English · Year 6

Active learning ideas

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.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E6LA05
• AC9E6LY04

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

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.

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

Activity 02

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Display a short clip of a historical speech (e.g., from Gough Whitlam or an Indigenous leader). Ask students to write down one instance of repetition and explain its effect on the message's impact.

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

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

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.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.

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

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mock Trial
• Think-Pair-Share
• Inquiry Circle