length and type
 * ** Diction ** : Word choice
 * ** Aphorism: ** A briefly, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life. They serve several purposes: entertainment, instruction, problem solving, and inspiration (Elements of Literature).
 * ** Figurative Language ** : metaphors, similes and imagery used to convey meaning
 * ** Allusions ** : references to historical, religious, and/or political events
 * ** Poetic Devices ** : specific sound and poetic structure devices that convey meanings in poems (see handout).