Exploring Rhetorical Shifts

Paulina·

Rhetoric

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At a Glance

Grade Level11th Grade

SubjectRhetoric

Original Prompt

Create assignments on rhetorical shifts for AP Lang and Comp

This learning resource focuses on analyzing rhetorical shifts within persuasive texts, specifically using Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech as a case study. It explains what a rhetorical shift is and emphasizes its importance in understanding an author’s intention to persuade. The resource includes group activities that prompt students to discuss observed shifts, along with guided analysis questions that encourage deeper comprehension of how changes in language and tone affect an audience's emotional response and perceptions of the speaker's credibility. Additionally, it introduces the Rhetorical Triangle to help contextualize the speaker, audience, and purpose of arguments, and it includes various activities aimed at crafting and evaluating persuasive writing through the lens of rhetorical strategies.