As a society, we are constantly bombarded with persuasive language and advertisements!  By learning exactly HOW advertisers convince us to buy a product or hire a service, we can avoid unnecessary purchases and make decisions that are best for us, the consumers!

In this course, we will focus on 6 specific persuasive techniques: Bandwagon, Testimonial, Appeal to Authority, Scientific Approach, Glittering Generalities, and Transfer.  Students will be provided instruction on each individual technique, have an opportunity to practice classifying both print and media advertisement in multiple ways (verbal discussion, chat discussion, annotation, drawing, creating an impromptu commercial, etc.), and learn how to apply this knowledge to advertisements and other forms of persuasion they encounter in everyday life.  

As the teacher, I will provide direct instruction with immediate feedback and encouragement as we practice.  I strive to engage each child at their level and keep them active and involved throughout the session.  I use a variety of media and techniques to keep students interested and learning, like short video clips, pictures, discussion, annotation, and humor.

NOTE: This class is part of a 1x weekly Language Arts course where we work on a skill/strategy (reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, listening/speaking) each week!  For example, recent skills include public speaking, close reading, Greek/Latin root words, poetry analysis, making predictions, summarizing, etc.

#academic