1. Powerful Presidential Persuasion
January 22nd, 2015

2. REMEMBER: QUIZ this Friday.
Warm Up: Exercise A
Warm Up: Exercise A
Date: January 22nd, 2015
Prompt:  Use the next two songs to complete “Vocabulary from Classical Roots” Exercise A in your composition notebook.
REMEMBER: QUIZ this Friday.

3. Agenda
Learning Target: Today I will observe the power of words in the political arena.
President Barack Obama
President Ronald Reagan
“If I Were President”

4. President Barack Obama
Quick Biography:
Democrat; Born August 4th, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Lawyer by trade, published New York Times best-selling author by the time he became president.
Presidency:
Noted Accomplishments:
First non 100% Caucasian President
Gained recognition after his speech at DNC of 2004.
Instructed Seal Team 6 in the termination of Osama bin Laden
Photo credit: The White House (

5. President Barack Obama
Speech Video:
Background information- This speech was delivered on inauguration night in 2008 upon winning the Presidential election.
Video- Victory/Election Speech
Background information- This speech was delivered during the Presidential election and was credited as a turning point in the campaign.
Video- “Yes We Can” Speech

6. President Ronald Reagan
Quick Biography:
Republican; Born February 6th, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois
Died June 5th, 2004
Was a Hollywood actor prior to Presidency
Presidency: , age 69 at inauguration
Noted Accomplishments:
Credited with reviving national pride after the turmoil of the 1960s
The only President to survive after being wounded in an assassination attempt.
Known for “trickle-down economics,” Iran Contra affair, and ending the Iranian Hostage Crisis
Photo credit: The White House (

7. President Ronald Reagan
Speech Video: “Tear Down this Wall”
Background information- This speech was delivered toward the end of the Cold War at the site of the Berlin Wall. The wall, a symbol of the divide between communism and capitalism in the West, divided families within communist and democratic Germany.
Video-
Kinetic Typography version
Video of Speech

8. “If I Were President”
What would be the important issues you would want to address if you were the president of the United States?
This would be your platform.
Why are these issues important to you?
TASK: Write a first draft of a speech in which you will state the issues you would tackle as president, why you think they are important issues, and what solutions you have to resolve these issues. Your goal is to be persuasive and to use facts and examples to support your points.

9. Closing Presidential Points:
What did Presidents Reagan and Obama do or say that made their speeches more persuasive?
When it is your turn, share your thoughts.
Use specific examples!

10. Homework Read for 30 minutes.
Gather research for your “If I Were President” speech.
Input “Dear Dr. King” letter, if you have not already done so.
This must be posted by this FRIDAY for a grade.