Mr.

Chiaravalli
20142015

English12
Semester1
BearingWitness

Werealizetheimportanceofourvoicesonlywhenwearesilenced

MalalaYousafzai,IAmMalala

Overview

MalalaYousafzai,theyoungesteverNobelPrizerecipient,gainedworldwideacclaimduetoherbravestand
forfemaleeducationaroundtheworld.MalalawasshotatpointblankrangebyaTalibangunmanduetoher
commitmenttothiscause.Sinceherrecovery,shehascontinuedtofightforrightofallchildrentoan
education.

TheTalibanis,unfortunately,justoneofmanyoppressiveregimesthathavegainedpowerduringmodern
times.Manygreatleadersandwritersspeakoftheimportanceandpowerofbearingwitnesstothesuffering
causedbyoppression.AlthoughinspirationalspeakerslikeMalalareceivemuchofourattention,writersofall
genreshavehadaprofoundimpactonsituationsofoppression,somuchsothatmanyhavebeenimprisoned,
exiled,orevenexecutedforthepowertheywieldinwords.

HowtoUseThisPacket:Thispackethasalltheworkthatwearedoingforthecomingweeks,sodontbe
intimidated!Iwillbeprovidingguidanceandinstructionatapacethatwillhaveyoufinishedbytheendofthe
unit.Eachstephasitsownrationale,objectives,sequence,andassignments(explainedbelow).

Rationale:Thistellsyouwhywearedoingsomething,whyitsimportantnoworinthefuture.

Objectives:Thesearetheskillsyoushouldbeabletodemonstratebytheendofeachstep.

Sequence:Thislistsworkyoumustcompleteinordertoprogresstowardmeetingourobjectives.

representsanassignmenttoturnin
representsstepsleadinguptoassignments
representssomethingthatcanbeusedtodevelopablogpost

Assignments:Onthelastpageofthepacket,alltheassignedworkischecklistedinorder.Imayadd,subtract
orchangeassignmentsasneededthroughouttheterm.
1

Mr.Chiaravalli
20142015

English12
Semester1

StepOne:Introductiontohumanrights:Poetryofoppression

Rationale

Someofthedeepestexpressionsoftheeffectoppressionhasonhumanbeingshavecomefrompoetry.From
thedepthsofdespairtotheheightsofhumanresolve,poetryisperhapsbestequippedtoexpresstheextreme
emotionsevokedbytheexperienceofoppression.

Objectives

Aftercompletingthisstepyoushouldbeableto

1. Discussanddefineoppressionandhumanrights.
2. Analyzedifferingperspectivesontheuniversalthemeofhumanrights.
3. Respondpersonallytotextsbycomposingapoemonahumanrightsissue.

Sequence

Asaclass,identifyrightswehaveasAmericans.Imagineasituationinwhichtheserightsweretaken
away.Brainstormpossibleresponses.Discussthemeaningofhumanrightsandoppression,writinga
workingdefinitionofthesetwoterms.

ReadthepoemIfWeMustDietogetherasaclass.Injournals,writeaparagraphspeculatingaboutthe
situationthatmighthavecausedtheauthortocomposethepoem.Includeatleast1quote/citationfromthe
poemwhensupportingyourinferences.Discusstheseasaclass,addingafewmoreinsightstoyourentry.

Together,readAllandAfterAll,topoemswrittenbyChinesepoetswhowereopposedtotheir
government.Discussthedifferentreactionsofthesepoetstothesameoppressivesituation.

Insmallgroups,readandanalyzeanotherpoemaboutoppression,identifyingtheimagesinthepoem.Asa
class,listexamplesoftheimageryofhumanrightsandoppression.

Composearesponseeitherinproseorpoetrytothepoemthatyouanalyzed.Theresponsecanbeeither
supportiveorcontradictory.

StepTwo:Humanrightswatch

Rationale

Manytimeswebelievethatoppressionisabehaviorthathappenedinthepastandthatwillneverhappenon
suchalargescaleagain.Thefactisthathumanrightsabusesstilloccuraroundtheworld.Inthisportionofour
unit,wewillpracticesoundresearchmethodstocompilealistoftheseabuses,creatingamapofoppressionin
theworldtoday.

Mr.Chiaravalli
20142015

English12
Semester1

Objectives

Aftercompletingthisstepyoushouldbeableto

1. Conductshortresearchprojectstoanswerresearchquestions,synthesizemultiplesources,and
demonstrateunderstandingofthesubjectunderinvestigation.
2. Identifyandusecrediblesourcestocompilealistofhumanrightsviolationsintheworld.

Sequence

Asaclass,readaboutarecentexampleofoppression.Injournals,respondtowhatyouconsiderthenature
oftheoppressionandyourreactiontoit.Discusstheseasaclass,addingafewmoreinsightstoyourentry.

Usethemediacenter,Internet,orotherclassroomresourcestolocateatleasttwoexamplesofoppression.
Neatlyrecordthefollowinginformationonasmallcardforourmap:

location
oppressor
victims
natureoftheoppression
MLAcitation

Useprovidedtacks,stringandtapetoattachthelistingtothemap.

Writeajournalentryaboutthenatureofoppressioninthemodernworld,makingreferencetooneorbothof
theinstancesyouresearched.

StepThree:Storytellers

Rationale

NigeriasChinuaAchebe,oneofthe20thcenturysmostesteemedwriters,oncewrote,"Storytellersarea
threat.Theythreatenallchampionsofcontrol,theyfrightenusurpersoftherighttofreedomofthehuman
spirit."Althoughresistancetooppressionmayrequirecharismaticleadersandbravefighters,italsorequires
storytellers,becausethestorytellercreatesthememorythatsurvivorsmusthaveotherwisetheirsurviving
wouldhavenomeaning.

