I came, I saw, I conquered! Parallel structure, employed by writers even before Julius Caesar, is the focus of a lesson that teaches young writers the power of this rhetorical device. Class members analyze speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malala Yousafzai, and President George W. Bush and craft claims, supported by evidence from the speeches, about how and why the authors chose to use parallel structures. To demonstrate what they have learned, scholars craft a Tweet that identifies the purpose of parallel structures in writing.

Concepts

parallel structure, rhetoric, rhetorical devices, writing speeches, synonyms, evaluating claims, the frayer model, author's perspective

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Instructional Ideas

• Save copying costs and load the links to the speeches on classroom devices

Classroom Considerations

• Requires a projection device for the slideshow as well as copies

Pros

• Includes links to explanations of the learning strategies used in the lesson, modifications for use in distance learning, and use in Google Classroom

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.9-10.4