In this lesson, students reread and analyze paragraphs 6–9 of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” in which King describes the racial injustice in Birmingham and explains why direct action is necessary. Students review these paragraphs through the lens of rhetoric and analyze how King uses rhetoric to advance his purpose. Students analyze the specific methods of rhetoric, such as descriptive language, appeals to conscience, and rhetorical questions. Student learning in this lesson culminates in a Quick Write that requires students to explain how King uses rhetoric in paragraph 9 to advance his purpose.
Grade 10 ELA Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 4
Downloadable Resources
Resources may contain links to sites external to the EngageNY.org website. These sites may not be within the jurisdiction of NYSED and in such cases NYSED is not responsible for its content.
Tags
- Created On:
- Mon 05/05/2014 -
- Subject(s):
- English Language Arts
- Language
- Reading
- Grade(s):
- Grade 10
- Topic(s):
- Common Core Learning Standards
- CCLS ELA:
- RI.9-10.6
- L.9-10.5
- Resource Type:
- Lesson Plan
- Creative Commons License:
