Saylor Academy
Persuasive Techniques
Want to safeguard your students against peer pressure? Teach them all about rhetorical appeals, common attack methods, and various argument tones with a reference sheet on persuasive techniques.
Read Write Think
Persuasive Techniques in Advertising
Ever wonder if that miracle product in the commercial is really a miracle? Chances are, the only miraculous part is how many people the advertisers are able to convince to buy it! Class members look over short descriptions of techniques...
Indian River State College
Argumentative (Persuasive) Essay Guidelines
Here is a handout that outlines six great steps to structuring an argumentative essay, which can be continually referenced as you teach your class about persuasive writing.
Classroom Law Project
What do cartoonists see in this election?
Cartoons from the 2008 Presidential election provide the text for a lesson plan designed to help learners understand how political cartoonists use persuasive techniques to present a point of view.
Classroom Law Project
Should we believe everything we read? Becoming a discerning consumer of media
Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...
Aurora City School District
Do Not Try to Kid a Kidder: The Art of Persuasion
The power to convince others of your argument lies in your knowledge of rhetoric! A thorough packet covers the basics of persuasion, including logical appeals and fallacies, and applies strategies to letters to the editor,...
Ohio Literacy Resource Center
Arguing with Aristotle Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Introduce your classes to the Art of Rhetoric with a lesson that focuses on Aristotle's persuasive appeals and how they have been used, both ethically and unethically, to influence opinion.
Curated OER
Understanding the Influence of the Media
Critically analyze advertising techniques, such as circular reasoning, bandwagon, testimonial, and repetition, with worksheets that effectively discuss and illustrate how the media aims to influence.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Text Sets: Argument, Bias, and Persuasion
Collection of 43 Grade-Leveled texts (6-12)on the topic Argument, Bias, and Persuasion. Have students track arguments through texts as they examine logical reasoning, bias, and persuasive techniques such as emotional appeals, character...
Other
Propaganda: Common Techniques: Special Appeals: Bandwagon
A brief explanation of the propaganda technique known as bandwagon, bandwagoning, or bandwagon appeal. Also includes a few questions that people can ask themselves in order to gauge whether or not they are falling victim to this technique.
Other
Hamilton: Essentials of Effective Persuasive Essays
This resource provides good insight on how to structure a well organized effective persuasive essay.
Other
Cal State Fullerton: Common Fallacies in Reasoning
This page from California State University at Fullerton list twenty-three common fallacies in reasoning. Each includes an explanation and two examples. The list includes the following: faulty cause, sweeping generalization, hasty...
Other
European Society for General Semantics: False Dilemma
An explanation of the logical fallacy called False Dilemma (also known as Manicheanism, Black-and-White Thinking, Black-or-White Fallacy, Bifurcation, Bogus Dilemma, or Either/Or fallacy). A definition, explanation, and a number of...
Other
Bbc: H2g2 Circular Reasoning
Excellent definition and discussion of the term "Circular Reasoning," including a couple of very clear examples.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: False Dilemma
Short encyclopedia article from Wikipedia about the logical fallacy named false dilemma (also known as false dichotomy, either/or dilemma, or bifurcation). This is a rather brief discussion of the term, but a few examples are given.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Bandwagon Fallacy
A short Wikipedia article explaining the logical fallacy called "the bandwagon fallacy," also known as "appeal to the people," "authority of the many," "argument by consensus," "appeal to the gallery," "appeal to popularity" or...
Other
Disinfopedia: Bandwagon
This site from the Center for Media & Democracy provides a five paragraph explanation of the term with multiple examples, some of them taken from current events. This is an article from Disinfopedia, "An encyclopedia of people,...