Name: Danielle Harms

Title:
An Appealing Advertisement Activity

Activity Description:
Students are given a list of persuasive appeals with links to definitions and examples of those
appeals. Students break into groups; each group takes an appeal, reads the relevant information,
and posts the definition and examples on a google presentation that is shared with the class. Each
group presents its appeal.

Students are given a document with online ads and physical magazines. They are also allowed to
find television ads or anything on youtube. They then put together a portfolio of persuasive
appeal examples.

Rationale:
Analyzing persuasive appeals is an important aspect to understanding advertising and the process
(and art) of persuasion. The ability to identify and analyze persuasive appeals helps students
better understand how to develop their own persuasive arguments. In addition, this activity
creates an awareness of how advertisement manipulates people into buying its product. This
study also introduces students to logical fallacies and helps them identify flaws or holes in
arguments. Furthermore, this activity pushes students to look beyond the surface level and
emphasis critical thinking skills.

Courses:
This activity is geared toward a high school speech class. It can also be tailored to use for any
English class dealing with persuasive writing. However, the activity could be adapted and
utilized in any post-secondary public speaking course or composition course.

Objectives:

- Students will be able to identify a variety of persuasive appeals in everyday life.

- Students will be able to explain lapses in logic in these appeals.
- Students will be able to explain how advertising attempts to manipulate them.

Directions:
First, the instructor will need to decide which persuasive appeals to emphasize (i.e., stacking the
deck, generalities, name calling, band wagon, snob appeal). Prior to carrying out this activity,
the instructor will need to compile resources that define the persuasive appeal and give examples
for clarification. I have used sites such as grammar.about.com and library.thinkquest.org for
information. The instructor will also need to put together several advertisements that illustrate
each of the persuasive appeals for students to choose from. I also set up a group presentation
using google docs as a way for students to include their information in a single document
available to all students, but there are other ways to accomplish this (visit http://tinyurl.com/
pappeals for an example presentation created by students).
Student Directions:
1. You will be assigned a persuasive appeal on this list; your groups job is to go to the linked
resources under that appeal and be able to explain that appeal appeal to your classmates. This
can be found on my website.
2. Go to the google presentation linked on my website and find the slide that has been pre-
labeled with your appeal. Put in the definition and an example advertisement.
3. After the presentation has been shared and notes taken on all the appeals, you will work with a
partner to find physical or virtual advertisements in any format to exemplify each appeal.
NOTE: you may use the same ad more than once as long as your explanation makes it clear
how it fits the appeal.
1. FORMATTING: You will turn in a portfolio with each appeal. This should be done in
pages since you can insert any media.
2. RESOURCES: Use the advertising examples document attached to my website before
you branch out.

Debriefing:
When students are done with their portfolios, they will share a few samples with another group.
Then, they will have a group discussion answering:

1. How and why do advertisements manipulate the general populace?

2. Why is it important to recognize persuasive appeals in your everyday world?
3. How else may knowing persuasive appeals assist you in your real life?

We will have a class discussion after the small groups have discussed.

Appraisal:
The students are highly engaged with the advertisements from their world. They seem to
appreciate the relevancy persuasive appeals have. They are slightly angered, as they should be,
that the world works so hard to trick them. Moreover, the activity is meaningful and memorable,
and many students later point out appeals they have noticed even when it is not related to class.
 Appendix A - Resources

Stacking the Deck

http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/stackingthedeckterm.htm
http://mrgunnar.net/files/How%20To%20Detect%20Propaganda.pdf
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm

False Comparisons
http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/falseanalogyterm.htm
http://www.towson.edu/ows/faultycomp.htm

Generalities
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/hastygen.html

Name Calling
http://mrgunnar.net/files/How%20To%20Detect%20Propaganda.pdf
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm

Band Wagon
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/bandwagon.html
http://mrgunnar.net/files/How%20To%20Detect%20Propaganda.pdf

Loaded Words
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/loadword.html

Testimonials
http://mrgunnar.net/files/How%20To%20Detect%20Propaganda.pdf
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm

Glittering Generalities
http://mrgunnar.net/files/How%20To%20Detect%20Propaganda.pdf
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm

Plain Folks
http://mrgunnar.net/files/How%20To%20Detect%20Propaganda.pdf
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm

Snob Appeal - an appeal to identify with a claim because rich people do so

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/141713192/Persuasive-Techniques-Definitions
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/127424365/Persuasive-Devices---PowerPoint

Transfer
http://mrgunnar.net/files/How%20To%20Detect%20Propaganda.pdf
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm
Appendix B - Advertisements to Pick From