Language Arts · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Introduction to Rhetoric: Ethos

Active learning works for introducing ethos because credibility is best understood through practice, not just explanation. When students step into roles where they must persuade, critique, or analyze real-world communication, they experience firsthand how ethos is constructed and perceived by audiences.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Expert Panel

Students are assigned specific identities (e.g., a scientist, a local elder, a celebrity) and must present the same data to the class. The audience evaluates how the speaker's identity and tone change the perceived reliability of the facts.

Analyze how a speaker's perceived character influences the reception of their arguments.

Facilitation Tip

During the Expert Panel role play, assign roles with specific credentials or backgrounds to force students to think beyond generic 'trustworthy' personas.

What to look for

Present students with a short transcript of a speech or advertisement. Ask them to identify two specific phrases or sentences that the speaker uses to build their credibility and explain in one sentence why each phrase is effective.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 30 min · Pairs

Formal Debate: Credibility Crises

Pairs are given a scenario where a speaker has lost their ethos (e.g., a scandal or a proven lie). They must debate whether the speaker's logical arguments should still be considered valid or if the loss of character nullifies the message.

Explain ways a writer can manipulate tone to establish a specific persona.

Facilitation Tip

For the Credibility Crises debate, provide a list of contradictory statements from historical figures so students must defend or dismantle ethos in real time.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'When might a speaker's past actions, unrelated to the current topic, impact how credible they seem?' Facilitate a brief class discussion, encouraging students to provide examples from news or current events.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Anatomy of an Influencer

Groups analyze social media profiles to identify specific linguistic and visual choices used to build ethos. They present their findings on a shared digital board, highlighting how 'relatability' is used as a tool for authority.

Evaluate the impact on an argument when the speaker's credibility is compromised.

Facilitation Tip

When analyzing an influencer's posts, require students to focus on one platform post but explore multiple audience comments to see credibility in action.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one way a speaker can establish ethos without explicitly stating their credentials. Then, have them write one sentence explaining why this method is effective in building audience trust.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model how to identify ethos by thinking aloud while analyzing sample texts, showing students how credibility is not automatic but constructed through word choice and tone. Avoid presenting ethos as a fixed trait; instead, emphasize that it is a dynamic interaction between speaker and audience. Research suggests students grasp this concept better when they see ethos fail as well as succeed, so include flawed examples alongside strong ones.

By the end of these activities, students should confidently identify how ethos is built through language choices and audience alignment. They should also recognize that credibility is situational and can shift based on tone, evidence, and shared values, not just reputation.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Expert Panel role play, watch for students who assume that only traditionally 'good' people can build ethos.

  Use the peer feedback form to have students highlight instances where panelists used shared values or subculture-specific language to build credibility, even if their overall persona seemed questionable.

• During the Credibility Crises debate, watch for students who believe once someone is discredited, they can never regain trust.

  Have students react to breaking news scenarios where a speaker's tone or evidence shifts, forcing them to adjust their assessment of credibility in real time.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Formal Debate
• Inquiry Circle