Literature: Principles of Rhetoric
Date/Week:
SOL:
11.1
The student will make informative and persuasive presentations.
a) Gather and organize evidence to support a position.
b) Present evidence clearly and convincingly.
c) Support and defend ideas in public forums.
d) Use grammatically correct language, including vocabulary appropriate to the
topic, audience, and purpose.
11.4
The student will read and analyze a variety of informational materials.
a) Use information from texts to clarify or refine understanding of academic
b)
c)
d)
e)
11.8
concepts.
.
.
Generalize ideas from selections to make predictions about other texts.
Analyze information from a text to draw conclusions.
The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling,
sentence structure, and paragraphing.
a) Use a style manual, such as that of the Modern Language Association (MLA)
or the American Psychological Association (APA), for producing research
projects.
Objective:
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To learn how to use the internet as a resource.
To evaluate the effectiveness of rhetoric in articles using a combination of pathos,
ethos, and logos.
Opening:
I will ask them to write down a list of ways they try talking their parents into letting them
do something their parents would otherwise not let them do. Then I will have them share
with an elbow partner then share with the class. Do their strategies work? Why do you
think it works/not works? Then I will tell them that the Greeks felt persuasion was the
greatest of all abilities, and they spent lifetimes studying it and refining their abilities to
persuade others.
Essential Knowledge:



To identify pathos, logos, and ethos.
Know how to use newspaper websites to locate articles of specific interest online
How to cite work
Process:



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I will handout a “The Art of Rhetoric” handout and go discuss Pathos, Logos,
and Ethos with the class.
I will explain that they are to look for examples of these in the articles they select
and box in (on their copy of the article) examples of the three forms of rhetoric,
label them accordingly, and write in the margin what was evidence of that form.
(We will meet either in the library or computer lab.) They will generate a list of
topics I deem appropriate for them to research on newspapers online. (Roanoke
Times, Washington Post, News Advance, New York Times, USA Today, etc.)
Then I will group them according to interest in topic and keep the groups to an
average of 5 and tell them to use the list of credible newspapers on the handout to
locate articles of interest on their topic.
Once they have located an article they like, they must ask me if it is appropriate
for the next lesson (a Socratic Seminar) and if agreeable, they may print the
article, one per student.
After reading the article, they must answer the questions on the “Online Article
Review” and cite the source using the Purdue website (the web address is listed
on the handout).
Product:



Warm up/ journal response
Newspaper Articles
Online Article Review worksheet
Closing:
I will ask them if they have any questions and review pathos, logos, and ethos. As an exit
ticket, they must tell me which of these they might use on their parents the next time they
want to talk them into something.
NON-FICTION ASSIGNMENT SHEET
(To be completed after reading and annotating the required non-fiction article)
Name _____________________________ Date ____________________
Title of Non-fiction Article _____________________________________
Written By ___________________________ Publication Date ___________________
X Factual Summary: Write a short summary of the piece you read.
II. Vocabulary
1. With which vocabulary words in the piece did you encounter some degree of
difficulty?
2. How did you resolve your lack of understanding with these words?
III. Interpretation: What was the main point the author wanted you to get from reading his
work?
IV. Rhetoric
1. What rhetoric devices did the author apply? Give an example(s).
2. Were the rhetoric devices effective? Why or why not?
IV. Criticism
1. With which points of the piece did you agree or find easy to accept? Why?
2. With which points of the piece did you disagree or find difficult to believe?
Why?
V. Personal Response: What do you think about this piece? OR How does this piece
influence your ideas/thinking?
VII. Using the following website and directions, locate the type of prose (online
newspaper source) and cite it below:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ (You may use Google to locate the
site by searching for Purdue Owl APA.)
Directions for navigating the site:
 Use the list on the left to locate Reference List: Electronic Sources and click on it.
 Scroll down until you see Newspaper Article.
 Use the listed example to locate the same information and list it below. If
information you need is missing, ask me to permit not listing said piece of
information.
Reference:
The Art of Rhetoric:
Learning How to Use the Three Main Rhetorical Styles
Teacher version, comments in red
Rhetoric (n) - the art of speaking or writing effectively.
According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability, in each particular case, to see the available
means of persuasion." He described three main forms of rhetoric: Ethos, Logos, and
Pathos.
