As a result of the unit, students will be able to learn about Aristotle's definition of rhetoric and the difference between logos, ethos and pathos; historical events, politics and other important facts of Venezuela; what sort of language is persuasive; how some leaders use language and persuasion as weapons; and how to recognize, analyze and filter demagoguery. The unit will serve me as a perfect vehicle to practice the Reading for Information section of the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT), the state-mandated standardized test.

I will use this unit with my Spanish 1 and 2 students, who have a Novice Level on the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Performance Guidelines for K-12. Students will hone their higher order thinking skills as they learn to express complex opinions and analyze rhetorical, demagogic and persuasive elements and tactics in various sources.

The unit is recommended for Spanish students with a lower/basic Spanish 1-2 levels, but it could be used on upper level courses with proper modifications.

(Developed for Spanish I, grade 9; recommended for Spanish I, grade 9)