Persuasive Devices

Year Level

Year 7

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

10 students

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Unit Context

This lesson is Lesson 2 of 4 in the unit "Powerful Persuasion Techniques." It supports students to develop foundational skills in recognising persuasive language and techniques used in various media texts, focusing on advertising.

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Curriculum Alignment: Victorian Curriculum English

• VCELY372: Identify and explain how analytical and imaginative texts position the reader in different ways.
• VCELA372: Explore how language features, images and vocabulary influence interpretations in different types of texts.
• VCELY373: Analyse how text structures can influence readers.
• VCELA373: Understand how to use language devices and visual features to persuade audiences.
• VCELY374: Create texts to present an argument or point of view, supporting these with evidence and sustaining a viewpoint.
• VCELY374 links to the extension tasks.

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Learning Intentions (WALT)

We are learning to identify and analyse persuasive devices used in advertisements.

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Success Criteria

• I can identify at least three persuasive devices in an advertisement.
• I can explain how each persuasive device affects the audience.
• I can annotate advertisement examples to record the devices identified.
• (Extension) I can compare advertisements targeting different audiences and analyse how the persuasive devices differ to suit those audiences.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide a structured annotation scaffold with sentence starters such as, "This device makes the audience feel...," "The use of colour here suggests...," and "Celebrity endorsement is used to..."
• Offer differentiated advertisements: simpler ads with clear devices for some students; more complex and layered ads for advanced students.
• Provide examples of devices before analysis to support students requiring more guidance.
• Use group work and pair discussions for peer support.

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Extension Activity

Advanced students will compare two advertisements targeting distinct demographic groups (e.g., one aimed at children and one aimed at adults). They will analyse how the use of persuasive devices changes depending on the target audience and present their findings.

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Resources Needed

• A selection of print advertisements (magazines, flyers)
• Digital advertisements (videos or images from trusted sources, pre-selected and approved)
• Annotation scaffolds (printed or digital)
• Whiteboard or interactive screen for teacher modelling and discussion

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction and Engagement (10 minutes)

• Start with a brief discussion: “What is persuasion? Where do we see it?”
• Show a short, engaging print or digital advertisement with obvious persuasive devices.
• Ask students: “What techniques did you notice? How do these techniques try to influence us?”
• Introduce the WALT and success criteria. Emphasise identifying persuasive devices in ads and understanding their effects.

2. Teacher Modelling (10 minutes)

• Present 2-3 examples of persuasive devices commonly used in advertising:
• Bandwagon — suggests ‘everyone is doing it,’ so you should too.
• Celebrity Endorsement — a famous person supports the product.
• Loaded Language — use of emotionally charged words.
• Visual Techniques — attention to colour, imagery, layout.
• Display sample ads and annotate them together on the board, explaining the purpose of each device and its intended effect on the audience.

3. Guided Analysis Activity (20 minutes)

• Distribute a variety of advertisements (print and digital images).
• Provide the annotation scaffold with sentence starters.
• Students work individually or in pairs to:
• Identify at least three persuasive devices in one advertisement.
• Annotate the ad to explain the effect of each device on the audience.
• Teacher circulates to provide support, ask probing questions, and scaffold responses as needed.

4. Group Discussion and Sharing (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a class discussion where students share their findings.
• Prompt deeper thinking by asking questions like:
• “Why do you think the advertiser chose this celebrity?”
• “How do the colours make you feel about the product?”
• “How is this ad trying to influence a particular audience?”
• Reinforce links between devices and their persuasive purpose.

5. Extension and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Advanced students engage in the extension activity comparing two ads targeting different audiences, perhaps as a class or in pairs.
• Other students complete a reflection exit slip responding to:
• “Name one persuasive device you found interesting today.”
• “Explain how it affects the audience.”

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Assessment

• Formative: Observation of student participation during guided analysis and group discussion.
• Students’ annotated advertisements demonstrating identification and explanation of persuasive devices.
• Extension students’ comparative analysis and reasoning about audience targeting.
• Reflection exit slips.

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Teacher Notes

• Use diverse advertisement examples relevant to students’ interests (sports, technology, fashion, video games) to increase engagement.
• Explicitly teach metalanguage related to persuasion (e.g., “endorsement,” “appeal,” “imagery,” “bandwagon”) and encourage its use.
• Link back to previous and upcoming lessons in the unit to build cumulative understanding of persuasion techniques.
• Emphasise critical thinking about how ads influence behaviour and decision-making, fostering media literacy.

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This lesson plan aligns with the Victorian Curriculum's focus on understanding how language and visual devices are used to influence audiences, meeting the Year 7 English achievement standards by engaging students in analytical reading and viewing tasks and supporting their ability to identify and explain persuasive techniques in authentic texts.