Students learn the three classical appeals that persuaders have used for 2,500 years — ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) — and practice spotting them in speeches, ads, and arguments.
Students will be able to…
Whether it’s a political speech, a commercial, or a friend talking you into something, persuasion uses three basic tools. What are they — and how do you spot them?
Project each statement and have students identify the rhetorical appeal. The tool explains how each one persuades an audience.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Speeches, ads, arguments — what tools do they all use?
Teacher models.
Class uses Name the Appeal.
Students analyze appeals.
Students share an analysis.
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (Grades 9–10).
Determine an author’s point of view and analyze how they use rhetoric to advance it.
Write arguments using valid reasoning and relevant evidence.
Evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text.
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students write a short persuasive piece that uses all three appeals — ethos, pathos, and logos — and label each. A printable rhetoric sheet is in the ELA library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.