Ethos
Ethos is appeal based on the character of the speaker. An
ethos-driven document relies on the reputation of the
author.
Example:
Acme Gizmotronics, the company that you've trusted for over
100 years, has recently entered the World Wide Web! Now you
can purchase our fine products through the internet. Our quality
gizmos, widgets, and thingamabobs can be shipped to you
within minutes. All come with the famous lifetime guarantee
that makes Acme the company that the world depends on for it's gizmo needs.
Our spokesperson, Mr. Coyote says "I'm not really a coyote, but
I play one on tv. I've used Acme products for years. Their slingshots, rocket launchers,
crowbars, pogo sticks, and power pills are the best around. And don't forget their highpowered dynamite! I buy everything from Acme. They are the company that I trust the
most."
ACME is currently supporting research into a form of clean, ultra-efficient, cesiumbased power that promises to usher in a new period of cheap, globally available power.
Based on a small island off the coast of Costa Rica, ACME Technology Research is one
of our most significant divisions.
Interested in learning more about ACME? We thought you might be.
(Back to reality - ACME is not a real company, contrary to popular belief. It's something
we made up to use as an example of Ethos. The ACME homepage is an example of ethos
because of the way it keeps referring back to the character of ACME. ACME is a
company that "you have trusted for over 100 years." They even have a spokesperson
vouching for their integrity.)
Logos
Logos is appeal based on logic or reason. Documents distributed by companies or
corporations are logos-driven. Scholarly documents are also often logos-driven.
Example:
ACME's new dihydro-cesium detonation process
By combining cesium and dihydro-oxide in laboratory conditions, and capturing the
released energy, ACME has promised to lead the way into the future. Our energy source
is clean, safe, and powerful. No pollutants are released into the atmosphere. The world
will soon have an excellent source of clean energy.
A typical example of energy released from the dihydro-cesium process.
ACME is currently working towards a patent on our process. Our scientists are exploring
ways to use the process in cars, houses, airplanes, and almost anything else that needs
power. ACME batteries will be refitted with small dihydro-cesium reactors. Once the
entire world is powered by ACME's generators, we can all relax and enjoy a much easier
life.
Please examine more detailed information about our Cesium research.
Logos is an argument based on logic or reason. The ACME Research page is primarily
logos-based because it appeals to the reason of people reading it. It suggests that Cesium
will provide the world's energy for a very long time. It is clean, safe, and efficient, all of
which are appeals to the logic of the audience. By using such convincing reasons in it's
argument, ACME hopes to provide the world's energy.
Pathos
Pathos is appeal based on emotion. Advertisements tend to be pathos-driven.
Example:
Cesium-Based Reactor Kills!
A baby turtle breaks free from the leathery shell of its egg, catching its first glimpse of its
first sunrise. It pauses a moment to rest, unaware of the danger that lies so close to it. As
the tide comes in, approaching the nest, it also approaches a small pile of metal - cesium.
The water draws closer and closer, the turtle unsuspecting of the danger. Finally, the
water touches the cesium.
The nest is torn to bits in the resulting explosion, destroying even more of an endangered
species.
Why does this happen? One name: Acme.
Acme Gizmotronics is supporting a dihydro-cesium reactor, trying, in their
anthrocentrism, to squeeze energy out of such destructive explosions. And, they are
dumping waste cesium onto the shores of their island, threatening the environment.
Studies have shown that the dihydro-cesium reactor will destroy the island's ecosphere in
less than four months!
How can they get away with this?
Costa Rica (where the island is near) has lax environmental laws, allowing Acme to do
whatever they want - including destroy endangered species.
What can you do about this?
Don't let them get away with it! Boycott Acme products! And call your
representatives, and tell them you support stricter legislation to prevent things like
this!
Other environmental concerns that can be seen on the Web.
Pathos is an argument based on emotion, playing on sympathy, fears, and desires. The
Say "NO!" To Acme! page is pathos-based because it relies on an emotional response
from the people reading it. By stressing the helplessness of the (endangered) turtle, it
attempts to sway people to its side, against the "commericial hordes" of Acme.
Rhetorical appeals can be achieved through:
Visual Information Structure; this includes how the text looks on the screen. This is
achieved through the appearance of such things as the titles and the headings.
Color; this includes the color of the text, the background, and the graphics. The
contrast of the colors of each of these items is also important.
