English Language Arts · 10th Grade

Active learning ideas

Introduction to Rhetorical Appeals

Active learning transforms rhetorical appeals from abstract concepts into tangible tools students can dissect and apply. By engaging with real speeches and structured discussions, students move beyond memorization to see how ethos, pathos, and logos shape persuasion in context.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.6
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5

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

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Rhetorical Autopsy

Small groups receive a printed copy of a famous speech and use different colored highlighters to mark ethos, pathos, and logos. They then annotate the margins to explain how a specific device, such as anaphora or synecdoche, strengthens a particular appeal.

How does an author establish credibility when addressing a hostile audience?

Facilitation Tip

During the Rhetorical Autopsy, assign each group a different speech segment so they must justify their analysis without relying on pre-written answers.

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from a historical speech. Ask them to identify one example of ethos, pathos, or logos and explain in 1-2 sentences how it functions to persuade the audience.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 30 min · Pairs

Formal Debate: The Ethics of Emotion

Pairs are assigned a specific persuasive text and must debate whether the author's use of pathos is an ethical appeal to empathy or an unethical manipulation of fear. They must cite specific textual evidence to support their stance on the speaker's intent.

In what ways does the use of figurative language strengthen a logical argument?

Facilitation Tip

For The Ethics of Emotion debate, require students to cite at least one example of ethos or logos to support their pathos-based arguments.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'When might an overreliance on pathos undermine the credibility (ethos) of a speaker?' Facilitate a brief class discussion, encouraging students to cite examples from speeches studied or current events.

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

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 20 min · Whole Class

Role Play: The Hostile Audience

One student delivers a short persuasive pitch while others are assigned 'hostile' personas with specific counter-interests. The speaker must adjust their rhetorical appeals in real-time based on the verbal and non-verbal feedback from the audience.

How can the manipulation of emotional appeals lead to ethical or unethical persuasion?

Facilitation Tip

In the Hostile Audience role play, ask students to write a one-sentence rebuttal after each speaker to practice quick rhetorical analysis.

What to look for

Present students with three brief statements, each representing an appeal (e.g., 'As a doctor with 20 years of experience...' for ethos; 'Imagine the joy of your children...' for pathos; 'Statistics show a 30% increase...' for logos). Ask students to quickly label each statement with the corresponding rhetorical appeal.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model how to trace appeals through a speech paragraph by paragraph, highlighting shifts in tone or evidence. Avoid isolating appeals; instead, show how they reinforce each other. Research suggests students grasp rhetorical power best when they see it fail as well as succeed, so include counterexamples where appeals backfire.

By the end of these activities, students will analyze speeches for how appeals work together, not in isolation. They will evaluate the effectiveness of rhetorical choices and articulate how those choices adapt to audience needs and historical moments.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Rhetorical Autopsy, watch for students who assume ethos only comes from the speaker’s title or fame.

  Use the peer review phase of the Autopsy to ask groups to highlight lines where the speaker builds credibility through fair-mindedness or professional tone, even without formal credentials.

• During The Ethics of Emotion debate, watch for students who argue that logos alone is sufficient for persuasion.

  During the debate prep, have students compare a fact-heavy report with a narrative-driven speech, requiring them to note how facts gain power when tied to values or credibility.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Formal Debate
• Role Play