English · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Identifying Persuasive Techniques

Active learning works for this topic because young learners grasp persuasive techniques best when they see, touch, and talk about real examples. Moving around the room, sorting phrases, and creating slogans turns abstract language skills into concrete, memorable experiences that build critical awareness of how words influence thoughts and actions.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E1LY05
• AC9E1LA07

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Ad Hunt: Classroom Scavenger

Provide magazines, flyers, and printed ads. In pairs, students circle examples of repetition, slogans, or commands, noting why they persuade. Pairs share one find with the class to build a shared chart.

How does a catchy saying or slogan help you remember a message?

Facilitation Tip

For Ad Hunt, give each pair a small envelope with blank sticky notes so they can label examples immediately after finding them.

What to look for

Show students three short video clips of advertisements. Ask them to hold up fingers to indicate how many times they heard a slogan (1 finger), a command (2 fingers), or repetition (3 fingers). Discuss their observations afterwards.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 35 min · Small Groups

Phrase Sorting: Persuasion Categories

Prepare cards with phrases like 'Buy one, get one!' or 'Best ever!'. Small groups sort into repetition, slogan, or command piles, then justify choices. Groups present one category to the class.

Why do advertisers say the same thing again and again?

Facilitation Tip

During Phrase Sorting, model sorting one phrase aloud while students watch, then have them sort in small groups to encourage discussion.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet containing two simple advertisements. Ask them to circle any slogans they find and underline any commands. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining why they think a slogan is used.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Slogan Makers: Toy Ads

Pairs brainstorm and draw ads for a toy, using at least two techniques like repetition and questions. They present to the class, who identify techniques and vote on most convincing.

Which way of trying to persuade do you think works best, and why?

Facilitation Tip

In Slogan Makers, provide toy packaging leftovers or printed images to anchor creativity and keep ideas grounded in familiar contexts.

What to look for

Present students with two different ways to ask someone to share a toy: 'Share your toy, please.' versus 'Want to share your toy?'. Ask: 'Which way sounds more like a command? Which way sounds more like a question? Which way do you think would make someone more likely to share, and why?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 40 min · Small Groups

Role Play: Playground Persuaders

In small groups, students role-play convincing a friend to play a game using techniques. Switch roles, with observers noting examples. Debrief as a class on what worked best.

How does a catchy saying or slogan help you remember a message?

Facilitation Tip

For Role Play, give students simple sentence starters on cards to support quick, confident persuasion without rehearsal time.

What to look for

Show students three short video clips of advertisements. Ask them to hold up fingers to indicate how many times they heard a slogan (1 finger), a command (2 fingers), or repetition (3 fingers). Discuss their observations afterwards.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by grounding instruction in objects and texts students already recognize, reducing cognitive load while building schema. Avoid lengthy lectures about ethos or pathos; instead, use real examples to highlight techniques like repetition and questions. Research shows that young learners benefit from guided discovery paired with immediate, low-stakes practice, so keep examples visible and discussions short but focused on observable language choices.

Successful learning looks like students pointing out slogans, commands, and repetition in everyday texts without prompting. They should explain why a phrase is catchy or gets attention, and adapt these techniques in their own short persuasive phrases, showing they understand influence beyond memorization.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Ad Hunt, watch for students assuming all slogans are false because they sound too good to be true.

  Redirect by asking pairs to find one true fact from their ads and compare it to the slogan, then discuss how slogans highlight real benefits to grab attention.

• During Phrase Sorting, watch for students thinking commands are always rude or only used by adults.

  Use the sorted cards to act out commands in kind ways, like 'Please pass the crayons,' to show commands can be polite and helpful.

• During Slogan Makers, watch for students believing all slogans must rhyme or sing.

  Have students compare rhyming slogans with non-rhyming ones from their toy images, then vote on which feels catchier, highlighting that rhythm matters more than rhyme.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Role Play