Graphic Images; this includes the other information in the document aside from the
text. This is achieved through such things as icons, buttons, and photos.
Reference:
Crewell, D., Draper, M., & Mitchell, C. (1996). The Art of Rhetoric: Learning How to
Use the Three Main Rhetorical Styles. Retrieved from
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/webclass/web/project1/group4/
The Art of Rhetoric:
Learning How to Use the Three Main Rhetorical Styles
Rhetoric (n) - the art of speaking or writing effectively.
According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability, in each particular case, to see the available
means of persuasion." He described three main forms of rhetoric: Ethos, Logos, and
Pathos.
Ethos
Ethos is appeal based on the character of the speaker. An ethos-driven document
relies on the reputation of the author.
Example:
Acme Gizmotronics, the company that you've trusted for over 100 years, has recently
entered the World Wide Web! Now you can purchase our fine products through the
internet. Our quality gizmos, widgets, and thingamabobs can be shipped to you within
minutes. All come with the famous lifetime guarantee that makes Acme the company that
the world depends on for it's gizmo needs.
Our spokesperson, Mr. Coyote says "I'm not really a coyote, but I play one on tv. I've
used Acme products for years. Their slingshots, rocket launchers, crowbars, pogo sticks,
and power pills are the best around. And don't forget their high-powered dynamite! I buy
everything from Acme. They are the company that I trust the most."
ACME is currently supporting research into a form of clean, ultra-efficient, cesiumbased power that promises to usher in a new period of cheap, globally available power.
Based on a small island off the coast of Costa Rica, ACME Technology Research is one
of our most significant divisions.
Interested in learning more about ACME? We thought you
might be.
Logos
Logos is appeal based on logic or reason. Documents
distributed by companies or corporations are logos-driven.
Scholarly documents are also often logos-driven.
Example:
ACME's new dihydro-cesium detonation process
By combining cesium and dihydro-oxide in laboratory conditions, and capturing the
released energy, ACME has promised to lead the way into the future. Our energy source
is clean, safe, and powerful. No pollutants are released into the atmosphere. The world
will soon have an excellent source of clean energy.
A typical example of energy released from the dihydro-cesium process.
ACME is currently working towards a patent on our process. Our scientists are exploring
ways to use the process in cars, houses, airplanes, and almost anything else that needs
power. ACME batteries will be refitted with small dihydro-cesium reactors. Once the
entire world is powered by ACME's generators, we can all relax and enjoy a much easier
life.
Please examine more detailed information about our Cesium research.
Pathos
Pathos is appeal based on emotion. Advertisements tend to be pathos-driven.
Example:
Cesium-Based Reactor Kills!
A baby turtle breaks free from the leathery shell of its egg, catching its first glimpse of its
first sunrise. It pauses a moment to rest, unaware of the danger that lies so close to it. As
the tide comes in, approaching the nest, it also approaches a small pile of metal - cesium.
The water draws closer and closer, the turtle unsuspecting of the danger. Finally, the
water touches the cesium.
The nest is torn to bits in the resulting explosion, destroying even more of an endangered
species.
Why does this happen? One name: Acme.
Acme Gizmotronics is supporting a dihydro-cesium reactor, trying, in their
anthrocentrism, to squeeze energy out of such destructive explosions. And, they are
dumping waste cesium onto the shores of their island, threatening the environment.
Studies have shown that the dihydro-cesium reactor will destroy the island's ecosphere in
less than four months!
How can they get away with this?
Costa Rica (where the island is near) has lax environmental laws, allowing Acme to do
whatever they want - including destroy endangered species.
What can you do about this?
Don't let them get away with it! Boycott Acme products! And call your
representatives, and tell them you support stricter legislation to prevent things like
this!
Other environmental concerns that can be seen on the Web.
Rhetorical appeals can be achieved through:
Visual Information Structure; this includes how the text looks on the screen. This is
achieved through the appearance of such things as the titles and the headings.
Color; this includes the color of the text, the background, and the graphics. The
contrast of the colors of each of these items is also important.
Graphic Images; this includes the other information in the document aside from the
text. This is achieved through such things as icons, buttons, and photos.
Reference:
Crewell, D., Draper, M., & Mitchell, C. (1996). The Art of Rhetoric: Learning How to
Use the Three Main Rhetorical Styles. Retrieved from
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/webclass/web/project1/group4/