Finding Freedom

ELA Lessons for Gifted and Advanced Learners in Grades 6-8

Emily Mofield, Tamra Stambaugh

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9781618214911
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000492989
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Teaching Languages

Finding Freedom invites students to follow America's journey toward finding freedom by examining multiple perspectives, conflicts, ideas, and challenges through seminal historical texts. This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth and aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), features close readings of some of the most famous American political speeches from notable Americans, presidents, and minority voices.

To sharpen historical thinking, students analyze arguments for freedom, examine dissenting perspectives, and reason through multiple viewpoints of historical issues through debates and interactive activities. To develop advanced literacy skills, students evaluate effective rhetorical appeals, claims, supporting evidence, and techniques that advance arguments. Students synthesize their learning by comparing speeches to each other, relating texts to contemporary issues of today, and making interdisciplinary connections. Lessons include close readings with text-dependent questions, choice-based differentiated products, rubrics, formative assessments, social studies content connections, and ELA tasks that require argument and explanatory writing.

Ideal for pre-AP and honors courses, the unit features speeches from Patrick Henry, Frederick Douglass, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lincoln, Kennedy, Johnson, George W. Bush, Obama, and others.

Grades 6-8

Lesson 1
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"

by Patrick Henry

DOI: 10.4324/9781003235217-4

Goals/Objectives

Content: To analyze and interpret primary source texts, students will be able to:

• ∎ explain with evidence how a writer develops and supports a claim,
• ∎ respond to interpretations of historical speeches through a variety of contexts,
• ∎ compare and contrast various texts and real-world events on themes and generalizations, and
• ∎ evaluate rhetorical devices that influence effective argumentation within primary source documents.

Process: To develop thinking, writing, and communication, students will be able to:

• ∎ reason through an issue by analyzing points of view, assumptions, and implications;
• ∎ use evidence to develop appropriate inferences;
• ∎ evaluate use of effective argumentation;
• ∎ analyze primary sources (purpose, assumptions, consequences); and
• ∎ analyze societal or individual conflicts resulting from the struggle for freedom.

Concept: To understand the theme of freedom and related generalizations, students will be able to:

• ∎ support freedom generalizations with evidence from texts;
• ∎ apply inductive reasoning to develop generalizations relating to the concepts of freedom, security, individuals, diversity, equality, and democracy;
• ∎ describe external and internal threats to personal and national freedom; and
• ∎ examine definitions of freedom, means and motives for achieving freedom, and implications for freedom.

Materials

• ∎ Student copies of "Shall Liberty or Empire Be Sought," available online at http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/writings/liberty_empire.htm
• ∎ Handout 1.1: "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry
• ∎ Handout 1.2: Blank Rhetorical Analysis Wheel
• ∎ Handout 1.3: Reasoning About a Situation or Event
• ∎ aRubric 1: Product Rubric (Appendix C)

