Grade 7 English Language Arts | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.7.R.3.1
ELA.7.R.3.1: Analyze how an author uses rhetoric, including appeals to emotion, logic, and ethics, and techniques such as repetition, parallelism, and rhetorical questions, to advance a purpose.
Grade 7 Focus: Identifying rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) and techniques, then analyzing HOW they work together to advance the author's purpose.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
| Term | Definition | Student-Friendly Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Rhetoric | The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing | How authors use language to convince or persuade an audience |
| Ethos | Appeal to credibility, character, or authority | Convincing by showing you're trustworthy or an expert ("As a doctor, I recommend...") |
| Pathos | Appeal to emotion | Convincing by making the audience feel something (fear, hope, anger, sympathy) |
| Logos | Appeal to logic and reason | Convincing with facts, statistics, evidence, and logical arguments |
| Repetition | Repeating words or phrases for emphasis | Saying the same thing multiple times to make it memorable or powerful |
| Parallelism | Using similar grammatical structure for related ideas | Creating rhythm by structuring phrases the same way ("I came, I saw, I conquered") |
| Rhetorical Question | A question asked for effect, not expecting an answer | A question that makes you think, but the answer is obvious ("Who doesn't want to succeed?") |
| Appeal | Targets | Examples in Text |
|---|---|---|
| Ethos | Trust, credibility, respect for authority | Expert credentials, personal experience, fair acknowledgment of opposing views |
| Pathos | Feelings: fear, hope, anger, sympathy, pride | Vivid stories, emotional language, imagery, personal anecdotes |
| Logos | Reason, logic, evidence-based thinking | Statistics, facts, logical cause-and-effect, research citations |
| Day | Focus | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Rhetoric | Define rhetoric; analyze a simple advertisement for persuasive techniques. Use Student Concept Worksheet. |
| 2 | Ethos, Pathos, Logos | Introduce the three appeals; practice identifying each in short text examples. |
| 3 | Rhetorical Techniques | Focus on repetition, parallelism, and rhetorical questions. Analyze famous speech excerpts. |
| 4 | Analyzing Purpose | Connect techniques to author's purpose. Complete Practice Worksheet. |
| 5 | Assessment | Administer FAST Format Quiz. Review and reteach as needed. |
Collect print ads or screenshots of advertisements. Post them around the room. Students rotate, identifying which appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) each ad uses. Discuss: Why do advertisers choose certain appeals for certain products?
Use excerpts from famous speeches (MLK's "I Have a Dream," JFK's Inaugural, etc.). Students highlight different appeals in different colors. Discuss how speakers blend appeals for maximum effect. Focus on HOW the rhetoric advances the speaker's purpose.
Give students a goal (convince the principal to extend lunch, convince parents to allow later curfew). They must write three pitches: one using primarily ethos, one pathos, one logos. Discuss which might be most effective and why - leading to understanding that most persuasion blends all three.
Provide a persuasive text. Students hunt for specific techniques: find repetition, find parallelism, find rhetorical questions. Then they must explain the EFFECT of each - how does it help persuade the reader? This moves beyond identification to analysis.
Correction: FAST requires students to ANALYZE how techniques advance purpose, not just identify them. Always push students to answer "So what?" - How does this repetition help convince the reader? What effect does this emotional appeal create?
Correction: Effective persuasion typically blends ethos, pathos, and logos. Students should look for how appeals work TOGETHER. A speech might establish credibility (ethos), share an emotional story (pathos), then provide statistics (logos) - all supporting the same argument.
Correction: All appeals are legitimate rhetorical tools. Emotional appeals aren't inherently manipulative - they help audiences connect personally to issues. Discuss the difference between effective emotional appeal and manipulation (which might distort facts or exploit fears unfairly).
Correction: Rhetorical questions differ from genuine questions because they're not seeking information. They're used for effect - to make readers think, to emphasize a point, or to imply an obvious answer. Help students recognize when a question is rhetorical vs. genuine.
On the FAST assessment, rhetorical device questions typically ask students to:
Key Strategy: Train students to always connect technique to purpose: "The author uses X technique in order to achieve Y effect/purpose."