Charles Darwin Meets John Paul II

Author: Sarah White

Grade Level: 11-12 Advanced Placement English Language and Composition

Subject/Content: Spoken Arguments/Style Analysis

Summary of Lesson: Students compare and contrast the lives, work, and passions of Charles Darwin and John Paul II.

Focus Question: What are the differences between spoken arguments and written arguments?

Database(s): Biography Resource Center with the Lives & Perspectives Collection module

Procedures:

Day One:

1. Designate half of the class as Charles Darwin and the other half as John Paul II. Each student will need to access Biography Resource Center with the Lives & Perspectives Collection module and individually research their assigned person. The students should focus on collecting information about their subject's life, work, and passions.
2. Once the students have collected adequate information they should write a speech through the voice of their subject. The speech should focus on a major event, period, or belief in the subject's life and reflect consideration of the following:
• Purpose
• Audience
• Stance
• Support
• Structure
• The speech should also exhibit an understanding and use of repetition, parallelism and climactic order.

Day Two:

3. Form groups of four based on the students subject. Have the four students read their speeches to each other and pick the best of the four. Keep combining the groups and voting for the best speech until the groups have chosen the best Charles Darwin speech and the best John Paul II speech. The final two speeches should be read to the class by the author or volunteer. Have the students read each speech twice.
4. The first time the speech is read the audience should just listen. The second time the speech is read the audience should take notes on the speech. The audience should listen for and note purpose, audience, context, stance, support, repetition, parallelism and climactic order.
5. At the end of the hour collect copies of both speeches. Make one copy of each speech for each student for Day Three.

Day Three:

6. Pass out a copy of each speech to each of the students. Using their notes from previous lessons, instruct students to highlight and annotate the hard copies of each speech for purpose, audience, context, stance, support, repetition, parallelism and climactic order.
7. Review the four main areas of focus when analyzing style: diction, sentence structure, treatment of subject matter, and figurative language. Below are suggested topics/concepts/terms to cover:
• Diction: monosyllabic, polysyllabic, colloquial, informal, formal, old-fashioned, denotative, connotative, abstract, euphonious, cacophonous
• Sentence Structure (Syntax): declarative, imperative, simple sentence, compound sentence, complex sentence, juxtaposition, parallel structure, repetition, rhetorical question
• Treatment of Subject Matter: subjective or objective
• Figurative Language: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, paradox, oxymoron, pun, irony, sarcasm, apostrophe, allusion, synecdoche, tone words, words that describe language
8. Assign the following prompt as either a timed writing or a take home essay: Using the speeches of Charles Darwin and John Paul II, compare and contrast their lives, work, and passions.

Steps/Activities by student(s):

Day One:

1. Access Biography Resource Center with the Lives & Perspectives Collection module and individually research your assigned person (Charles Darwin or John Paul II). Focus on collecting information about your subject's life, work, and passions. Write a speech through the voice of your subject. The speech should focus on a major event, period, or belief in the subject's life and reflect consideration of the following:
• Purpose - will your speech inform, persuade, explore, make a decision or do something else?
• Audience - who is your audience? What will they know already about your topic?
• Stance - are you an expert on your topic?
• Support - include plenty of examples (facts, anecdotes, statistics, testimony or authorities).
• Structure - organizes your speech to make it easy to follow. Grab the audience's attention and make your argument memorable in your conclusion.
• The speech should also exhibit an understanding and use of repetition, parallelism and climactic order.

Day Two:

2. Form groups of four based on your subject. Read your speeches to each other and pick the best of the four. Keep combining the groups and voting for the best speech until the groups have chosen the best Charles Darwin speech and the best John Paul II speech. The final two speeches should be read to the class by the author or volunteer. Listen to each speech twice.
3. The second time the speech is read you should take notes on the speech. Listen for and note purpose, audience, context, stance, support, repetition, parallelism and climactic order.

Day Three:

4. Using your notes from previous lessons, highlight and annotate the hard copies of each speech for purpose, audience, context, stance, support, repetition, parallelism and climactic order.
5. Review the four main areas of focus when analyzing style: diction, sentence structure, treatment of subject matter, and figurative language. Below are suggested topics/concepts/terms to cover:
• Diction: monosyllabic, polysyllabic, colloquial, informal, formal, old-fashioned, denotative, connotative, abstract, euphonious, cacophonous
• Sentence Structure (Syntax): declarative, imperative, simple sentence, compound sentence, complex sentence, juxtaposition, parallel structure, repetition, rhetorical question
• Treatment of Subject Matter: subjective or objective
• Figurative Language: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, paradox, oxymoron, pun, irony, sarcasm, apostrophe, allusion, synecdoche, tone words, words that describe language
6. Complete the following essay: Using the speeches of Charles Darwin and John Paul II, compare and contrast their lives, work, and passions.

Outcome: Students will review the key areas of analyzing spoken arguments and comparing and contrasting.

Related Activities:Students write a letter to either Charles Darwin as John Paul II or they write as John Paul II to Charles Darwin expressing why they agree or disagree with what was said in the speech.

Standard Date: Approved 1998

Content Standard(s):

• NL-ENG.K-12.1:Reading for Perspective
• NL-ENG.K-12.2:Understanding the Human Experience
• NL-ENG.K-12.3:Evaluation Strategies
• NL-ENG.K-12.4:Communication Skills
• NL-ENG.K-12.5:Communication Strategies
• NL-ENG.K-12.6:Applying Knowledge
• NL-ENG.K-12.7:Evaluating Data
• NL-ENG.K-12.8:Developing Research Skills
• NL-ENG.K-12.9:Multicultural Understanding
• NL-ENG. K-12.10:Applying Non-English Perspectives
• NL-ENG.K-12.11:Participating in Society
• NL-ENG.K-12.12:Applying Language Skills

Performance Indicators:

• At Level 1, the student is able to:
• Identify definitions of key style analysis terms and concepts
• At Level 2, the student is able to:
• Identify the functions of key style analysis terms and concepts when used by an author
• At Level 3, the student is able to:
• Analyze the use of key style analysis terms and concepts

Computer Literacy and Usage Standards 9-12:

• The student will demonstrate proficiency in the care and use of computer based technology.
• The student will develop skills using a variety of computer resources to increase productivity, support creativity, conduct and evaluate research and improve communications.
• The student will use technology resources to improve problem solving and decision making skills and apply these skills to situations.
• The student will analyze the social impact ad explore the ethical issues of technology usage.

ISTE NETS for Students

• Creativity and Innovation
• Communication and Collaboration
• Research and Information Fluency
• Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
• Digital Citizenship
• Technology Operations and Concepts

Information Power; Information Literacy Standards:

• The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.
• The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.
• The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
• The student who is an independent learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal interests.
• The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.
• The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.
• The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society.
• The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.
• The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.