This document provides guidance for a lesson on Cesar Chavez's "Agents of Change" speech. It includes learning objectives, points from the speech, definitions of rhetorical strategies, and instructions for an analysis activity where students analyze paragraphs of the speech and identify the rhetorical strategies used. The activity guides students to understand how Chavez persuades his audience through emotionally charged language, statistics, establishing his credibility, rhetorical questions, and including a counterclaim.

1. DO NOW
Entry Task – visuals!
• Look at pictures
• Answer questions on your Entry Task

4. Lyddie
Learning Objectives
I can determine one of Chávez’s main claims
and identify the supporting evidence for it.
I can identify basic rhetorical strategies and
analyze how Chávez used them to develop his
claims.

5. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Point 1:
Chávez asserts that farmworkers face
difficult and unfair living conditions and
working conditions.
Point 2:
Chávez decided to organize the union to
empower the workers in particular and
the Chicano people in general.

6. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
“Rhetorical strategies?”
•
Rhetorical toolbox
•
Persuasive writers use different tools than
essayists or journalists

7. Lyddie
Definitions
Copy on top of the Rhetoric Toolbox sheet
rhetoric: the art of trying to persuade
someone

8. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Rhetorical toolbox – look at par # 2
•
Use powerful words and phrases:
•
Emotionally charged language
Examples?

9. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Rhetorical toolbox – Par. 2
•
Why does Chávez use these motional
words?
•
How does it make his audience feel?
•
Why would he BEGIN his speech this way?

10. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Left side= 5 or less (gist) each paragraph
•
Right side= “HOW he’s saying it”
•
Par. 2: With emotionally charged
language to engage the audience and
build empathy (feeling).

11. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Right side= “HOW he’s saying it”
•
You and shoulder partner, try paragraph 3
•
•
•
What rhetorical tool is he using?
How do you know?
What does the tool do?

12. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Right side= “HOW he’s saying it”
•
Par. 3: He is using statistics to make a
logical appeal to back up the emotional
one.

13. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Right side= “HOW he’s saying it”
•
You and shoulder partner, try paragraph 5
•
•
•
What rhetorical tool is he using?
How do you know?
What does the tool do?

14. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Right side= “HOW he’s saying it”
•
Par. 5: He is showing he is credible
(trustworthy). He lived it, so he knows it.

15. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Right side= “HOW he’s saying it”
•
You and shoulder partner, try paragraph 8
•
•
•
What rhetorical tool is he using?
How do you know?
What does the tool do?

16. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Right side= “HOW he’s saying it”
•
Par. 8: He is asking rhetorical questions
(he doesn’t want them answered by the
crowd). This helps him lead people to a
conclusion.

17. Lyddie
Definitions
Copy on bottom of the Rhetoric Toolbox
sheet
rhetorical question: a question someone
uses to make a statement, and not get an
answer
Examples: Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?
Is the sky blue?
Why not?

18. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Paragraph 8 - Listen as I read aloud
•
Why does Chavez argue that it is logical for
the Hispanic movement to start with the
farmworkers?
•
How does asking questions help him
develop this claim?
•
What other strategies are in this paragraph?

19. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Commonwealth Club Address
•
Paragraph 9 - Listen as I read aloud
•
What lines have a counterclaim?
•
Highlight or circle the counterclaim
•
Why would he include a counterclaim?

20. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Text-Dependent Questions
• AT THE WEFT THREADS partners
• Re-read paragraphs # 8-15
• Answer questions as you go
• Raise your hands for help!

21. Lyddie
Agents of Change
Point 1:
Chávez asserts that farmworkers face
difficult and unfair living conditions and
working conditions.
Point 2:
Chávez decided to organize the union to
empower the workers in particular and
the Chicano people in general.

22. Lyddie
Homework
Homework
• Add to the Structure Anchor Chart
paragraphs 8-18 (Main claim and
connection)
• Independent Reading Book (15-20 min)