This unit assists students with specific learning disabilities in basic reading skills and written expression to make an informed decision about ways to resolve conflict. It will challenge students to investigate and seek answers to why it is important to communicate when conflict arises. They will explore this issue and demonstrate their ability to construct meaning by analyzing and responding to presidential speeches that were influential during the Cold War. Students will analyze how the voice of the speaker is used to persuade an audience by viewing video clips, listening to audio recordings and reading along with speeches that were influential in ending the threat of nuclear war. Students will examine the material both individually and collaboratively to determine what the speaker was implying by their words and body language. Students will conclude the unit by taking a critical stance on how to solve a problem between two parties that have conflicting views. This argument will be in the form of a persuasive speech which will be presented as a final summative assessment. This unit will provide students with the skill of organizing their thoughts about a topic in essay form and using expression in voice to persuade their audience.
(Developed for Special Education, grade 12; recommended for U. S. History and English, grade 11, and Special Education, grades 11-12)
