Rationale/Main Concept: How are today s social and political advocates influencing perspectives and shaping the debate on hot button issues? In this lesson, students apply what they ve learned about perspectives and persuasion in Lessons 1 and 2 to an analysis of the advocacy surrounding a contemporary issue. Students assemble examples of advocacy artifacts related to a chosen issue and analyze each example to discern how individuals are using the First Amendment to shape public opinion today. Guiding Questions What current social and political issues are generating widespread debate today? How do the advocates for and opponents of these issues use their First Amendment freedoms to persuade their audiences? How do the messages these individuals and groups create influence public opinion and policy? Objectives - Through this lesson plan, students will be able to: Identify important current social and political issues. Explain the debate surrounding a current social or political issue, including the perspectives, arguments and evidence used by both sides of the debate. Identify and analyze the author, audience and purpose of contemporary social and political advocacy messages, as well as the persuasive techniques they employ. Time: 15 minutes for project introduction; additional time outside of class to assemble portfolios; 30 minutes for class discussion Materials Access to the Internet to research current social and political issues Access to printed materials to research current social and political issues, including newspapers and magazines Copies of the Persuasion Portfolios directions, at least 1 per team of students Copies of the Persuasion Artifact Analysis, at least 10 per team of students Lesson Snapshot 1. Class reviews the concepts of fact and opinion, perspective, author, audience, purpose and persuasion techniques. 2. Class brainstorms current social and political issues that generate widespread debate. 3. Students work in teams to assemble portfolios of examples of advocacy for or against a chosen issue and write a short report summarizing the perspective, arguments and evidence of both sides of the debate. 4. Class reviews and discusses portfolios. 1
Procedure 1. As a class, review key concepts from Lessons 1 and 2, including: a. Fact (objective) versus opinion (shaped by personal perspective) b. The role of perspective in shaping statements of opinion c. The role advocacy messages may have in shaping perspectives d. Determining the authorship, audience and purpose of a message e. The persuasion techniques a message may employ in order to have the greatest impact on its audience s perspective 2. Tell the students that they are now going to apply all of this knowledge to contemporary social and political debates rather than the historical debate over woman suffrage. Brainstorm current social issues and political ideas that have generated debate; in other words, issues that have both proponents and opponents. Keep track of these ideas on a board. Issues today might include: guaranteed equal pay for women; access to college for immigrants children; paternity leave for new fathers; women fighting on the front lines; same-sex marriage, etc. 3. As a class (with teacher guidance), choose 4-6 topics that are the most interesting and most likely to provide a solid foundation for the portfolio project. Break students into teams, one topic per group. Tell students that they are going to collect at least 10 examples of messages about this issue, including both messages promoting it and messages against it. They should look for messages to represent both sides (for and against) of the debate. Students can look in local or national newspapers, magazines, their government representatives websites, policy blogs or other sources for messages and artifacts related to their issue. They should cut or print them out (including screen shots of any video sources, accompanied by a short summary of the video). For each example, they should fill out a Persuasion Portfolios worksheet. 4. After students have completed their portfolios by gathering at least 10 examples of messages related to their issue, they should write a short paper explaining the perspective of each side of the debate and describing the arguments, evidence and persuasive techniques each side employs. 5. In class, allow students time to browse other teams completed portfolios, and then discuss their findings. Possible guiding questions include: a. What did you already know about the issue that you chose? What did you learn that surprised you? b. Which side of the debate were you on when you began this project? Did you change your mind after completing your research? Why or why not? 2
c. Which of the messages that you found do you think is the most persuasive? Why? d. Compare and contrast these messages with the messages of the artifacts on the women s suffrage media map. How are they similar/different? Consider the author, audience, purpose and persuasive techniques used. e. Compare and contrast the authors, purposes and audiences you found. Who seems to be most involved in these debates today? Why do you think that is? f. Compare and contrast the visual communications techniques used then and today. Do some techniques seem to be more effective than others? What do your findings suggest about how people like to communicate today? How has that changed - or not - over time? 3
