Persuasive Writing Unit Plan: Day 1: Ethos, Logos, Pathos

Materials/Resources:
Ethos, pathos, logos definition handout
Colored dry erase markers
YouTube commercial clips (IAMS Keep Love Strong:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVeBHwRbXB0, Smart Car Strong Frame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VqHEGsB2iA, Jeep America Will Be Whole
Again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3IZv6D4jwY, One Direction/Drew
Brees Pepsi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfy8UYRhmpA, Dr. Pepper
Mountain Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDCY56azew8, Marines
Leap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q77ROnxL7o)

Overview/Purpose:
For students to be familiar with and understand the terms of ethos, logos, and
pathos when thinking, and ultimately writing, persuasively.

Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to understand and explain ethos, pathos, and logos.
Students will be able to analyze a persuasive medium (commercials) and be able
to identify which appeal it is using.
Students will be able to create their own persuasive commercial based on their
knowledge of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence

Overview of Student Activity:
Class starts with an introduction into the new unit. It gets students familiar with
the new topic.
The terms of ethos, pathos, and logos are introduced and explained in depth via an
interactive lecture.
o To lecture, I will use colored dry erase markers and the whiteboard. Each
appeal will be a different color and I will add important information to the
board as needed.
After I am done lecturing, the students will have a handout with the three appeals
written out with blanks beside them.
o I will ask students to talk in their small groups, and they will come up with
definitions for the three terms based on the information learned in the
lecture.
Then, I have the groups share their definitions. This is in a way an informal
assessment because it helps me to know whether it is fine to move on or the
subject needs to be addressed further.
Then, we will look at some commercials that demonstrate these persuasive
appeals.
o There will be approx. 6 clips and each one will be watched 2 times
o The 1
st
viewing will allow students to share their initial reactions
o The 2
nd
viewing will ask them to focus in on ethos, pathos, and logos
o Then we will discuss each commercial discovering how it persuades us to
buy
After repeating this process for each commercial, I will break students up into
small groups to create their own commercial proposal.
o There will be six small groups; each will receive a scenario about a
product they need to sell.
o The students will then decide how they will use ethos, logos, and pathos to
sell their product.
Then, students will write a script for their commercial.
After this, students can volunteer to perform their commercial in front of the class

Assessments:
The collaborative definition creation and sharing is an informal assessment that
gauges my students understanding of ethos, logos, and pathos.
The commercial proposal paper, with the script on the back assesses students
understanding of the concept. I will collect the handouts and check for
understanding. It is informal, and I will not take it for a grade.

Modifications/Accommodations (including ELLs):
Use of visuals to solidify learning (commercial)
Repetition of the definitions for ethos, pathos, and logos
Repetition of the commercial viewings
Repetition of commercial viewing/discussion activity
Allowing students to discuss with peers before sharing their definition
Allow the commercial performance to be volunteer-based only.
If any student is uncomfortable performing with their group, the script still allows
me to check their progress.

Troubleshooting:
The lecture and definition discussion may need more clarification after the
informal definition sharing assessment. Then, there would not be enough time for
viewing all the commercials.
The clips may not load.
May not have enough time for script writing/performing depending on how long
the lecture and commercial discussion takes. But those can always be pushed back
until the next day.

Technology Used:
Teachers computer
Projector
YouTube clips

Persuasive Writing Unit Plan: Day 2: Tone/ Word Choice (Pathos)

Materials/Resources:
Computer to play songs
YouTube audio of the songs (Candle in the Wind by Elton John:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80rHyABCb20, Lean on Me by Bill Withers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPoTGyWT0Cg, Stronger (What Doesnt Kill
You by Kelly Clarkson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH_dWijufDo )
Handout with song lyrics, definitions of Tone and Word Choice, and space to
write paragraph

Overview/Purpose:
To write persuasively using proper tone and word choice

Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to define tone and word choice, and provide examples
Students will be able to identify the tone in a piece of writing using specific
examples from the text.

Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence

Overview of Student Activity:
Start off by recapping Day 1:
o Ask students to define Ethos, Pathos, and Logos and give me examples of
each.
o Ask them what we saw in the commercials that relates to this topic
Then, I will introduce Tone and Word choice:
o I will mention that both of these elements are important when writing
persuasively.
We will define the word in user-friendly language and come up with examples
relating to the commercials we watched the day before, but also movies and
songs.
Once the students have an understanding of what tone and word choice are they
will listen to examples of songs and practice.
o The students will listen to 2-3 song examples while reading along to the
lyrics. Before the first listening, I will ask students to think about how the
song makes them feel. Then, we will have a mini-discussion about the
tone of the song.
o On the second listening, students will highlight important words and
phrases they find in the song. They can also jot down notes about the
sound of the music.
o Then, I will ask the same question, How does this song make you feel?
and tell them to support that with the words and phrases they highlighted
song. (This process will be repeated for every song).
Come back out and mention that how the tone of a song and the words an artist
chooses greatly affect the audiences emotions. (Another opportunity to relate
back to the commercials).
Then, the students will listen and follow along to one more song, repeating the
same process we did together as a class.
Then, they will write a paragraph that describes what they think the tone of the
song is. They will have to support their claim by using evidence from the song to
back it up.

Assessments:
Each time we discuss the songs as a group after listening to them 2 times, I will
gauge students understanding. This will be an informal assessment.
The paragraph about what they believe the tone of the final song to be, will be
turned in to me and checked for understanding. I will make sure that each student
understands the concept. If they do not, they will re-do a part that they got
incorrect. Not a formal assessment

Modifications/Accomodations (including ELLs):
Accompanying the music with written word will assist ELL students.
Listening to each song multiple times also allows students more time to
understand the concept (esp. ELLs).

Troubleshooting:
The computer may not play the songs. I will need to be prepared with a backup
plan if this happens.
Students may understand the concept quickly and may not need more than one
song example together as a class. If this is the case I will simply jump to the final
assessment song.

Technology Used:
Teachers computer to play songs

Persuasive Writing Unit Plan: Day 3: Tone/Word Choice contin. (Ethos, Pathos)

Materials/Resources:
Printed examples of speeches
YouTube clips (Obamas speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V0ISgosTlQ, MLKs I Have a Dream
speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFcbpGK9_aw)
Audio of example speeches
Handout for Speeches

Overview/Purpose:
Strengthening students understanding of the importance of tone and word choice in a
persuasive text, and to address the importance of audience in persuasive writing.

Learning Outcomes: (What students will be able to do)
Students will be able to quickly identify the tone of a piece and support it with
evidence from the text
Students will be able to argue their stance with other students
Students will be able to understand the importance of audience when writing
persuasively.

Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence

Overview of Student Activity:
Start with a Recap
o Again, ask students to define Ethos, Pathos, and Logos and provide
examples from the past two days.
o Ask students to define tone and word choice. Then, ask them to provide
different examples of tone relevant to the previous days. Ask them why
word choice is important? How do tone and word choices affect a song?
Introduce the lesson:
o Today we are going to continue working with tone and word choice. We
are going to do the same thing that we did with songs, but now with
speeches.
o I will also introduce the idea of audience, and the importance it plays in
persuasive writing (however, most of this will be talked about after
listening to the speeches).
Give students handout with the written words of the two example speeches.
Listen to the speeches
o I will tell students to do what they did the day before: highlight important
words or phrases that add to the tone of the speech.
o I will also tell them to make note of words that are emphasized and the
pauses the speaker makes. These will also contribute to the tones of the
pieces.
o After the first listening, we will discuss what the students highlighted or
noted about the speech. What is the tone? Why? What were some big
moments in the speech?
Then, they will listen to it a second time: Before the second listening, I will ask
them to think about whom the audience is and why they think so. I will tell them
to take notes in the margins, and to mark any clues in the piece that tell them
whom the audience is.
o After the second listening, we will discuss the audience. I will ask whom
they think is the audience. Then, I will provide them with background on
the speech. Then, we will discuss how audience makes the speech much
more powerful.
I will ask if the speech would have been as affective if it was
addressed at a different audience.
Then, we will discuss Ethos and Pathos in relation to both speeches. How do the
speakers use Ethos and Pathos? How does it persuade the audience? Would these
appeals have worked on a different audience?
Finally, students will write their own I have a dream speech, mimicking Martin
Luther Kings speech. They will be given the rest of class time to work on it. I
will walk around making sure everyone understands.
For the assignment they will have to:
o Pick an audience for their speech.
o Use powerful word choice to persuade their audience (which will set up
the tone).
o And, they will use Ethos and Pathos to persuade the audience why their
dream is valid and should be heard.

