English · Year 9

Active learning ideas

Analyzing Ethos: Credibility and Authority

Active learning helps students see how credibility and authority work in real-world texts. When students dissect ads, scripts, and pitches, they move beyond abstract definitions to notice how visuals and language shape trust, even when we don’t realize it.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E9LA08
• AC9E9LY01

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Ad Deconstruction

Display various print and digital ads around the room. Students move in small groups with sticky notes, identifying one visual technique and one linguistic technique per ad, then discussing how these elements target a specific Australian demographic.

Evaluate how a speaker's background influences their perceived authority.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, have pairs stand at one ad for exactly three minutes, silently analyzing visual elements before discussing their findings.

What to look for

Present students with a short video clip of a public figure giving a speech. Ask: 'What specific elements of the speaker's background or presentation contribute to their perceived authority? List two examples and explain why they are effective or ineffective.'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Pairs

Inquiry Circle: The Influencer's Script

Students work in pairs to analyze a 'sponsored' social media post. They must identify the 'hidden' persuasive techniques used to make the ad feel like a personal recommendation, presenting their findings back to the class using a shared digital whiteboard.

Differentiate between earned credibility and assumed authority in persuasive texts.

Facilitation Tip

For the Influencer’s Script, provide a checklist of ethos-building techniques so students can track how credibility is constructed in the text.

What to look for

Provide students with two brief written arguments on the same topic, one from an expert and one from an unqualified source. Ask: 'Identify which argument is likely more persuasive and explain your reasoning, referencing the concept of ethos.'

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

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 60 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Ad Agency Pitch

Groups are given a 'boring' product and a specific target audience (e.g., Australian retirees or Gen Z students). They must design a visual layout and a slogan, then pitch their concept to the class, explaining the psychological triggers they chose to use.

Predict the impact of a speaker's ethical choices on audience reception.

Facilitation Tip

In the Ad Agency Pitch, assign specific roles (e.g., art director, copywriter) to ensure all students contribute to the persuasive strategy.

What to look for

Students select a short persuasive text (e.g., an opinion piece, a product review). They swap texts with a partner and identify one way the author attempts to build credibility and one potential way their credibility could be undermined. Partners provide written feedback on their observations.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model close reading of visuals and language together, pointing out details like camera angles or word connotations. Avoid rushing to conclusions; instead, guide students to notice subtle cues that shape authority. Research shows that repeated practice with varied texts helps students transfer these skills to new contexts.

Students should articulate how visual and linguistic choices build credibility and authority in ads. They should also reflect on their own responses to persuasive techniques and how these techniques influence behavior.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, students might assume that advertising is only about the words on the screen.

  During the Gallery Walk, have students cover the text of an ad with a sticky note and focus only on visual grammar. Afterward, discuss how much meaning was conveyed without words and why that matters for credibility.

• During peer discussions about buying habits, students may claim they are not influenced by advertising.

  During the Collaborative Investigation, ask students to anonymously share one purchase they made recently and explain what made it appealing, even if they thought they weren’t swayed by ads.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game