Take the stress out of the beginning of the year with these slides and accompanying worksheet!

This engaging 36-slide lesson introduces students to rhetoric and the rhetorical situation through direct instruction, guided analysis, real-world examples, and scaffolded practice. This resource breaks down complex rhetorical concepts into approachable, student-friendly language while still encouraging deeper analysis and critical thinking.

Students will move beyond memorizing definitions and begin analyzing how rhetorical choices shape meaning, purpose, audience impact, and tone.

This resource includes:

• 36 visually organized instructional slides
• A deep dive into the rhetorical situation
• SOAPSTone explained in both concrete and abstract terms for stronger analysis
• Instruction on:
• Speaker
• Occasion
• Audience
• Purpose
• Subject
• Tone

• Practice identifying the rhetorical situation using:
• A commercial
• George W. Bush’s 9/11 speech

• Methods of development overview and examples
• Rhetorical verb instruction and reference
• Tone words students can actually apply in writing and analysis
• Lesson to get them out of the habit of saying "the author uses ethos/pathos/logos"
• “Choices vs. Devices” instruction to help students understand the difference between intentional rhetorical decisions and literary/rhetorical terminology
• A 3-page student worksheet for application and review

Why you'll love this resource:

• Breaks down difficult concepts clearly
• Encourages deeper thinking instead of surface-level identification
• Uses relevant, engaging examples
• Easy to adapt
• Great foundation for rhetorical analysis writing

Accompanying classroom posters (set of 14) can be found HERE!

Note: Some ideas in this resource are modified from the original ideas of The Garden of English. Visit their TPT store for more amazing products!