Planning a Pre-assessment
Goal(s) pre- What will this help me
Pre-Assessment Items
Describe an instance in which you attempted PRU1
to persuade your parent or a friend of
something you really wanted to do. Then,
consider and record the ways in which you
attempted to persuade your parent or
friend.
List differences between an informational
text and a literary text.
List the three different rhetorical appeals
and briefly describe or give an example of
each.
assessed. discover? (Why am I asking
Use the this? What am I trying to find
codes! out?)
Students understanding of
PRK4 persuasive texts and the
U1 connection between persuasion
and argument.
Students’ prior experiences with
persuasion to give context to their
understanding.
PRU2 Students know the difference
U2 between the two types of texts so
they can be aware of when they
should be acting as critical
consumers to examine arguments
within informational texts
S1 To determine if students have prior
K3 knowledge of appeals to rhetoric
and their understanding of the
three appeal types
What is the “ideal” (or most
advanced response)?
Answers may vary.
Makes their stance clear, uses
reasoning and evidence, appeal to
emotions, acknowledge the other
side
Characteristics of an informational
text: provides information and facts
about people, events, etc. that are
real; the purpose could be to
inform, teach, persuade
Characteristics of a literary text
include: narrative structure with
plot, setting, characters; the
purpose may be to entertain; may
be fantastical or unbelievable, but
does not have to be
Examples may vary, but one
example for each appeal is included
below.
Ethos—an appeal to ethics or
credibility of the speaker; ex: a
world-renowned scientist noted for
What other kinds of
responses am I anticipating
or looking for?
A less detailed version of the
“ideal” answer
An example of each different text
type explaining what makes it that
type of text.
Ex: Harry Potter = literary because
it is a made-up story
The NY Times is informational
because it tells us what is going on
in the world
Ethos, pathos, logos without a
description or
Ethos—ethics
Pathos—emotion
Logos—logic
 curing skin cancer recommends a
certain sunscreen brand
Pathos— an appeal to emotion,
such as fear, rage, joy, etc.; ex: a
home security commercial might
play to this appeal by making
consumers feel they need their
product to be safe
Logos—an appeal to logic or
reasoning, including supporting
evidence; ex: a car salesman lists
characteristics of a car including
MPG, safety features, luxury
components, etc.

Match the following terms to their K1 Student familiarity/exposure to 4. D N/A

definitions: K2 common rhetorical terms 5. C
S1 6. I
Rhetoric --the art of effective or 7. B
Pun persuasive speaking or writing 8. A
Hyperbole --a play on the meaning of 9. H
Euphemism words 10. F
Antithesis --deliberate exaggeration for
Assonance emphasis
Epistrophe --harsh words are substituted
for milder ones
--juxtaposition of contrasting
ideas
--repetition of sounds within
words
--repetition of the same
word(s) at the end of
successive clauses
Read the following brief passage (part of
student-friendly version of pre-assessment)
and answer the following questions.
1. What is the main purpose of the
above text? How does the author
convey the purpose?
U1 If students are able to read a To encourage people to volunteer. A list of reasons explaining why
U2 passage to determine purpose and Through facts and research-based people should volunteer.
U3 characteristics of an argument and evidence.
S3 to determine if students can
PRK7 identify ways in which the purpose
PRS3 was supported.

2. What is your response to the U4 To determine how students will Answers will vary. N/A
author’s stance/stated position in K7 respond, including if they will act as
the above text? Explain your S6 critical consumers.
reasoning. S7
PRK7

3. In your own words, what does it
mean to be a “critical consumer of
information?” In what ways, if any,
are you a critical consumer of
information?
U2 To determine if students
U4 understand what a critical
PRU4 consumer is and to gain insight into
whether or not students consider
themselves to be critical
consumers.
To use thinking skills to examine,
and perhaps question, what we are
reading/are told to make an
informed decision that we arrived
at based on our own understanding
of a topic.
Might anticipate that students take
in or “consume” a lot of
information from a variety of
texts/sources.