English · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Identifying Rhetorical Devices

Active learning works because rhetorical devices rely on emotional and logical engagement, not passive recognition. By analysing real-world texts and creating their own examples, students experience how these tools shape meaning and persuasion in ways that a textbook explanation cannot.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: English - Writing Composition
• KS2: English - Persuasive Writing

• 15–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Ad-Hunters

Students work in groups to analyze a selection of print and video advertisements. They must identify at least three different rhetorical devices used and present to the class why those specific tools were chosen for that target audience.

Analyze how rhetorical questions engage a listener's sense of logic.

Facilitation Tip

During Collaborative Investigation, assign each small group a different type of rhetorical device so they become 'experts' before teaching others.

What to look for

Provide students with a short persuasive paragraph. Ask them to underline one example of hyperbole, circle one rhetorical question, and put a box around one instance of emotive language. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining the intended effect of the hyperbole they identified.

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

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Role Play: The Sales Pitch

Pairs are given a 'useless' object (e.g., a broken clock). They have ten minutes to prepare a one-minute pitch using hyperbole and the rule of three to convince the class it is a must-have item.

Differentiate between hyperbole and understatement in persuasive writing.

Facilitation Tip

For Role Play, limit the sales pitch to 60 seconds to force students to focus on their chosen rhetorical devices.

What to look for

Present two short advertisements, one using obvious hyperbole and the other using subtle understatement. Ask students: 'Which advertisement is more effective in persuading you to buy the product and why? How does the use of exaggeration or downplaying impact your perception?'

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Rhetorical Question Remix

Give students a list of boring facts. They must work in pairs to turn each fact into a compelling rhetorical question that makes the listener care about the issue, then share their best one with the group.

Explain how emotive language shifts a neutral argument into a call to action.

Facilitation Tip

In Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence stems for students to rewrite statements as rhetorical questions to avoid vague responses.

What to look for

Display a series of statements. Ask students to hold up a green card if the statement is an example of hyperbole, a red card if it is understatement, and a yellow card if it is neither. Follow up by asking students to explain their choices for a few examples.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by starting with students’ own experiences of persuasive language in adverts or speeches they know. Avoid overwhelming them with terminology at first; instead, focus on the effect of each device. Research shows that students grasp rhetorical techniques best when they create examples first and then analyse them, rather than the other way around.

Students will confidently identify rhetorical devices in context and explain their intended effects on an audience. They will also begin to use these techniques deliberately in their own persuasive writing or speaking, showing both comprehension and application.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who treat rhetorical questions as literal.

  Prompt them to rewrite their question as a statement, then ask if the meaning changes. For example, 'Do you really want to miss out?' becomes 'You do not want to miss out', showing the implied agreement.

• During Collaborative Investigation, watch for students who confuse hyperbole with lying.

  Ask each group to compare a literal statement to a hyperbolic one using the same scenario. For instance, 'The line was two metres long' vs. 'The line stretched for miles', then discuss why the exaggeration feels appropriate in advertising.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Role Play
• Think-Pair-Share