Objectives

Aftercompletingthisstepyoushouldbeableto

ContinuedfromStepOne:

1. Analyzetheimpactoftheauthorschoicesregardinghowtodevelopandrelateastory.
2. Analyzetheimpactofliterarydevicesonmeaningandtone.
3. Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimaginedexperiencesoreventsusingeffectivetechnique,well
chosendetails,andwellstructuredeventsequences.
3

Mr.Chiaravalli
20142015

English12
Semester1

Sequence

Ingroups,readAnInterviewwithChinuaAchebe,stoppingattheendofeachpageandtakingturns
summarizingmainandsupportingpoints.Attheend,chooseamethodtoorganizetheinformationinto
visualoroutlineform.

NowreadfromPaulabyIsabelAllende.Althoughwritteninaverydifferentstyle,Allendeclearlyhas
somesimilarideasaboutwritingsroleincombattingoppressionandpromotinghumanvalues.Asyou
read,useyourorganizerfromthelaststeptomakenoteofcommonalitiesbetweenthetwo.

Individually,writeahalfpagejournalentrydiscussingtheimportanceofstorytellers,makingreferenceto
eachtextandincorporatingatleastonequote/citation.Whycantheroleofstorytellerbeconsideredjustas
importantasotherrolesinsituationsofoppression?

Asaclass,brainstormalistofliterarydevicesauthorsusetorelateastoryandcontributetoitsemotional
impact.

Asaclass,ingroups,and/orindividually,readstoriesthatrelatestoriesofoppression,humanrights,and/or
survival,journalingaboutthewayauthorsuseliterarydevicestomaximizeemotionalimpact.Fromtimeto
time,weaddtothetoolboxofliterarydevicesauthorsuse.

UsingoneofyourhumanrightsviolationsfromStepTwoasrawmaterial,completeafictionwriting
exercisethatmakesuseofatleast3oftheliterarydevicesweidentified.Gradedwithapartially
selfdevelopedchecbric.

StepFour:Voicesofdissent

Rationale

Greatspeecheshaveplayedaparticularlyimportantroleincombattingoppressionand,assuch,deserve
attentionasagenreeminentlywellsuitedforinspiring,mobilizing,andunitingpeopletostandupfortheir
rightsaswellasthoseofothers.Inthisunit,welearnaboutmeansofpersuasionandrhetoricaldevices,the
toolsthatspeakersusetoevokeapowerfuleffectresponsefromtheiraudiences,identifyingthesetechniquesin
greatspeeches.Finally,usingthesetechniques,youdevelopanddeliveryourownspeechonatopicrelated
oppressionandhumanrights.

Objectives

Aftercompletingthisstepyoushouldbeableto

1. Analyzeandevaluteaspeechforrhetoricaldevicesandtheirpurpose.
2. Identifyandauthorspurposefulmanipulationoflanguage.
3. Identifyelementsofargumentwithininaspeech.
4. Writeananalysisofaspeechwithintextcitation.
5. Usevalidreasoning,aswellasrhetoricalandoratoricaldevices,todeliveraspeech.

Mr.Chiaravalli
20142015

English12
Semester1

Sequence

Webeginthisstepwithsomeinstructionalinputonrhetoricaltermssuchasappeals,schemes,andtropes.

QuizonRhetoricalDevices

Usingthisknowledge,weanalyzeashortspeechforitselementsofargumentandrhetoricaldevices,
consideringitinthecontextofthegivenhistoricaltimeperiodandaudience.

Eachstudentselectsafamousspeechtoanalyze.Yourchoicesareacompilationfromseveralcollections,
includingAmericanRhetoric,TheHistoryPlace,andBritainsGuardianUnlimited.Pleasenotethatsome
famousbutoverdonespeechesaredeliberatelynotincludedonthelist.

Researchthehistoryandcontextofthespeech,accessingandcitingatleast2outsideresources.

Writeananalysisofyourchosenspeechconsideringthewriterseffectiveness.Whatmakesthespeechso
remarkable?Howdidtheauthorsrhetoricevokearesponsefromtheaudience?Whyarethewordsstill
veneratedtoday?AnMLAWorksCitedpageshouldcitetheonlinelocationofthespeechandthe2outside
sources.

Usingareallifehumanrightssituationasyourtopic,writeaspeechthatusesvalidreasoning,aswellas
rhetoricalandoratoricaldevices,toinspireaction.Practicedeliveringthisspeechwithpeers,receivingand
givingfeedback.

Deliveraspeechthatmakesuseofatleast3oftherhetorical/oratoricaldevicesweidentified.Gradedwith
apartiallyselfdevelopedchecbric.

Mr.Chiaravalli
20142015

English12
Semester1

Assignments

FromStepOne:

Responsetopoem

FromStepThree:

Fictionwritingexercise

FromStepFour:

Quizonrhetoricaldevices
Analysisofaspeech
Speechforhumanrights

AcademicVocabulary

fromPaula:
DeadMansPath:
tedium
pivotal
osmosis
zeal
subvert
eradicate
implacable
denigration
naive
skeptical

RhetoricalTerms

logos
ethos
pathos
isocolon
asyndeton
antithesis
anastrophe

parenthesis
ellipsis
polysyndeton
anaphora
epistrophe
epanalepsis

CivilPeace:
amenable
monumental
imperious
inaudibly
dissent

TheGuest:
obstinate
avidly
disconcerted
adversary
chaotic

anadiplosis
climax
antimetabole
chiasmus
polyptoton
synecdoche

metonomy
antanaclasis
litotes
rhetoricalquestion
oxymoron
paradox