Persuasion is a critical skill in communication, and Aristotle’s appeals—ethos, pathos, and logos—remain as relevant today as they were in ancient Greece. To make these concepts engaging and practical for students, you can combine them with something everyone loves: advertising. Here’s an activity that not only teaches students how to identify these rhetorical strategies but also lets them apply their learning creatively.
Want to jump right to the slide deck with everything you need? Click here!
Need more info on what this activity is all about? Keep reading.
Activity Overview: Analyze and Create Ads
Step 1: Introduction to Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
Begin with a mini-lesson that defines each of Aristotle’s appeals:
Ethos: Establishing credibility or authority (e.g., a doctor endorsing a health product).
Pathos: Appealing to emotions (e.g., a charity commercial showing children in need).
Logos: Using logic and facts to persuade (e.g., statistics on a cleaning product’s effectiveness).
Provide examples from famous advertisements to illustrate each appeal. Here is a link to a curated YouTube playlist. Discuss how they work together to make the message compelling.
Step 2: Advertisement Analysis
Divide students into small groups and assign each group several printed or video ads. Have them identify examples of ethos, pathos, and logos in the ads using a graphic organizer. (I provide one for you in this download.)
Questions to guide analysis:
What message is the ad trying to convey?
How does it establish credibility (ethos)?
What emotions does it target (pathos)?
What logical arguments or facts does it use (logos)?
Once completed, groups can share their findings with the class to discuss patterns and effectiveness.
Step 3: Creating a Classroom Ad
Now for the fun part: students apply their knowledge by creating their own ad!
Prompt: Imagine you are creating an ad to sell something in the classroom (e.g., a class pet, a “super pencil,” or even homework passes).
Requirements: The ad must incorporate all three rhetorical strategies. For example:
Ethos: A teacher or principal endorsing the product.
Pathos: A heartwarming story about how the product changes lives.
Logos: Facts or statistics about how effective the product is.
Students can design posters, record videos, or even perform a live commercial.
Step 4: Present and Reflect
Each group presents their ad to the class, explaining how they used ethos, pathos, and logos. After all presentations, lead a discussion on which ads were most persuasive and why.
Why This Activity Works
This hands-on approach achieves several learning goals:
Critical Thinking: Students learn to dissect and evaluate persuasive messages.
Collaboration: Group work fosters teamwork and creativity.
Practical Application: Creating an ad allows students to apply theoretical knowledge in a real-world context.
Engagement: The relatable context of advertising keeps students motivated and interested.
By the end of this activity, students will have a deeper understanding of rhetorical strategies and how to use them effectively. They’ll also gain insight into the power of persuasion in everyday life—and have a lot of fun in the process!
If you have a Canva account, you can download an editable template here.
If you don't have a Canva but still want the presentation and handouts, here you go!
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