Persuade a Skeptical Audience With Three Appeals

Start with the labeling sheets so students can name each appeal, then move to the writing sheets. The answer keys give sample labels and model responses for checking.

Label sentences in two speeches on a club period as ethos, pathos or logos, then write your own. Ethos (E) appeals to the speaker's credibility, pathos (P) appeals to emotions, and logos (L) appeals to logic and evidence. The directions on the page read: Read both speeches. In the box before each sentence, write E, P, or L. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 8th grade opinion writing, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.

Ethos persuades through trust in the speaker, pathos through the reader's feelings, and logos through facts and reasoning. Persuade a Skeptical Audience With Three Appeals has students label each sentence in two speeches with E, P or L.

An appeal is unfair when it uses guilt, fear or exaggeration to rush readers past the facts. A fair appeal stirs true feelings that match the facts. Use Pathos Responsibly in a Charity Appeal shows both kinds side by side.

Choose data points that support your claim and say what each one shows. Then answer an objection with reasoning or more data. Use Data and Reasoning in a Proposal builds this from a sample survey table invented for practice.