Teaching students to write rhetorical analysis is probably one of the hardest things I had to learn as a teacher. And if you’re a teacher of rhetoric, you know exactly what I mean. If you need a deeper, more philosophical step by step guide, I have a blog post for that, but if you’re feeling good but in dire need of ideas for lessons, that’s what I’ve got for you right here.

One thing I’ve found over my years of experience in teaching rhetoric is how incredibly helpful it is to have a fictional scenario to use to teach argument. When the rhetorical situation is rich, it makes connecting the dots easier for students and also keeps them from feeling compelled to highlight and annotate a bunch of devices without understanding why.

To lend a helping hand, I’ve compiled a list of great moments from film that present opportunities to teach both the rhetorical situation as well as the arguments themselves. If you don’t already have a template to use for teaching rhetorical analysis, I’ve got you covered!

DOWNLOAD YOUR RHETORICAL ANALYSIS TEMPLATES HERE

#1: “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast

This is my favorite one to use when introducing the rhetorical situation. I have a ready-to-go lesson right here if you need it!

Be Our Guest slide deck here!

#2: “Mother Knows Best” from Tangled

Mother Godel has a mission: keep Rapunzel locked away. But when she starts to get curious about leaving her tower, this song puts Rapunzel back in her place.

#3: “The Other Side” from The Greatest Showman

PT Barnum needs a cash infusion to make his circus dreams come true and there’s only one person that can help him. Watch this argument weave through an incredible song and grab a pre-made lesson plan here if you are in a pinch!

#4: “Going to Battle” from the Apple TV series See

The war is imminent. The odds are against them in every way. Here are two going to battle speeches that will get your students ready to go! If you need it, I’ve also got this one written for you — check it out below!

#5: We Are Marshall

There are many athletic pump up speeches out there, but this one takes place at the grave site of players that have come before them. Buckle up for this classic from Matthew McConaughey.

#6: Titanic - Don’t Jump

Jack catches Rose at her lowest point and has to convince her to rethink her situation. Use this with caution, however, because the suicidal premise may not be suitable for your group.

#7: The Notebook: Allie & Noah’s Fight

He’s already lost her once, and this time, he’s fighting to keep her around. There’s some fun language in this one, but other than that, it’s short, sweet, and memorable.

#8: Toy Story 3: Woody’s Speech

I’m going to need you to try really hard and keep it together for this final speech to Andy’s toys. In his speech, Woody tries to encourage the crew to keep an optimistic outlook on their future despite the doubters in the room.

#9: Frozen “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”

Elsa? Wanna come and play? Sadly, she doesn’t, but that doesn’t stop Ana from trying.

#10: Grey’s Anatomy: Pick Me, Choose Me

This is DEFINITLEY the corniest (and probably the weakest) argument on the list, but that just makes it even better to pull apart. Did Dr. Grey’s speech do enough to win over Mc. Dreamy?

#11: The Phantom of the Opera “Music of the Night”

What does it take to convince a total stranger to abandon her life as a ballerina above ground and hang out with a masked main in his underground lair? Let’s see how it works out!

Download RHETORICAL TRIANGLE ANALYSIS TEMPLATES HERE!

Some final thoughts:

I hope this gives you a good start in preparing a lesson to watch, talk about, and analyze some great arguments in movies. As always, I’d love to hear about your experiences, ideas, and outcomes in the comments below! Which films did you use? Which films did your students best respond to? Happy analyzing!