President Obama has given you
permission to create and enforce one
new law in the United States.
Assume that Congress will agree
with and automatically pass your
law.
Write it down now.
Now, you must convince the
people of the United States that
your law is a good idea.
List the reasons why they should
support this law.
An Overview



To influence the beliefs, attitudes,
intentions, motivations, or behaviors of
your audience
To change their idea toward an idea,
event, object, or person
To use written or spoken words to
convey information, feelings, and
reasoning


Ancient Greek philosopher and
scientist
On Rhetoric
 Persuasion is technical; uses
method
 Three modes of persuasion:
 Logos
 Pathos
 Ethos
“Persuasion is achieved by the
speaker's personal character when
the speech is so spoken as to make
us think him credible… Secondly,
persuasion may come through the
hearers, when the speech stirs their
emotions…Thirdly, persuasion is
effected through the speech itself
when we have proved a truth or an
apparent truth by means of the
persuasive arguments suitable to the

Logical appeal

Facts and figures support the
topic

CAUTION: Ensure information
is accurate and makes sense

Appeal to audience’s emotions

Most effective when speaker agrees
with values of reader/ audience

CAUTION: Powerful, but won’t
completely carry a speech

Appeal to honesty/ authority of speaker

Demonstrates your credibility on the
topic

CAUTION: You must build your
audience’s trust




Problem: You want pizza, but your
mother won’t order it
Logos: It would be more fiscally
responsible to order pizza, since you
have a coupon.
Pathos: You understand how tired she
must be from working and cleaning all
day.
Ethos: You are known to give good
advice on ordering dinner.
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=x4tTugqBkJU

On a half sheet of paper, convince Ms.
Jurewicz to buy pizza for everyone in
the class.
Use the four argumentative techniques
and one persuasive technique.
 In addition, address at least one
counterclaim she may make.


Sound – add poetic melody; make
speech enjoyable to hear

Alliteration/Assonance

Onomatopoeia

Repetition

Use the same word or phrase more
than once

Adds emphasis

Connects ideas throughout text

Parallelism
 Uses
similar grammatical
constructions to express ideas that
are related or equal in importance
 Often creates a rhythm

Figurative Language
 Adds
interest/narrative quality
 Personification
 Simile
 Metaphor

Technical Language
Specific words and phrases associated with a
particular subject or topic
 Shows your expertise in the field you are
discussing (i.e., builds ethos)
 Example: technical language for English: claim,
metaphor, haiku ; technical language for
football: touchdown, safety, tight end


Metaphors and analogies = explain new
concepts/visions for your company.

Repetition = emphasize key results or
recommendations.

Alliteration = slogans, mantras, etc.

Technical language = shows you are
knowledgeable about the subject matter

Identify at least three types of
rhetorical devices used in the
following excerpt from John F.
Kennedy’s inaugural address.
Explain how each device contributes
to/strengthens the argument.
“The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal
hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and
all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary
beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around
the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the
generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. We dare not
forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let
the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe
alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of
Americans—born in this century, tempered by war,
disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient
heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow
undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has
always been committed, and to which we are committed
today at home and around the world. Let every nation know,
whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price,
bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend,
oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success
of liberty. This much we pledge—and more…”
Discuss with your tables:
Why is world peace so
hard to achieve?
 On
a half sheet of paper,
use each of the five vocab
words in a sentence.
(impetuous, deficit, hiatus, laudable, prestigious)
“A General Summary of Aristotle’s Appeals.” 14
November 2012. Web.
http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
Dlugan, Andrew. “Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Three Pillars
of Public Speaking.” 14 November 2012. Web.
<http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/ethos-pathoslogos/>
"Persuasion". Business Dictionary. Retrieved 9 May
2012.
<http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/
persuasion.html>
Seiter, Robert H. Gass, John S. (2010). Persuasion,
Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining (4th ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon. pp. 33. ISBN 0-205-69818-2.
Group 1: Morgan, Andrew, Levi
Group 2: David, Demetrious, Miqel
Group 3: Shaylah, Adin, Breanne
Group 4: Kirsten, Jack, Madison
Group 5: Madison, Ian, Abdel
Group 6:Ryan, Jazmyne, Chloe
1.
2.
3.
In small groups, you will read and
analyze a famous political speech.
Use the back of your note sheet to
identify evidence of research,
organization, elements of persuasion,
and overall effectiveness.
If you finish early, your next step will be
to once again revisit Old Major’s speech
from Animal Farm. Compare/ contrast
the two on a separate sheet of paper,
looking for evidence of these same
elements.
Based on what you have learned in
the past two days about the
qualities of a good speech, create
a written outline of specific ways
you will ensure that your speech
is effective.