Writing & Rhetoric Book 11 Set: Thesis Part 2 Program

Program Overview

The Writing & Rhetoric series employs a creative approach to the classical Progymnasmata — Think of the progymnasmata as a step-by-step apprenticeship in the art of writing and rhetoric. What is an apprentice? It is a young person who is learning a skill from a master teacher. Through Writing & Rhetoric and the Progymnasmata, your students will serve as apprentices to the great writers and great stories of history!

This method emphasizes fluent reading, careful listening, models for imitation, and progressive steps. It assumes that students learn best by reading excellent, whole-story examples of literature and by growing their skills through imitation. Each exercise is intended to impart a skill (or tool) that can be employed in all kinds of writing and speaking. The exercises are arranged from simple to more complex. What’s more, the exercises are cumulative, meaning that later exercises incorporate the skills acquired in preceding exercises. This series is a step-by-step apprenticeship in the art of writing and rhetoric.  The full series is 12 books that will train students over 6 years, starting in grades 3 or 4.

Thesis Part 2, the eleventh in the series, is a one-semester course for grades 8 or 9 and up.  This set includes:

• Writing & Rhetoric Book 11: Thesis Part 2 (consumable student edition) – In this book, students will implement what they learned about writing well-crafted persuasive thesis essays in Writing & Rhetoric Book 10: Thesis Part 1 and advance those skills by creating dynamic and powerful speeches. A vital part of rhetoric, oratory connects thinking and writing to the indispensable art of public speaking. Students will learn from masters of oratory, past and present, by studying the great speeches of Cicero, Thurgood Marshall, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and Malala Yousafzai, among others. When preparing and delivering their speeches, students will utilize the 5 canons of rhetoric and the common topics of invention to help them discover and refine their theses. Thesis Part 2 is designed to build students’ confidence in public speaking, teaching them the habits of excellent delivery and proper breathing. Incorporating the skills learned throughout the series, students will research, write, and then deliver 3 practice speeches (or declamations) of their own creation in the manner of the traditional branches of rhetoric: judicial, ceremonial, and political. As students gain skill, they will learn to delight in discourse as a way “to enlighten the understanding, please the imagination, move the passion, and influence the will” (George Campbell).  In this 1-semester book, students will learn to:
  • write persuasive speeches in the style of a closing argument in a courtroom, a eulogy at a funeral, and the proposal of a law in a legislative body
  • refine their writing of theses, topic sentences, and antitheses
  • improve their conclusions to extend and enhance their original theses
  • strengthen their ability to derive information from texts, organizing and summarizing it in expository paragraphs
  • develop an awareness of transitions, tone, and writing style
  • practice fluent reading using diverse speech texts
  • identify a variety of genres, particularly judicial, ceremonial, and political oration
  • interact with well-written texts through discussions and exercises in evaluation and critical thinking
  • draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
  • strengthen their oratory skills through opportunities for public speaking
  • see the relationship between writing and speaking
  • use oration as an aid to the process of revision
• Writing & Rhetoric Book 11: Thesis Part 2 Teacher’s Edition – includes the complete student text, as well as answer keys, teacher’s notes, and explanations. For every writing assignment, this edition also supplies descriptions and examples of what excellent student writing should look like, providing the teacher with meaningful and concrete guidance.

NOTE: There are no audio files for Book 11.

Placement: In Writing & Rhetoric, placement is based on the student’s current experience in writing. The publisher first suggests looking through the table of contents included in each of the free Writing & Rhetoric samples (found on the individual product pages). Reviewing both the table of contents and the sample lessons will help you determine a good starting level for your student. They encourage parents to download and print the sample chapters of the textbooks (student book) to assist in determining placement.