Name______HR______Period______
Persuasive Unit
Are all games worth playing?
McDougal-Littell - pages 984-993
Before Reading:
1. Discuss a board, video, or gym game you enjoy playing and explain why you enjoy it.
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2. Which board, video, or gym game do you avoid or dislike playing? Explain why.
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3. Think about current controversial issues in sports today. Be ready to discuss those.
Notes: ______
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Persuasive Techniques
1. Emotional Appeals – the use of words, descriptions, or images that call forth strong feelings, such as pity, fear, or anger.
Example: If you don’t study for the test, you will fail and possibly be held back from 9th grade!
2. Ethical Appeals – attempts to gain moral support for a claim by linking the claim to a widely accepted value.
Example: Franklin Park Township leaders must approve this new skate park because our community’s children must have a safe place to socialize and skate with friends.
3. Tone – the author’s demeanor as he tries to convince the audience of his position on a topic. The feeling the author gives the listener/reader; how the author creates the emotional and ethical appeal – e.g., serious, sarcastic, helpless, fear, etc.
Example: We HAVE to pass this law, or the country will go to ruin!!
Example: This law needs the support of every kindhearted person just like you.
Example: If this new skate park is not approved, children will have nowhere to go and will commit heinous crimes.
Embedded Vocabulary:
1. impropriety noun an unsuitable or inappropriate act or quality
Your Sentence______
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2. adequately adv enough to satisfy a requirement or meet a need
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3. eliminate verb to remove from consideration by defeating
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4. annihilate verb to completely destroy or defeat
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5. ban verb to prohibit
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6. aggression noun hostile or destructive behavior or action
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More Vocabulary Practice
Synonyms are words that have similar meanings, and antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Decide whether the words in each pair are synonyms or antonyms.
1. adequately – insufficiently synonyms / antonyms
2. aggression – ferocity synonyms / antonyms
3. annihilate – destroy synonyms / antonyms
4. ban – legalize synonyms / antonyms
5. eliminate – banish synonyms / antonyms
6. impropriety – rudeness synonyms / antonyms
Name: ______Period ______
“Position on Dodgeball in Physical Education” by the NASPE
“The Weak Shall Inherit the Gym” by Rick Reilly
Literary Analysis
1. Recall What reason does the NASPE give for once again announcing its position on dodgeball in school physical education programs? ______
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2. Clarify Reread lines 15 – 22 of “The Weak Shall Inherit the Gym.” What did dodgeball do for Melvin? ______
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3. Identify Persuasive Technique Write yes beside the statements that use loaded language, or words with strong negative or positive associations. Write no beside the ones that don’t.
_____ a. NASPE believes that dodgeball is not an appropriate activity for K-12 school physical education programs.
_____ b. The goals of physical education can be obtained through a wide variety of appropriate physical activities.
_____ c. The TV Show “Extreme Dodgeball” …[uses] terms such as ‘throw-to-kill ratios,’ and ‘headshots.’
_____ d. Being targeted because they are the “weaker” players, and being hit by a hard-thrown ball, does not help kids develop confidence.
4. Examine Name-Calling Circle examples of name-calling in “The Weak Shall Inherit the Gym.”
a. kids c. whiners e. players
b. chalupas d. noncompetition f. PC twinkies
5. Analyze Tone How does Reilly feel about people who are against dodgeball? Circle the word or phrase in parentheses that describes his tone.
Reilly thinks that people who are against dodgeball are (reasonable/angry/ridiculous).
The tone of Reilly’s essay is (cautious and uncertain/humorous and direct).
6. Make Judgments A stereotype is an image of a person or group that is overly simplified. What stereotype does Reilly present about people who are PC, or “politically correct”?
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7. Evaluate In the first sentence, underline the word or phrase in parentheses that expresses your opinion. Then complete the second sentence.
Based on reading these articles, I think that dodgeball (is/is not) worth playing. The most important reason for my opinion is… ______
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Name: ______Period______
Literary Analysis – Comparing Persuasive Techniques
“Position on Dodgeball in Physical Education” / “The Weak Shall Inherit the Gym”What is the author’s claim?
What support does the author provide?
What emotional appeals does the author use?
What ethical appeals does the author use?
What is the author’s tone? How does it affect you?
What does the author rely upon most to persuade – emotional appeals, ethical appeals, or tone?
