Black leaders of the 1960s used various methods in attempting to construct an identity for the black community. Communication is the attempt to transform subjective experience into intersubjective reality in which all members of a community participate. In constructing group identity, community spokesmen attempt to define the nature of the…

This paper describes a series of experiments and research paradigms designed to investigate language development, specifically semantic, syntactic, and communicative development in children. Included are discussions of two studies of semantic development which examined developmental changes of word meanings. Also discussed are three studies of…

The basic black rhetoric of violence during the 1960s differed little from other American rhetoric of violence in its expressions of values, attitudes, and beliefs. This conclusion is drawn from studying the speeches of five representative black spokesmen for violence: Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, Eldridge Cleaver, Huey P. Newton, and Bobby…

The effect of lawyer credibility and juror perception on trial verdicts was tested through the use of a videotaped, reenacted genuine court case. The reactions of two groups of test subjects composed, first, college students enrolled in speech communication courses and, second, persons who had served on a real jury within four years, provided data…

This research project was carried out to test the hypothesis that symbolic logic instruction, if taught in a secondary school field situation in a way which included specific applications to argumentative composition, would effect greater improvement in composition and logical sentence analysis than if the students received little or no…

English as a second language writing lessons, based on issues discussed in editorial letters in a local Malawi newspaper, provide practice in identifying opinions, identifying supporting evidence, checking argument logic, producing opinions, finding evidence to support opinions, and presenting logically-argued letters. (CB)

Explains how a Forensic Science and Criminology unit can help in the development of science process skills, mastery of laboratory techniques, and assist in value clarification. Examples of investigations and activities that have been successful with fifth- and sixth-grade students are included. (ML)

Introduces the concept of powerful/powerless talk for instructors interested in incorporating this construct in their classrooms. Provides a brief summary of powerful/powerless talk literature. Offers guidelines for introducing these research findings into the curriculum. (AEW)

This lesson asks 12th grade students to imagine that they are special assistants to the Undersecretary of Commerce for a foreign country who must answer a letter from a U.S. company planning to move its manufacturing operations overseas. The lesson also asks them to design a business brochure that will convince the company to come to their…

Based on Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that as the American Revolution approached, writers created highly persuasive documents calling for separation from England. The main activity in the lesson involves students in writing a persuasive essay. It includes…

The eight units of work in this document are designed to complement existing literacy booster units. Each unit is based on teaching objectives from the National Literacy Strategy Framework. They have been produced with the help of Year 5 teachers and have been trialled with pupils in a range of schools. The units support teachers' work with Year 5…

The booster lessons included in this book are designed for those children who need targeted support to secure National Curriculum Level 4 in the Key Stage 2 English tests. As the children work through 18 booster lessons, they will revisit key objectives that will help ensure that they achieve their full potential in the end-of-Key Stage 2 tests.…

This paper examines the mechanics of argumentation, some features of computer conferencing software that might support this teaching and learning method (e.g., strategies for sharing, examining and commenting on various kinds of evidence, threading a conversation, indicating type of message, linking to outside information, highlighting new…

Found that increases in cognitive complexity and construct system abstractness significantly related to the use of (1) a greater number of persuasive strategies; (2) more listener-adaptive persuasive strategies; and (3) formation of more complex and abstract impressions of interaction partners. (PD)

Based on Hovland's four-part statement, "who says what to whom with what effect," opinions were surveyed from preservice elementary teachers (N=139) and mathematics educators (N=45) to establish characteristics of metric educators (who) and content (what) of persuasive communication useful in influencing attitudes of preservice teachers…