Your issue: Persuasion Portfolio 1. Write a paragraph explaining your issue. What is the debate? If necessary, conduct research and list your sources below the paragraph. 2. With your team, find at least 10 examples of persuasive messages about your issue. These could be messages trying to convince you to be in favor of this issue or trying to convince you to be against it. They could be opinion articles, posters, bumper stickers, pins, commercials, Tweets, videos, etc. Look online and in newspapers and magazines. Print or cut out each message (for videos, print a screen shot and write a brief description of what happens in the video). Then complete the following worksheet for each message, and assemble all of your examples and complete worksheets into a folder or binder. 3. After you have assembled your portfolio of persuasive messages, write a short paper (1-2 pages) that summarizes your issue and explains the perspective, arguments, and evidence of both sides of the debate. Conclude your paper by explaining which side s message you think is more persuasive and why. 4
Artifact: Persuasion Portfolio Artifact Source: Who is/are the author(s)? Who is the intended audience? For what purpose was this created? Which of the following persuasive techniques does this message use? Circle all that apply. VISUAL INTEREST: Contrast; Humorous or surprising elements; Easy-to-see design AUTHORITY: Famous people; Peers; Testimonials FRAMING: Creates a story; Shows similarity to things we already know SALIENCE: It s relevant to you; It s relevant right now Other persuasive techniques: 5
Explain how each element is used. Persuasion Portfolio Do you find this message persuasive? Why or why not? 6
Your issue: Gun control/gun violence Persuasion Portfolio Sample 1. Write a paragraph explaining your issue. What is the debate? If necessary, conduct research and list your sources below the paragraph. The issue is what can be done to curb gun violence in America. Some favor gun control while others say they have not only a constitutional but a God-given right to own/use guns. Congress has not enacted any controls following such incidents as Newtown and Aurora. 2. With your team, find at least 10 examples of persuasive messages about your issue. These could be messages trying to convince you to be in favor of this issue or trying to convince you to be against it. They could be opinion articles, posters, bumper stickers, pins, commercials, Tweets, videos, etc. Look online and in newspapers and magazines. Print or cut out each message (for videos, print a screen shot and write a brief description of what happens in the video). Then complete the following worksheet for each message, and assemble all of your examples and complete worksheets into a folder or binder. 3. After you have assembled your portfolio of persuasive messages, write a short paper (1-2 pages) that summarizes your issue and explains the perspective, arguments, and evidence of both sides of the debate. Conclude your paper by explaining which side s message you think is more persuasive and why. 7
Artifact: Political Cartoon Artifact Source: http://www.newsday.com/opinion/ walt-handelsman-1.812005 Who is/are the author(s)? Walt Handelsman Who is the intended audience? The general public; however, it favors the side supporting gun control. Persuasion Portfolio Sample For what purpose was this created? To remind people of the Newtown shooting and persuade viewers that the NRA is to blame for lack of action in Congress. Which of the following persuasive techniques does this message use? Circle all that apply. VISUAL INTEREST: Contrast; Humorous or surprising elements; Easy-to-see design AUTHORITY: Famous people; Peers; Testimonials FRAMING: Creates a story; Shows similarity to things we already know SALIENCE: It s relevant to you; It s relevant right now Other persuasive techniques: Emotional appeal is used. The dark background, the parents photo of their child and the flowers make the reader feel the parents grief. The bag of money and bright sky make the reader angry at Congress 8
Explain how each element is used. Contrast Use of the same pose for both the grieving parents and Congress with the NRA, but they re holding different objects. Also, contrast is used by playing off the city s name: Newtown and same old town. Easy-to-see design The artist uses bold text, simple figures and just a few colors. Persuasion Portfolio Sample Shows similarity to things we already know Same ol town reminds the reader that the gun control debate and lack of action in Congress have been going on a long time. It s relevant to you. It is relevant to the reader as gun violence has invaded all areas of life. A first grade classroom, a movie theater, a shopping mall or a government office building are not areas where the general public should feel threatened, but recent happenings have made them that. It s relevant right now. This cartoon was published soon after the shooting. Since then, there have been more mass shootings, but Congress hasn t passed new laws, so the debate continues in states and in Congress. Do you find this message persuasive? Why or why not? The message is persuasive if looked at with an openness to change. Even though it s emotional, it doesn t bring any new ideas to the gun control debate, so I don t think it would persuade people who are against making new laws. 9