Name: ______Period______
Vocabulary Practice
A. Directions: Write the word from the box that best completes each sentence.
adequately / annihilate / eliminateaggression / ban / impropriety
1. Our swim team will ______the Middlefield team from the tournament if we win tomorrow’s relay race.
2. Some people would like to ______violence in films, but others believe that it should be allowed.
3. Growling and barking can be signs of ______in dogs and wolves.
4. We don’t want to just beat the other team; we want to ______them.
5. If the coach discovers even the slightest ______in a player’s attitude, he’ll dismiss the player from the team.
6. We will need to prepare ______in order to play our best in next week’s game.
B. Directions: Connotations are shades of meaning associated with a word. Choose a word from the box that matches each clue.
wipe out / violence / outlawdefeat / indecency / passably
7. similar meaning to adequately, but with a more negative connotation ______
8. similar meaning to annihilate, but with a less negative connotation ______
9. similar meaning to ban, but with a more legal connotation ______
10. similar meaning to aggression, but with a stronger connotation ______
11. similar meaning to impropriety, but with a more moral connotation ______
12. similar meaning to eliminate, but with a more negative connotation ______
Final Assignment:
Write a formal business letter to Mrs. Stark or Mr. Swoger explaining an activity or lesson you would like either added or banned from the IMS curriculum or extra-curricular activities.
Clearly present your idea, and elaborate three (3) reasons supporting your point of view utilizing one or all of the persuasive techniques: emotional appeal, ethical appeal, or tone.
You must write your draft on the “persuasive essay” paper. Your final copy may be written on notebook paper using blue or black pen, or you may keyboard (teacher preference).
FCAs / TotalsCorrect Letter Format / Correct form: return address & date, inside address, greeting, and closing/signature.
Correct block format. / 2 pts. each / 10 pts.
Clearly stated idea for adding or banning activity/lesson.
First Paragraph / This would be in the first paragraph – similar to a thesis statement – strong and convincing wording / 4 pts. / 4 pts.
Three (3) elaborated reasons supporting your thesis/idea utilizing persuasive techniques.
2nd, 3rd, and 4th paragraph / Several sentences explaining each of your 3 reasons – about 9-12 sentences total (3-4 per reason). / 8 pts. each / 24 pts.
Closing paragraph / This briefly summarizes your ideas and brings your letter to a close / 4 pts. / 4 pts.
Total / (42 pts.)
Sample Business Letter
555 Main Street
Wexford, PA 15090
March 5, 2012
Mrs. Heidi Stark, Principal or Mr. Dan Swoger, Vice Principal
Ingomar Middle School
1521 Ingomar Heights Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Dear Mrs. Stark: or Mr. Swoger:
I am an 8th grade student at IMS, and have been here for all three of my middle school years. I have noticed that lunchtime often turns into a free-for-all, and I have a solution. I would like to suggest that we add some teacher-organized games for the time after we finish eating.
Students often don’t know what to do with themselves after they finish lunch, and sometimes that leads to trouble: horse-play in the foyer and the bathrooms. Having some games available might solve this problem. Students could seek out games they enjoy and spend time playing them with their friends. I suggest Monopoly, Checkers, Chess, Sorry, Clue, Trivial Pursuit, card games, and more. The lunch monitors would not have to worry about misbehavior as students would be engrossed in games.
Game-time would also improve sociability. Students must continue to improve their manners and social skills. Waiting for one’s turn, demonstrating polite behavior, and following the rules are all necessary skills into today’s society. Game-time would provide that opportunity, plus it would be a venue in which to meet new people.
Game-time also supports academics. A game like Monopoly certainly supports math skills. Trivial Pursuit promotes important historical facts, and chess utilizes strategy. These are also important components found in today’s education.
Perhaps Student Council or the parents could pay for or donate games for this purpose. Thank you for your consideration of my idea. Game-time might be just the right addition for satisfying restless students.
Sincerely,
Roger B. Smart
Name______Period______Date______
Quick Write – Are all games worth playing?
What gym class activity would you like to see either added to or banned from your school? Using at least two of the six identified vocabulary words, write a short paragraph in which you explain your opinion. You must include at least two reasons using one of the persuasive techniques: emotional appeal, ethical appeal, or tone.
FCAs
· Identify the gym activity you would like either added or eliminated (2 pts.) ______
· Two thorough explanations/reasons using persuasive techniques (6 pts. each = 12) ______
· Use two (2) of the six vocabulary words (2 pts. each=4) ______
· 125 word minimum (2 pts.) ______
No Excuses - ______
Total ______/20
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Total words:_____
8