Preparatory+Experience

**Description of Preparatory Activity**
We want to preface students’ reading with an exercise in persuasion. While we are not going to ask students to write a full essay, we want them thinking about the techniques and strategies they would use to convince someone to do something they want. And while it is hopeful that students would be interested in convincing a panel to preserve local forests or a senior citizen’s center, we think students will be more invested in an exercise that appeals to their individual needs and desires—namely acquiring a new car or iPad. Therefore, in pairs, we want students to outline arguments and the presentation they might choose when attempting to persuade their parents to purchase for them a new car or iPad (however, students are not limited to these items; they are free to frame the activity around their individual needs and desires).

Depending on class background knowledge, some students will have stronger foundations in persuasion than others and that is fine—they are working in pairs so that they can discuss and form ideas. For the sake of this activity, we want to avoid simply giving students graphic organizers for persuasive arguments and asking them to fill in the blanks. Instead, students will independently work to outline their arguments and delivery. After outlining both, the teacher will collect the outlines and various pairs will share their work (on the whiteboard or document camera, depending on technology) for class evaluation. Individually, students will attempt to write both pros and cons for each presented outline, which the class will discuss. The written responses themselves are not as important as the discussions spawned from the writing—what went well, what could be improved, and established patterns among different outlines. Meanwhile, based on student consensus, the teacher will be formulating a list on the board of effective strategies, techniques, and forms of delivery. If students are not hitting on the methods Jonathan Edwards uses in his sermon, the teacher will move the conversation through questions to acknowledge those strategies (organization, logic, evidence, multiple appeals, counter-arguments, etc.).

After a significant number of students have shared their outlines and the class has discussed strengths and weaknesses in persuasive arguments, the teacher will preface the reading with a bit of [|background knowledge on Jonathan Edwards] and his [|delivery of the sermon].

Finally, using the class-compiled list of persuasive strategies, students will read “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” highlighting or documenting effective patterns and strategies in the text. Original student pairs will discuss their reading and findings before contributing to a class discussion.

**Outline of Activity**
1) Form student pairs. 2) Present scenario: outline argument to convince parents to buy you a new car or iPad (item or action can vary according to students) 3) Students discuss, create, and submit outlines. 4) Pairs share outlines; class documents strengths and weakness, sharing and discussing. 5) Through discussions, class establishes list of effective persuasive strategies and techniques. 6) Teacher shares background information on Edwards and Puritan style of sermon delivery. 7) Using class list of effective persuasion as a foundation, students read “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” highlighting or documenting examples of effective persuasion. 8) Original student pairs will briefly discuss their reading and findings. 9) Whole class discussion of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."