An introduction to ethos, logos, and pathos for college freshmen or high school seniors in writing courses. Students will identify appeals in popular advertisements.

Because our world is becoming saturated with media and images, it’s important for students to be able to think critically about the images that surround them everyday. It’s too easy to dismiss messages from the media, particularly advertisements, and allow their subliminal effects to influence our beliefs.

Overview and Purpose

This lesson plan gives students a foundation in rhetorical analysis. It works because it's fun; students feel empowered because they learn simple strategies for decoding persuasive messages through analyzing a very visual medium—advertisements. In addition, they hone skills in critical analysis and writing.

Materials

stack of popular magazines (at least one per two students)

Before Lecture

Ask students to write briefly about a time when they were persuaded to buy something through an advertisement or ask them to describe a memorable advertisement (print or commercial). Discuss.

Lesson Part 1: The rhetorical triangle

Draw a triangle on the board. Above the triangle, write the phrase, “the rhetorical situation.” Ask students for a definition of rhetoric. After listening to some of their responses, write “using language effectively to please or persuade in any given situation” on the board. Explain that rhetoric is often based on first analyzing the rhetorical situation and then applying the appeals to reason—ethos, logos, pathos in order to be persuasive in that specific situation.

On each point of the triangle write one of the three words: audience, communicator, and message. Then discuss how these elements work together to create purposeful, persuasive communication. You might refer to them as the context.

The communicator uses credibility to influence the audience. The communicator establishes credibility through correctness, eloquence, and having notable authority on a topic.

The audience is influenced by beliefs, values, knowledge and experience. In persuasive writing, the communicator will analyze the audience in order to prepare a message that will speak to that audience.

Finally, the message is the information or argument. It uses data, gives evidence, and provides support for claims.

Understanding the connection between the communicator, audience, and message provides context for making persuasive appeals to reason.

Part two: The appeals to reason

After explaining the rhetorical situation, explain how the appeal to reason fit into it. The appeals to reason—ethos, logos, and pathos are persuasive strategies. You might write them alongside the triangle.

Ethos

Ethical appeals are based on the character of the speaker. An example of ethos, particular to advertising, is using celebrity endorsements.

Logos

Logical appeals are based on logic or reason. This is the information in the document that is meant to be fact or data. In advertising, we see little logos; however, the fine print in drug advertisements would be an example.

Pathos

Pathetic or emotional appeals are based on emotion Advertisements tend to be highly pathos-driven and play on emotions of happiness, sadness, playfulness, excitement, fear and more.

For more information about teaching the appeals to reason and the rhetorical situation see Ethos, Logos, Pathos

Part 3: Page Design and Appeals to Reason

As a class, discuss how the design elements on the page make persuasive appeals. Choose several advertisement and review as a class. You might discuss the following.

• Use of color
• Amount of text on the page
• Style of the text language (conversational, formal)
• Amount of images
• Type of images
• People featured in the images
• Expressions on the people in the image’s face

For example, you might look at a popular "Got Milk?" advertisement featuring a celebrity. See an example analysis analysis for more information.

Activity

Have the students work in pairs. Give each pair a magazine and ask them to choose several advertisements to analyze based on the appeals to reason. Questions they should consider include the following.

1. Who do you think is the intended audience? Why?
2. How is the page designed?
3. Does the ad have credibility?
4. identify ethos, logos, and pathos.

They should take notes on the above questions. Remind them that not all advertisements will feature all appeals, and some advertisements will have overlapping appeals. Encourage them to search for at least three advertisements that represent each appeal predominantly.

Follow up discussion

Ask each pair to share an advertisement with the class and discuss their analysis.

Take Home Assignment

Each student choose an advertisement and writes an analysis on that advertisement. This can be assigned as an informal response or more formal essay.