Rhetorical Devices Mastery

Overall Curriculum Expectations

• Reading: Demonstrate understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning, make inferences, and extend understanding.
• Writing: Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience.
• Oral Communication: Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• Media Literacy: Analyse a variety of media texts and explain how different forms, conventions, and techniques influence meaning and impact on audiences.

(Specific expectations align with The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English 2010, particularly under Reading for Meaning (1.1, 1.2), Understanding Form and Style in Writing (2.3), and Oral Communication (1.4)).

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Learning Goals

• I can define foundational classical rhetorical devices such as antithesis, hyperbole, parallelism, anaphora, repetition, rhetorical question, and apostrophe.
• I can identify these devices in spoken and written texts.
• I can effectively use at least three rhetorical devices in my own writing.

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Success Criteria

• Students accurately define and provide examples of targeted rhetorical devices.
• Students identify rhetorical devices in a contemporary song’s lyrics and explain their effect.
• Students use at least three rhetorical devices correctly in their own descriptive writing.

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Materials

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector and laptop for PowerPoint presentation
• Printed copies of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” lyrics for each student
• Highlighting pens/colours for annotation activity
• Handout summarizing definitions and key historic examples of rhetorical devices
• Student writing journals or notebooks for quick write activity

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Teaching Strategies and Timeline

Minds-On (10 minutes) — Interactive Instruction

• Write the phrase: “I died laughing” on the board.
• Ask: “Did anyone really die?” and prompt discussion on literal vs. figurative meaning.
• Introduce the concept of rhetorical devices as tools that alter language structure to create emphasis and rhythm beyond literal meaning.
• Use engaging questioning to connect to students’ prior knowledge of figurative language in their own languages if applicable.

Direct Instruction (25 minutes)

• Present the PowerPoint: Define each classical rhetorical device with clear, accessible language.
• Antithesis
• Hyperbole
• Parallelism
• Anaphora
• Repetition
• Rhetorical Question
• Apostrophe
• Use historic and literary examples tailored to cultural context (Shakespeare, MLK Jr., Poe).
• Emphasize the stylistic and rhetorical impact of each device, linking to meaning and audience effect.
• Check for understanding through quick formative questioning after each device’s explanation.

Guided Class Practice (15 minutes) — Interactive Instruction

• Play Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” for whole class auditory experience.
• Distribute printed lyrics and highlighting tools.
• Students work in pairs to identify and highlight examples of rhetorical devices as discussed.
• Circulate to guide pairs, elicit explanations and examples, encourage peer teaching.
• Debrief highlighting discoveries and clarifying any confusion.

Independent Consolidation (20 minutes) — Independent Study

• Students write a 1-paragraph quick write describing a typical school morning routine.
• Task: Incorporate at least three rhetorical devices learned (e.g., anaphora to list morning tasks, hyperbole about waking early).
• Encourage creative and personal expression, with note of effective device usage.

Wrap-Up and Assessment (10 minutes) — Observation and Conversation

• Collect highlighted lyric sheets and quick writes.
• Conduct brief whole-class reflective discussion: “How do these devices enhance meaning or emotion in writing and speech?”
• Provide immediate verbal feedback, highlighting student understanding and use of rhetorical devices.

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Assessment Strategies

• Student Product: Annotated lyric sheets and quick writes assessed for correct identification and application of rhetorical devices.
• Conversation (AFL - Assessment for Learning): Discussions and questioning during Minds-On, guided practice, and wrap-up to monitor comprehension.
• Observation (AAL - Assessment as Learning): Monitor student collaboration and participation during pair work to assess engagement and application skills.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide handout with definitions and examples in simplified English and bilingual glossaries if needed.
• Pair ELL (English Language Learners) students strategically with stronger English speakers for peer support.
• Use visuals, including the PowerPoint slide with highlighted phrases, to support comprehension.
• Allow oral responses during think-pair-share to support students with writing challenges.
• Provide sentence starters and device templates for students needing scaffolded writing assistance.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Challenge advanced students to identify additional rhetorical devices beyond the core list in the song or other speech excerpts.
• Encourage students to write their own short persuasive speech or poem incorporating at least five rhetorical devices creatively.
• Facilitate a mini-debate using rhetorical questions and antithesis as persuasive techniques.
• Assign research on classical rhetoric’s influence on modern media and political speeches, culminating in a brief multimedia presentation.

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Instructional Skills Breakdown

• Direct Instruction: PowerPoint presentation of definitions, examples, and historical contexts.
• Interactive Instruction: Minds-On engagement, pair work on lyrics identification, whole-class discussions.
• Indirect Instruction: Facilitated reflection on how devices impact meaning and emotional effect in texts.
• Independent Study: Quick write using rhetorical devices individually to consolidate learning.

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This 90-minute session leverages multimodal learning and collaborative techniques tailored to culturally diverse international students, allowing for multiple entry points to meet varied linguistic proficiencies and learning needs while aligning fully with the Ontario Grade 12 English Curriculum.