Craft Your Campaign

Learning Guide

A simple guide to lead you through the kickoff, the core challenge, and everything in between.

Mai’s Tips

1. When discussing rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), have a few simple examples ready (e.g., a doctor endorsing a toothpaste for ethos, a sad puppy in an adoption ad for pathos, a scientific study for logos) to help illustrate the concepts if the student struggles to generate their own.
2. For the activity, encourage the student to think beyond just words. A campaign can include simple drawings, symbols, or even a 'call to action' that uses persuasive language.

Prep Before Session 5 min

• Gather paper for drawing and writing.
• Collect pens, pencils, and markers.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

1Introduction 5 min

• Welcome them to the lesson about persuasion. Open the conversation by asking about their personal experiences with persuasive messages and what makes them effective or ineffective.

  * "What do you think makes a message truly persuasive?"

  * "What kinds of messages make you listen?"

  * "Can you think of a time someone tried to persuade you to do something, and it worked? What made it effective?"

  * "What about a time it didn't work? What made that message ineffective?"

  Encourage them to share any examples from their daily life, like advertisements, friends, or even news.

  Done when the student shares an initial thought or example of persuasion.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Persuasion is about influencing someone's beliefs, attitudes, or actions.
• Persuasive messages are all around us, in ads, conversations, and media.
• It's working when: The student offers specific examples of messages or situations, even if brief.
• If they're stuck: Share a simple personal example first, like 'Mom tried to persuade me to eat my vegetables by saying they give me energy; that was a persuasive message.'
• Easier: Instead of asking what makes a message effective, ask 'Did it work or not work?'

• Harder: Ask 'How did the person try to persuade you? What specific words or actions did they use?'

Done when: Student shares an initial thought or example of persuasion.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels

2Explore & Plan 8 min

• Introduce the three key ingredients of persuasion: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Explain each term simply:

  Ethos* is about credibility; it's when a message is persuasive because of the speaker's trustworthiness. How would you recognize an ad using Ethos? (e.g., a doctor endorsing toothpaste).

  Pathos* is about emotion; it appeals to feelings to persuade. What kind of messages use Pathos effectively? (e.g., a sad puppy in an adoption ad).

  Logos* is about logic and reason; it uses facts, statistics, or logical arguments. Can you think of an example where Logos is used? (e.g., a scientific study).

  Ask them to brainstorm a cause they care about for a campaign. "For a cause you care about, how could you use Ethos, Pathos, or Logos to convince someone?"

  Before moving on, gather the paper and pens/markers and place them within easy reach for the next stage.

  Done when the student can define ethos, pathos, and logos in their own words and has started to think about a cause for their campaign.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Rhetoric is the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.
• These three appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) are fundamental tools used in rhetoric.
• Recognizing these appeals helps both in understanding and creating persuasive arguments.

• Key words: Ethos: Persuasion based on the speaker's credibility, character, or trustworthiness.
• Key words: Pathos: Persuasion that appeals to the audience's emotions, feelings, or sympathies.
• Key words: Logos: Persuasion based on logic, facts, reason, and evidence.
• It's working when: The student correctly identifies which appeal is used in a new example you provide, or suggests a way to use one of the appeals for their chosen cause.
• If they're stuck: Give them two contrasting examples and ask which one uses emotion (Pathos) and which uses facts (Logos).
• Easier: Focus on just two appeals, like Pathos and Logos, and give clearer, more concrete examples for each.
• Harder: Ask them to think of a campaign that successfully uses all three appeals and explain how.

Done when: Student can define ethos, pathos, and logos in their own words and has started to think about a cause for their campaign.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

3Discussion 6 min

• Lead a critical discussion about the ethics of persuasion. Let them consider the questions first:

  * "Is there such a thing as 'bad' persuasion? What makes it 'bad'?"

  * "What role do ethics play when we try to convince others?"

  * "How do we ensure our persuasive efforts are responsible and respectful?"

