Ethos Pathos Logos Fun Activities: Advertisement Project, Group Commercial

This BEST SELLER is a fun ethos pathos logos group advertisement activity that you and your students will love because, seriously, it is a lot of fun! During this ethos pathos logos activity, students create a commercial script in groups about an object they are “selling”. Students must “sell” the object to the class by creatively using appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Students practice creating and reciting a compelling argument while practicing public speaking skills in a low-stakes environment.

This activity goes as follows: First, you introduce the group commercial using the slideshow provided. The included 20-page Ethos Pathos Logos Google Slideshow provides students with step-by-step instructions regarding how to complete each task over the two days (70-minute class periods) that they work on the activity. The slides provide opportunities for a review of ethos, pathos, and logos through group discussion activities and with a humorous commercial.

Next, you assign students to groups of 4-5, and students work together on a digital Google Doc. Assignment (printable option also included) to create a compelling and convincing commercial script where students sell an object using ethos, pathos, and logos. The object is provided by the teacher (You hand out random items such as a paper clip, a stapler, something in the corner of your desk drawer, etc.).  The randomness of the object makes “selling” it that much more fun for students, and they get VERY creative about why someone should buy that particular object. The whole purpose of this activity is for students to practice using ethos pathos and logos to convince you and their classmates that you should want to buy what their group is selling.

Included with this purchase is a group script brainstorming doc, an engaging teaching slideshow, an exit ticket, and grading rubric.

PACING FOR EACH ACTIVITY:

Day 1 of a 70-minute class period:

15-20 minutes: The teacher introduces the instructions for this Ethos Pathos Logos group Commercial Activity.

6-8 minutes: Students get in their groups and all get on their assignment document together. The teacher hands out objects for each group to sell.

10-12 minutes: Students complete the Ethos Pathos Logos brainstorm activity in their groups to begin creating appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos that they plan to use in their script. This step helps students come up with a creative commercial idea regarding how they plan to convince their audience to buy their object.

15-20 minutes: Students write their group script together. The script includes the lines that each student in their group will say during their presentation. Students make sure to include the ethos pathos and logos statements that they created in their brainstorm in their script.

The last 5-7 minutes of class: Students practice their script out loud in their groups to begin familiarizing themselves with their lines. I let my students go outside to practice.

Day 2 of a 70-minute class period:

10-12 minutes: Students work as a group to complete their ethos pathos logos rationale. This is an ethos, pathos, logos practice where they explain where in their script they created appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos and why each appeal they used creates a convincing argument.

10-12 minutes: Students continue practicing their lines and get prepared for their presentations.

40 minutes: Students take turns in groups presenting their commercials to the class. This part is a lot of fun. 🙂

Last 5-7 minutes: Students complete an exit ticket to reflect on their learning of ethos, pathos, and logos as well as their overall experience.

*Depending on the size of your class, you may need to spend a third day finishing the last few presentations (10-15 minutes of day three if you have class sizes of 35-40 students).

Author’s Note

This is one of my students’ favorite ethos pathos logos activities because they love how creative and silly they get to be with their group members. You will love this activity because it is highly structured so that students accomplish rigorous tasks while having fun. If you are in the middle of an ethos, pathos, and logos unit and need a fun and exciting activity to liven up the unit, then this is the lesson for you! I guarantee that you and your students will share a lot of laughs as students present their commercials to the class. Each time that we complete this ethos pathos logos activity in my classroom, students always have a lot of fun with it! What I love about this activity is that students not only gain a better understanding of Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals but also practice public speaking skills in a low-stress environment.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

Ethos Pathos Logos Instruction Slideshow: 

The slideshow includes engaging content, multimedia clips, and step-by-step instructions for ease of implementation. Slides are highly visual and structured to support all learners. Slides include tips & instructions from me to support both teacher and students. Just make sure to look for these tips in the “add speaker notes feature” under each Google Slide.

Ethos Pathos Logos Group Commercial Script:

This assignment was made on Google Docs. and can be sent to Google Classroom or shared digitally with your students with a link. Completing this activity digitally allows multiple students to work together simultaneously. This step is intended to be completed digitally. No Chromebooks? No Problem. The script is spaced out and printer-ready if you do not have access to technology or if you just prefer students work by hand.

The script has 5 different steps that students complete in a group and is structured to hold all students accountable to fill it out TOGETHER. Students will not be able to just sit back and let the rest of the group do the work. The 5 steps include a group brainstorming activity, crafting the script, and completing an ethos, pathos, logos rationale to reflect on their learning.

Exit Ticket: 

The exit ticket has students reflect on their peers’ presentations and their learning of ethos, pathos, and logos. The exit ticket is completed after the group presentations. This exit ticket is valuable to students’ learning because it provides students the opportunity to reflect on the presentations and identify examples of ethos, pathos, and logos from their peers’ presentations.

Grading Rubric: A streamlined grading rubric is provided to keep the grading process easy and quick for you. Use the grading rubric to grade each group as they perform their commercial to the class.

WHY STUDENTS LOVE THIS ACTIVITY…

• Students have so much fun with the creativity that goes into crafting a commercial and pitching it to the class.
• Students enjoy working together to come up with a creative pitch.
• Students report that they actually have fun using ethos, pathos, and logos.

 

WHY TEACHERS LOVE THIS ACTIVITY…

• You will love the structure of the assignment. Everything is step-by-step and easy for students and teachers to follow.
• Students practice using ethos, pathos, and logos thoughtfully to craft their commercials and there are multiple opportunities for review of ethos pathos, and logos so students learn to differentiate between all three rhetorical appeals.
• Instructions are very straightforward so you can be hands-off to let students problem-solve as a group. 🙂
• You will love watching students present their commercials to the class. They get so into the salesman role! It is really funny to see personalities come to life.
• The Exit Ticket included provides students the opportunity to share their feedback and provides an opportunity for reflection.
• The slideshow is teacher-friendly and includes notes/tips from me to support you through the lesson. Just make sure to scroll below the slide for these tips.