Assessments:
The large group discussion will gauge their growing comprehension of tone and
word choice. It will also assess their understanding of the role audience plays in
persuasive writing.
The I have a dream speech students write will assess their ability to 1) use
powerful word choice 2) use audience to enhance the persuasiveness of their
writing and 3) demonstrate their understanding of the concepts of Ethos and
Pathos.
o This will be taken for an understanding grade. If some do not get it, they
will re-do the assignment.

Modifications/Accommodations (including ELLs):
Providing both a written version and an audio version of the speeches provides
support for various types of learners. It also gives support to ELLs who may have
trouble with only one version.
Providing specific requirements for the writing assignment gives students
structure and helps them keep focused (this can be helpful for students with
ADHD)
Allowing class time to work on the assignment helps support all types of
struggling learners.

Troubleshooting:
All large group discussion could get tiring for students. If this happens, I could
break them in to small groups to discuss the audience together before sharing with
the class, or I could put them into groups to discuss Ethos and Logos before
discussing as a whole class

Technology Used:
YouTube clips of Obama speeches and MLKs I have a Dream speech
Teachers computer
Persuasive Writing Unit Plan: Day 4: Tone/Word Choice contin. (Ethos, Pathos)

Materials/Resources:
Copies of the letter mentor texts
Handout for students
My model letter example
Highlighters/ pens or pencils

Overview/Purpose:
Solidify the understanding of the concepts of tone, word choice, and audience when it
comes to persuasive writing

Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to identify the tone of a piece of writing based solely on the
words (no audio assistance).
Students will be able to persuade an audience through the genre of letter-writing
Students will be able to write an argument and support it using evidence.

Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence

Overview of Student Activity:
Start with a Recap
o Again ask the students to define Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Ask them to
relate it to the past couple of days.
o Ask them to define tone and word choice. Ask them to relate to the
activities from the past couple of days
o Ask them about audience. What does it do for persuasive writing?
Introduce lesson:
o Today we are going to look at letters. Letters are pleas or arguments that
can make people do, feel, or act on certain things. Just like we did with
songs and speeches, we are going to analyze the tone and support it with
word choice. Then, we are going to talk about audience again.
Students will be given examples of persuasive letter writing.
I will read the letters out loud to the students. They will be asked to follow along
and mark up the letter just like they did the days before.
Then, after the first reading, I will give students time to write down what they
think the tone is (just like they did on day 2) and support it using the text. Then,
they will share what they came up with:
o I will be collecting this to check for understanding.
Then, we will come back to the letter.
o We will discuss:
Who the audience is
What the letter is arguing
How the author is arguing (is it effective?)
Then, they will write their own letters to argue for/against something.
o I will give them a list of examples they can use (famous celebrities,
politicians, parents, teachers, etc.)
o I will model the process for them. I will read to them my letter to my 8th
grade Math teacher arguing why I should have gotten an A instead of a C.
The model will show the importance of proper tone depending on
the audience (when writing to the teacher my tone is respectful,
slightly humorous, but strong).
I will read my model out loud to them, and I will show them the
important words I used, and how my audience greatly affects the
way I write and persuade.
I will also go through and show them what areas of my letter
would constitute as Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.
I will keep the model up so it is visible for the students to use as a
reference.
o Then, they will start writing their letters being sure to meet the following
requirements:
Appropriate tone and word choice depending on their audience
Use of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to make their argument stronger
(but do not need to use all three).
Arguing an issue

Assessments:
The paragraph about the tone of the piece will be turned in to me and I will check
for understanding. By this time most of the students should understand the
process. This assessment will tell me whether it is fine to move on from tone and
word choice.
Their written letter will be collected and graded for understanding. It is informal
because I am checking for understanding (and because its practice). If they do
not meet all the requirements of the writing assignment, they will re-do the parts
they missed.

