A 1-semester course for grades 8 or 9 and up
Think of the progymnasmata as a step-by-step apprenticeship in the art of writing and rhetoric. In the award-winning Writing & Rhetoric series, author Paul Kortepeter has recovered this proven method of teaching writing in conjunction with critical thinking and speaking. This is the eleventh in a series of 12 books that will train students over 6 years.
Full program includes:
Writing & Rhetoric Book 11: Thesis Part 2 (Student Edition): In this book, students will implement what they learned about writing well-crafted persuasive thesis essays in Writing & Rhetoric Book 10: Thesis Part 1 and advance those skills by creating dynamic and powerful speeches. A vital part of rhetoric, oratory connects thinking and writing to the indispensable art of public speaking. Students will learn from masters of oratory, past and present, by studying the great speeches of Cicero, Thurgood Marshall, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and Malala Yousafzai, among others. When preparing and delivering their speeches, students will utilize the 5 canons of rhetoric and the common topics of invention to help them discover and refine their theses.
Thesis Part 2 is designed to build students’ confidence in public speaking, teaching them the habits of excellent delivery and proper breathing. Incorporating the skills learned throughout the series, students will research, write, and then deliver 3 practice speeches (or declamations) of their own creation in the manner of the traditional branches of rhetoric: judicial, ceremonial, and political. As students gain skill, they will learn to delight in discourse as a way “to enlighten the understanding, please the imagination, move the passion, and influence the will” (George Campbell).
In this 1-semester book, students will learn to:
- write persuasive speeches in the style of a closing argument in a courtroom, a eulogy at a funeral, and the proposal of a law in a legislative body
- refine their writing of theses, topic sentences, and antitheses
- improve their conclusions to extend and enhance their original theses
- strengthen their ability to derive information from texts, organizing and summarizing it in expository paragraphs
- develop an awareness of transitions, tone, and writing style
- practice fluent reading using diverse speech texts
- identify a variety of genres, particularly judicial, ceremonial, and political oration
- interact with well-written texts through discussions and exercises in evaluation and critical thinking
- draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
- strengthen their oratory skills through opportunities for public speaking
- see the relationship between writing and speaking
- use oration as an aid to the process of revision
Writing & Rhetoric Book 11: Thesis Part 2 Teacher’s Edition: This book includes the complete student text, as well as answer keys, teacher’s notes, and explanations. This teacher’s edition supplies descriptions and examples of what excellent student writing should be like for every writing assignment, providing the teacher with meaningful and concrete guidance.
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