Persuasion in Democratic Politics

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 10.02.10

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Stand Still – An Introduction
  2. Walk with Persuasion – A Rationale
  3. Standing and Walking – Objectives and Subject Matter
  4. Effective Stances – Strategies for Excellence
  5. Meaningful Explorations - Classroom Activities
  6. Annotated Bibliography
  7. Endnotes

Paths into Excellence: Journal-Writing as Bedrock for Rhetoric

Jeffry K. Weathers

Published September 2010

Tools for this Unit:

Walk with Persuasion – A Rationale

Becoming one's potential is not easy for anyone, and with all of today's technological conveniences and seeming lack of want, it's easy to not bother. Youth want to but do not necessarily know how. So, they look to, and follow the ways of, each other, not seeing that they have the potential within themselves and that they just need to harness it with their own discipline. But doing so demands hard work, dedication and an awareness that helps one see the lay of land and surrounding woods. Even more, it requires an active, thriving imagination that helps one make distinctions in the landscape and determine the best methods and routes to success. And still, this is not all. Students need tools that will help them traverse any terrain. Journal-writing and rhetoric are two means through which students can obtain these invaluable tools.

Imagine a school filled with students who truly are self-aware to the degree that brain development at their age allows. Then imagine these students empowered with the realization that they can change their circumstances by changing their mindset. Add to that a clear understanding of rhetoric and a regimented written and spoken practice of it, and we end up with students who are prepared to engage with the world. Fostering their realizations that Education is truly their own and that it actually can open doors for them will, one, reduce the need for argument and, two, strengthen their ability to argue. They will know their selves and how to persuade others, and also when and why there is a need to. This, I believe, provides paths for walking with persuasion into excellence.

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