Jesse Burch

Jesse Burch was a HuckleBerry parent and teacher for eight years. While there, he taught three semester-long courses -- one of them multiple times: Ethics, Modern Ethical Dilemmas, and US History Through the Lens of the Supreme Court. He returns to HuckleBerry after four years, having taken a break to shepherd his two children through private high school. When not teaching, Jesse enjoys reading, playing guitar, gardening, and woodworking.

Rhetoric & Storytelling

Ages: 13+

Jesse Burch

Homework Level: Plan on 1-2 hours / week for reading, writing and practicing.

Elective: Public Speaking / Rhetoric

Rhetoric and Storytelling

Rhetoric is defined as the art of speaking or writing effectively. In this class we will focus on what makes an effective speech and how to deliver it with confidence and proficiency. We will learn to identify rhetorical fallacies like ad hominems, slippery slopes and red herrings. We will analyze the great speeches of history to see what makes the speech work and how the speaker weaves story into their theme. We will also practice writing an effective op-ed piece and hone our skills of persuasion. In the second half of the class, we will focus on storytelling and what makes a compelling story, culminating in an evening of speeches and stories for the Huck community.

Students will be expected to write, participate in discussions, and demonstrate their knowledge with quizzes, practiced speeches that meet the requirements of the speech and a final exam.

Contact Info:

Jesse Burch: jjburch@pacbell.net