Rhetorical Devices in Action

Rhetorical devices come alive when students engage directly with real-world texts and arguments. Active learning helps them move from passive recognition to purposeful analysis, where they see how ethos, pathos, and logos shape meaning and influence audiences. By participating in structured challenges, students connect theory to practice in ways that stick.

• Year 6
• English
• 3 activities
• 20 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the use of ethos, pathos, and logos in a selected Australian political speech.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of different rhetorical appeals in a contemporary advertisement aimed at teenagers.
3. Compare the persuasive strategies used in a historical speech with those used in a modern social media campaign.
4. Explain how repetition functions as a rhetorical device to create a sense of universal truth.
5. Critique the establishment of speaker authority in a speech that omits explicit credentials.

Mock Trial

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Mock Trial: The Rhetoric Challenge

Students are given a silly 'crime' (e.g., 'The cat stole the cookie'). Three 'lawyers' must argue the case using only one device each: one uses only logic, one only emotion, and one only their authority as an 'expert'. The class votes on who was most convincing.

Prepare & details

Explain how speakers use repetition to make an idea feel like a universal truth.

Facilitation Tip: During Mock Trial, model how to structure opening and closing statements to clearly signal ethos, pathos, or logos first.

Setup: Desks rearranged into courtroom layout

Materials: Role cards, Evidence packets, Verdict form for jury

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Social Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Ad Analysis

Students look at a series of charity or commercial ads. They identify whether the ad is primarily using pathos, logos, or ethos and discuss with a partner why that specific choice was made for that target audience.

Prepare & details

Compare which emotional appeals are most effective for different age demographics.

Facilitation Tip: In Think-Pair-Share, assign each pair a different ad type (e.g., food, technology, charity) to ensure varied examples during sharing.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

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

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Speech Doctor

Groups are given a very dry, factual speech. Their task is to 'inject' rhetorical devices, adding a personal anecdote for pathos or a strong statistic for logos, to make it more persuasive for a school assembly.

Prepare & details

Analyze how a speaker can establish authority without stating their credentials.

Facilitation Tip: For Speech Doctor, provide a checklist of rhetorical devices so students can systematically diagnose weaknesses in persuasive speeches.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by pairing direct instruction on ethos, pathos, and logos with hands-on practice that forces students to make choices about language. Use mentor texts from speeches, ads, and news clips to show how devices work in context. Avoid overloading students with definitions without immediate application—always connect the term to its effect on the audience.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students will confidently identify ethos, pathos, and logos in texts and explain how each device positions an audience. They will also evaluate which devices are most effective in different persuasive contexts and justify their reasoning with evidence.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Mock Trial, students may believe the loudest or most repetitive argument wins the debate.

What to Teach Instead

During Mock Trial, pause after opening statements and ask students to underline the single most logical or authoritative claim in each speech to demonstrate how logos or ethos often outweigh volume.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share, students may assume pathos only appears in sad or serious advertisements.

What to Teach Instead

During Think-Pair-Share, direct students to look for humor, excitement, or even a sense of rebellion in ads, and ask them to categorize these emotional appeals during the discussion.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Mock Trial, provide students with a short excerpt from a contemporary Australian advertisement. Ask them to identify one example of ethos, pathos, or logos and explain in one sentence how it attempts to persuade the audience.

Quick Check

During Collaborative Investigation: Speech Doctor, display a short clip of a historical speech. Ask students to write down one instance of repetition and explain its effect on the message's impact.

Discussion Prompt

After Collaborative Investigation: Speech Doctor, pose the question: 'How might a speaker establish authority and trustworthiness (ethos) without explicitly stating their job title or qualifications?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share examples from speeches or media.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to rewrite a speech excerpt using a different persuasive device while keeping the same overall message.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for students to frame their analysis, such as 'This device is used to... because...'
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to research a historical speech and present how devices were used to persuade at the time it was delivered.

Key Vocabulary

Ethos	Persuasion based on the speaker's credibility, authority, or character. It establishes trust and makes the audience believe the speaker is knowledgeable and reliable.
Pathos	Persuasion that appeals to the audience's emotions, such as fear, joy, anger, or sympathy. It aims to evoke an emotional response to influence the audience's opinion or actions.
Logos	Persuasion based on logic, reason, and evidence. It uses facts, statistics, and logical arguments to convince the audience.
Rhetorical Device	A technique used in speech or writing to make a message more persuasive or impactful. Examples include repetition, metaphor, and rhetorical questions.
Repetition	The repeated use of words, phrases, or structures to emphasize a point and make it more memorable and impactful for the audience.