Voices Silenced: Exploring Censorship

Jenna·

Censorship

Preview

At a Glance

Grade Level7th Grade

SubjectCensorship

Original Prompt

Create an interactive activity where students explore censorship and its effects - in relation to a unit about analyzing influential voices throughout history and identifying the rhetorical devices being used.

This educational resource guides students in analyzing the impact of censorship on significant voices throughout history. It offers a comprehensive learning objective that encourages students to evaluate arguments, recognize rhetorical devices, and assess how the choice of words affects meaning and tone. It begins with background information on the historical context of censorship, including examples from Ancient Greece and the Modern Era, highlighting the ongoing conflict between security and freedom of speech. Various terms related to censorship, such as 'redaction' and 'rhetoric,' are defined to build vocabulary. Students are engaged through a 'See-Think-Wonder' thinking routine, followed by an expert group analysis of an excerpt from Harriet Beecher Stowe's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' which discusses how the novel's messaging on slavery was modified through censorship during its time. The resource includes prompts for textual analysis, argumentation frameworks, and group activities focusing on deep dives into the text's historical context, rhetorical choices, and the effects of censorship on the overall message. Finally, the document encourages reflective writing and synthesis exercises to consolidate learning and promote critical thinking about censorship's implications.