Introductory Activities

1. Explain to students that this unit explores the concept of freedom as it has evolved over the course of American history. Ask students: How do you define freedom?
2. In groups of three to four, ask students to draw symbols for freedom. Have students share their drawings. As students share, bring students' attention to personal freedoms of U.S. citizens. Discuss the U.S. Constitution and its amendments if students did not include some of these freedoms within their definitions or drawings (e.g., freedom of press, speech, religion, right to bear arms, right to vote, etc.).
3. Assign the following quotes to groups of students. Students will draw an illustration of the quote and explain to the class what the quote means.
   • ∎ "Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it."—George Bernard Shaw
   • ∎ "You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."—Malcolm X
   • ∎ "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."—Thomas Jefferson
   • ∎ "The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves."—William Hazlitt
   • ∎ "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."—Benjamin Franklin
   • ∎ "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."—Abraham Lincoln
   • ∎ "Nothing, everything, anything, something: If you have nothing, then you have everything, because you have the freedom to do anything, without the fear of losing something."—Jarod Kintz
   • ∎ "I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."—Thomas Jefferson
   • ∎ "When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty."—Thomas Jefferson
   • ∎ "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
4. Give brief background information about the Revolutionary War and Patrick Henry. Present this as "Fact or Fiction." Ask students to stand on opposite sides of the room if they believe the following statements are "fact" or "fiction." Use this activity as a preassessment of what students already know about Patrick Henry and to teach important background information about the context of his life and speech.
   • ∎ Patrick Henry is considered a Founding Father of the United States. (Fact: He is considered a Founding Father because he participated in winning American Independence. The seven key Founding Fathers, however, are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay James Madison, and John Adams.)
   • ∎ Patrick Henry was the governor of Virginia twice. (Fact: He was the first and sixth governor of postcolonial Virginia.)
   • ∎ Patrick Henry was opposed to the adoption of the United States Constitution. (Fact: He felt that the Constitution was a threat to individual's rights and freedoms. He thought the presidency could become a monarchy.)
   • ∎ Patrick Henry is famous for his "Join or Die" propaganda cartoon. (Fiction: Benjamin Franklin is famous for this propaganda; Patrick Henry is remembered for his speech, "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.")
   • ∎ Patrick Henry was a plantation owner with 70-80 slaves. (Fact: Patrick Henry owned a 10,000-acre farm in Virginia.)
   • ∎ Patrick Henry was a prominent lawyer in Virginia. (Fact: After being unsuccessful as a farmer and business owner, he practiced law.)
   • ∎ Patrick Henry participated in the Boston Tea Party. (Fiction: Patrick Henry's anti-British action was against the Stamp Act. Patrick Henry served in the Virginia House of Burgesses, the legislature of the Virginia colony. He introduced a resolution opposing the Stamp Act of 1765. His speech to the House of Burgesses was considered almost treason because it brought to surface the idea of taxation without representation. He apologized after giving a speech about the resolution and assured the House of his loyalty to the king. Ten years later, however, he renounced his loyalty.)
   • ∎ Patrick Henry did not fight in the Revolutionary War. (Fiction: He was a colonel of the 1st Virginia Regiment and was involved in the famous "Gunpowder Incident.")
   • ∎ Patrick Henry's famous "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech was presented to the British monarchy. (Fiction: His famous speech was delivered in 1775 to the House of Burgesses to persuade the rallying of troops against British troops. Note that this was given 10 years after the Stamp Act Resolution speech, for which he apologized.)
   • ∎ Patrick Henry's wife had a mental illness and was thought to have been "possessed by the devil." (Fact: Sarah, Patrick Henry's wife, did suffer from a mental condition and was dangerous to herself and others. She was denied a Christian funeral and burial when she died. They had six children.)

Text-Dependent Questions

1. Distribute Handout 1.1: "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry.
2. Remind students that this was delivered to the House of Burgesses (the colonial Virginia legislature) to persuade the mobilization of troops against British troops. "President" in the speech refers to President of the House of Burgesses.
3. Allow students to read the text individually first to understand Henry's central ideas; then, read a paragraph at a time aloud, selecting from the following text-dependent questions as a guide or as part of a Socratic seminar:
   • ∎ Reread the first paragraph. Why is knowing the truth better than believing an illusion?
   • ∎ Why does Henry use the allusion of "the siren"? What effect does it have on his message?
   • ∎ According to Henry, why can't the British be trusted?
   • ∎ What does Henry mean by the allusion "betray with a kiss"? What is his desired effect in using this allusion?
   • ∎ When Henry says, "Let us not deceive ourselves," to what is he referring?
   • ∎ According to Henry, what is Britain's motive?
   • ∎ Does Henry provide adequate evidence that all options besides war have been exhausted? Explain your answer by referring to the text.
   • ∎ How does Henry support the claim that the colonists have done all they could do to "avert the storm"? How does he structure this evidence? (Sample response: It's structured through cause-effect statements.)
   • ∎ Henry makes the claim, "We must fight." Examine the number of "if" statements used to support this claim. Which "if" statement is most powerful?
   • ∎ What is meant by the phrase, "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" What literary technique is he using and what is his desired effect? (Sample response: Metaphor—Henry makes a comparison.)
   • ∎ Henry uses both "I" and "we" pronouns when referring to his audience. When and why does he use these pronouns? What effect do these pronouns produce on the audience? Why does he end with "Give me liberty or give me death" instead of "Give us liberty or give us death"?
   • ∎ On what points do you think Henry and the audience agree? On what points do they disagree? How can you support your inferences?
   • ∎ To what extent does Henry's reasoning and evidence support his claim?
   • ∎ What parts of the text are most moving and patriotic? Why?

