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Liz Bender

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In what ways does Obama suggest we can improve the US ?

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1. Is Jefferson's apparent anti-slavery stance undermined by his personal ownership of more than 600 slaves?

2. Do you think Jefferson's position on slavery was more influenced by religious conviction or personal moral accountability?

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1. How might the speaker’s relationship to those who have been oppressed at one point in the United States would have influenced the thematic message relayed to his audience?                  2. Why do you think the speaker uses many historical allusions throughout the speech?                  3. How does the shift in tone and point of view throughout the speech relate to the thematic message the speech tries to accomplish?

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Why does the speaker use many historical allusions? How do they work to persuade?

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1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Jefferson’s focus on slavery in his notes of Virginia?

2. How do Jefferson’s notes contrast to the Declaration of Independence?

3. How does Jefferson’s tone towards slavery in the U.S. depict Virginia?

- Gabriel Munoz III

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1. What do you think the ‘odds’ mean when Obama says America is a country built on the defiance of the odds?

2. Obama infers that America has now broadened its boundaries of opportunity. Do you think there is more that we should work on? If so what is it and why

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How would the speaker’s word choice have changed if this were written to be read as opposed to a speech? How is the word choice conversational?

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When discussing the status of the nation during this speech, Obama talks on the improvements he’s seen in many of the sociopolitical issues at the time, such as “mistreatment of natives, subjugation of women, racism”, etc.. but he also raises a call to action, saying “the problem is that progress isn’t good enough”. Do you feel as if our nation has developed from the time this speech was given? Or are we in the same place as 20 years ago? Is it possible that we may have declined since this speech in 2006?

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How does the inclusion of the repetition of the second person “You” persuade the audience?

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What literary techniques does Jefferson use to appeal to the morality of an audience that has already morally justified slavery?

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How might the relationship between the Seneca peoples and Christianity have informed the author's teachings?

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How does the narrator portray European settlement in the Americas and why is the devil used to personify the evil of Europeans going to America?

How does the narrators own experiences and identity play a role in building the characters of the European settlers?

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1. Why do you think the speaker chose to name the article, “Manners” yet goes ahead and discusses slavery instead?

2. How might the author’s relationship with slaves influence his perspective in the article?

3. How might Jefferson’s attitude over slavery when writing query 18 might have influenced his perspective on slave-master relationship in the article?

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How did his ownership of slaves affect his opinion of how slavery negatively affects a society?

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How did his ownership of slaves affect his opinion of how slavery negatively affects a society?

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Philip Schneider

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Sean S

How did the social environment of the writer at the time influence the topic and tone of the piece?

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1. What was the purpose in finding new land only to keep the same old habits?
2. If the guy really cared about religion why would he not give second thought that the so called "lord" only cared about riches?

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How does Handsome Lake's relationship with religion influence the meaning of "How America Was Discovered" if at all?

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What literary strategies does the passage use to de-romanticize Colombus’ “discovery” of America?

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1. In what ways does Jefferson's diction act to fortify his condemnation?
2. How does Jefferson utilize connotation and language to construct tone?
3. How will Jefferson's audience interpret his writing under the scope that Jefferson is a slave owner?

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How does the presence of Christianity in Handsome Lake’s telling of the story emphasize the Native American’s role in Colombus’ discovery of America?

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How much do you think the intended audience influenced the tone Jefferson used in this work?

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Sean S

Does Jefferson’s ownership of slaves prove detrimental or supplemental to his argument against slavery?

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1. What is the main argument the speaker stresses in paragraph two? How did this argument contribute to the overarching theme of the speech?

2. What are the parallels used by the speaker to reach their audience and how did that impact the development of the speech?

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How has slavery impacted the authors purpose in the Notes of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson?

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How does the speaker's use of asyndeton help in response to counterarguments the audience might have?

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Jefferson owned over 600 slaves during the course of his life, and yet in this speech he argues that it is a curse for the master as well. He says for children witness slavery imparts a dangerous impression on them, yet modern DNA tests show that he had 6 children with one of his slaves. How could Jefferson's statement be interpreted so that it doesn't contradict his actions?

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Sean S

How far have the problems highlighted in this speech improved or gotten worse since the time of its writing

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1. How would Jefferson’s denunciation of slavery impact the views of others that reside in the plantation world?
2. Why does Jefferson suggest that the problem of slavery was so monstrous that the solution required is nothing less than divine intervention?

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What does the author hope to communicate to the audience when referencing children in the passage?

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1. What does the literary device of anecdotes add to the overall tone of Obama’s commencement speech?

2. How does the reference to a City upon a Hill reaffirm the theme of the passage?

3. How does Obama’s commencement speech compare and contrast to Reagan’s farewell address?

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How does the story told in the passage reflect the Seneca''s view of European colonization?
How does the change in tone towards the end of the passage affect the reader's interpretation of the passage?