Modifications/Accommodations (including ELLs):
The recap at the beginning of each class supports all learners because it constantly
reminds them of important terms and concepts. The repetition helps them learn.
(The repetition is especially helpful for ELLs because it points out the important
information over and over so they know what they need to remember).
If there are ELLs that are struggling to write the letter and need some assistance, I
may match students into pairs, pairing some ELL students with native English
speakers.
Or, I could work more individually with those students, putting them in a group
together and I could come over during work time and give them more in depth
instruction and guidance.

Troubleshooting:
Again, large group discussion about the letter may not be as helpful as smaller
group discussions. It may be good to switch it up here, depending on the classs
participation in the discussion.
Students may not know to whom they want to write. If I notice that students are
talking a lot before writing, then I know I will need to help them brainstorm a bit
before jumping in.
Also, I might consider walking around as they begin writing and asking every
student individually if they know to whom they are writing.

Technology Used:
Teachers Computer
Microsoft Word and projector to display my model letter to the students
Persuasive Writing Unit Plan: Day 5: Multi-perspective Argument (Logos)

Materials/Resources:
Newspaper article, copies for every student
Handout to write their assessment paragraph

Overview/Purpose:
Gain knowledge on how to write a multi-perspective argument that supports the students
claims.

Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to take a stand and argue their POV
Students will be able to use multiple perspectives when constructing an argument
Students will be able to use evidence from the mentor text (and discussion with
peers) to support their argument

Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence
logically.

Overview of Student Activity:
Start with a recap:
o Ask students to define Ethos, Pathos, and Logos again
o Then, ask them where we have seen examples of Pathos? Ethos?
o Then, tell them that an important part of Logos is having a well-rounded
argument, which includes multiple perspectives.
Introduce the lesson:
o Today we are going to practice how to make a good multi-perspective
argument.
Read the article out loud to the class and have a small discussion to ensure
understanding.
o The discussion will ask questions like: What is the article arguing? Who is
the audience? What points does he make? How does the author support
his/her argument?
Then, the students will break in to small groups about 5-6 people per group
o Each group will be given a different role or character. The groups must
then brainstorm ways in which they would respond to the article through
the eyes of that role. Students will take notes to keep with them.
Then, the groups will break up and form new groups. These groups will have a
person from each different role or perspective.
Once in the new groups, each person will role-play as if they are the character
they were given, and they will respond to the text based on their group
brainstorm. Each perspective will have a chance to respond to the text. While
other perspectives are going, students must take notes about each perspective
(they will have a handout that will make this process much cleaner and easier).
Then, we will come back together as a large group and briefly discussed what
happened.
o I will say, Now you see that every issue has more than one or even two
sides. It is important not to forget those other perspectives when writing an
argument because you dont want someone to look at your argument and
say, well you forgot about this? Or what about this? We want our
arguments to be as strong as possible.
Then, based on what students read, wrote, and heard, they will write an argument,
relating to the article. They will need to chose a side and argue why that side is
better than all the other perspectives (they must address every perspective). They
can either stick with their original POV, or they can change to a different POV
based on what they heard, and support why that side is best.

Assessments:
The Multi-perspective mini argument assesses their understanding of writing a
multi-perspective argument. It will be checked for understanding. If a student
does not meet all the requirements, they will rewrite the part they messed up.

Modifications/Accommodations (including ELLs):
Using both large and small group discussion allows for deeper understanding and
supports struggling readers (especially those with comprehension issues)
Small group discussion before the role-playing activity puts less stress on ELL
students. It makes them more prepared for the activity

Troubleshooting:
Students may need examples about how to address every perspective and make
theirs sound better. I will provide them with the Gallagher examples (Hamburger
and Build Em Up and Throw Em Down) and explain how to do it. Then they will
try doing this with one of their own. I will also suggest phrases such as While
some would say X, that is not valid because Y
The final activity may be too complex to try and do at the end of the period. If this
is the case, I would end with the final activity and begin the next day writing the
arguments. Giving them plenty of time to write, and giving me plenty of time to
model good argumentative writing.

Technology Used:
N/A