About This Lesson
This unit, Against the Wind, examines how leaders defend their ideas when facing resistance, upheaval, or profound social change. Students explore the Enlightenment as a period shaped by bold thinkers who challenged tradition, expanded notions of human rights, and used language as their primary tool of influence. Through texts such as Gulliver’s Travels, poems by Phillis Wheatley and Thomas Paine, foundational documents like the Preamble to the Constitution and United States v. The Amistad, and Susan B. Anthony’s powerful courtroom argument, students analyze how writers use claims, evidence, and rhetorical strategy to fight for their beliefs.
As readers, students investigate what transforms ordinary individuals into leaders and how ideas gain force when expressed through speeches, essays, and literature. As writers, they learn to craft clear arguments, support claims with precise evidence, and communicate with conviction. By the end of the unit, students understand how historical texts illuminate our responsibilities within a global society—and how effective argumentation remains essential for anyone who chooses to stand against the wind.