  If they struggle, prompt them by asking about manipulative advertising or political rhetoric, focusing on the ethical implications of such messages. Reinforce that while techniques are powerful, responsible use is key.

  Done when the student articulates an understanding of ethical considerations in persuasion.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Unethical persuasion often uses false information, emotional exploitation, or fear to force a decision.
• Ethical communicators aim to build trust and achieve positive, mutually beneficial outcomes.
• If they ask: Is it always bad to use emotion (Pathos)? No, Pathos can be used ethically to build empathy and connect with an audience, but it becomes unethical if it's used to manipulate or scare people unfairly.
• It's working when: The student connects the idea of 'bad' persuasion to concepts like lying, manipulation, or disrespecting the audience.
• If they're stuck: Describe a scenario, like 'Imagine an ad that makes you feel very guilty if you don't buy their product. Is that fair?'

• Easier: Focus on just one question: 'When is it okay to try and persuade someone, and when is it not okay?'
• Harder: Ask them to differentiate between strong, ethical persuasion and propaganda, explaining the key differences.

Done when: Student articulates an understanding of ethical considerations in persuasion.

Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels

4Activity 9 min

• Guide them to design their own mini-persuasive campaign. Make sure the paper and pens/markers are readily available. Encourage them to choose the cause they brainstormed earlier. Instruct them to define their core message and identify their target audience first.

  Then, have them create at least three distinct elements for their campaign. These should include:

  1. A compelling slogan or headline.

  2. A short speech outline or a letter addressing their audience.

  3. A visual element, like a simple poster sketch or a symbol for their cause.

  Remind them to consciously think about how they are incorporating ethos, pathos, and logos into their design. Provide a comfortable workspace and encourage a creative, open-ended approach, focusing on applying concepts rather than artistic perfection. Avoid directing their specific choices.

  Done when the student has completed the physical activity of designing their campaign elements.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: A target audience is the specific group of people a campaign is trying to reach and influence.
• A strong campaign considers the audience's existing beliefs, values, and concerns to tailor its message.
• Campaign elements like slogans, speeches, and visuals work together to reinforce the core message.

• If they ask: Do I have to draw well? Absolutely not, the idea is to sketch out your visual concept, not to create a finished piece of art.
• It's working when: The student consciously refers to their chosen cause or audience, or to Ethos/Pathos/Logos, while creating elements.
• If they're stuck: Offer a partially completed example related to a simple cause (e.g., 'Save the Bees' campaign slogan: 'No Bees, No Food.') and ask them to add to it.
• Easier: Instead of three elements, have them focus on just designing a slogan and explaining one way they'd use Pathos.
• Harder: Ask them to consider how their campaign would adapt if their target audience was completely different (e.g., young children vs. policymakers).

Done when: Student has completed the physical activity of designing their campaign elements.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels

5Summary 2 min

• Celebrate their effort and the creative campaign they've designed. Prompt them to reflect on the process:

  * "How did it feel to intentionally craft a message using specific persuasive techniques like Ethos, Pathos, and Logos?"

  * "What did you discover about your own ability to communicate powerful ideas?"

  * "What surprised you most about this process, or what might you do differently next time you need to persuade someone?"

  Reinforce that understanding and using persuasion is a vital skill in many real-world situations, from advocating for a cause to everyday conversations.

  Done when the student shares one key takeaway or reflection on their campaign design.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Understanding persuasive techniques helps individuals become more critical consumers of information.
• Persuasion is a continuous learning process that improves with practice and reflection.
• If they ask: Will I be good at persuading people now? You've learned powerful tools today, and like any skill, the more you practice applying Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, the more effective you'll become.
• It's working when: The student expresses an original thought about their learning, not just repeating what was said earlier.
• If they're stuck: Prompt with 'What was the most interesting thing you learned today?'

• Easier: Ask 'What was your favorite part of making your campaign?'
• Harder: Ask 'How might you use what you learned today in a real-life situation this week?'

Done when: Student shares one key takeaway or reflection on their campaign design.

Your Notes