Rhetorical Analysis

1. Briefly explain Aristotle's Elements of Rhetoric. Aristotle's rhetoric includes logos, ethos, and pathos appeals. This enhances a writer's ability to persuade an audience. (See Appendix A for more information and examples, and Handout 1.2 for a copy of the Blank Rhetorical Analysis Wheel.)
   • ∎ Logos: How the author establishes good reasoning to make the document/speech make sense. This includes major points, use of evidence, syllogisms, examples, evidence, facts, statistics, etc. Text-focused.
   • ∎ Ethos: How the author develops credibility and trust. Author-focused.
   • ∎ Pathos: How the author appeals to the audience's emotion. Audience-focused.
2. Review a few techniques students may see in documents; some examples are listed below (see Appendix A for a more thorough list). The teacher may choose to focus on a few techniques rather than all. The following are especially important in Henry's speech:
   • ∎ Language: Consider how world choice affects tone.
   • ∎ Positive and negative connotations of words: Consider how words evoke feelings.
   • ∎ Allusion: A reference to a historical or biblical work, person, or event; the writer assumes the reader can make connections between the allusion and text being read.
   • ∎ Rhetorical question: A question asked by the writer but that is not expected to be answered aloud; evokes reflection.
   • ∎ Liberty rhetoric: Using patriotic appeals for freedom.
3. Explain to students that they will now look at how Patrick Henry used these elements in his speech. Students will see how his point of view, techniques, and organization of the speech were used to develop logos, ethos, and pathos appeals. Together, these elements develop his main claim.
4. Using Handout 1.2: Blank Rhetorical Analysis Wheel, guide students in understanding how Patrick Henry used effective argumentation techniques. Students think about the rhetorical situation (e.g., purpose, context, audience), means of persuasion (e.g., ethos, logos, and pathos appeals), and rhetorical strategies (e.g., techniques, evidence, structure/organization, etc.). Emphasize specific elements first (e.g., logos, pathos, ethos, organization, techniques, and point of view), then move toward combining elements for more complexity (e.g., what techniques does he use to develop pathos appeals?). Note that the inner wheel conceptually spins so that elements interact with the outer wheel. Refer to Appendix A for detailed instructions about the Rhetorical Analysis Wheel and how to make a hands-on model.
5. The Rhetorical Analysis Wheel Guide (Appendix B) shows specific prompts to guide students in thinking through each separate element. They may take notes on the Blank Rhetorical Analysis Wheel using arrows to show how elemen...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Pretest
• Pretest Rubric
• Lesson 1 "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"
• Lesson 2 "Proclamation Upon British Depredations, Burning of the Capitol"
• Lesson 3 "Speech to Congress on Indian Removal"
• Lesson 4 "The Hypocrisy of the Nation Must Be Exposed"
• Lesson 5 "First Inaugural Address"
• Lesson 6 "Speech Before Congress"
• Lesson 7 "A Day of Infamy"
• Lesson 8 "Special Message to Congress on Urgent National Needs—Space"
• Lesson 9 "We Shall Overcome"
• Lesson 10 "9/11 Address to the Nation"
• Lesson 11 "First Inaugural Address"
• Lesson 12 Final Reflection and Culminating Project
• Posttest
• Posttest Rubric
• References
• Appendix A: Instructions for Using the Models
• Appendix B: Blank Models and Guides
• Appendix C: Rubrics
• About the Authors
• Common Core State Standards Alignment