Persuasive Devices Analysis

Year Level

Year 7

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

10 students

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WALT

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

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Success Criteria

• Identify at least two persuasive devices (e.g., rule of three, direct address, rhetorical questions, tone, and pace) in a speech or video clip.
• Explain how these devices influence the audience's emotions and responses.
• Understand how visual and spoken elements combine to strengthen persuasion.

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Victorian Curriculum References

English - Year 7

• AC9E7LY07: Plan, create, rehearse and deliver presentations for purposes and audiences, selecting language features and voice elements such as tone, pitch and pace to engage audiences and persuade effectively.
• AC9E7LY05: Use comprehension strategies to analyse and summarise texts, comparing different types of speeches and analysing visual and language features to understand persuasive effects.
• AC9E7LA02: Recognise and explain how language is used to evaluate and persuade, and how this influences audience response.
• AC9E7LE06: Identify literary devices that create layers of meaning, particularly in persuasive texts.

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

Purpose: Set context and activate prior knowledge.

• Begin by briefly recapping persuasive techniques introduced in Lessons 1 and 2.
• Explain today’s focus: analysing persuasive devices in famous speeches and persuasive videos.
• Display and explain WALT and Success Criteria clearly on the board.
• Introduce key persuasive devices to be spotted: rule of three, direct address, rhetorical questions, tone, and pace.
• Use simple examples to illustrate each device before watching clips.

2. Guided Viewing & Listening (15 minutes)

Purpose: Model how to identify persuasive devices in audio-visual texts.

• Distribute printed transcripts alongside video links to students who benefit from reading while listening (Differentiation).
• Show a famous persuasive speech (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" or an Australian equivalent) or a short persuasive video clip (~3-4 minutes).
• Provide students with a guided viewing checklist highlighting the persuasive devices to find.
• Play the clip twice: first for general understanding, second for detailed note-taking.

3. Group Discussion and Analysis (15 minutes)

Purpose: Facilitate critical thinking and verbal articulation of analysis.

• In small groups (2-3 students), students discuss the devices they found and how these made them feel or think differently about the speech’s message.
• Prompt questions:
• What persuasive devices did you spot?
• How did the speaker’s tone or pace affect your feelings?
• Can you identify any visual techniques that made the message stronger?
• Walk around to support groups and scaffold responses as needed.

4. Whole Class Sharing (10 minutes)

Purpose: Consolidate learning and promote confidence in explanation.

• Invite groups to share one or two persuasive devices they identified and explain their impact on the audience.
• Highlight and record on the board common devices identified and their effects.
• Clarify any misconceptions and provide exemplary explanations.

5. Extension Activity for Advanced Learners (5 minutes)

Purpose: Challenge advanced students to deepen analysis.

• Students select a short persuasive clip of their choice (can be from their devices or something previously viewed).
• Prepare a brief verbal analysis naming persuasive devices used and explaining their audience impact.
• Encourage advanced learners to prepare to share this in the upcoming lesson.

6. Plenary and Reflective Journaling (5 minutes)

Purpose: Reflect on learning and self-assess progress against success criteria.

• Ask each student to write 2-3 sentences answering:
• Which persuasive device did I understand best today?
• How does it influence an audience effectively?
• Option: Share some reflections aloud or post anonymously on a class ‘reflection board’.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide printed transcripts of speeches/videos for students who benefit from simultaneous reading and listening.
• Use guided viewing checklists with clear, simple prompts to focus analysis.
• Pair stronger readers/listeners with peers for collaborative support.
• Use flexible grouping to allow discussion at appropriate challenge levels.

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Resources Needed

• Video clips of famous persuasive speeches or curated persuasive videos (~3-4 minutes each).
• Printed transcripts of speeches/video scripts for those who prefer reading while viewing/ listening.
• Guided viewing checklist handouts.
• Whiteboard or display for recording ideas and success criteria.

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Notes for Teachers

• Select speech/video clips that are age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and diverse to engage all students.
• Encourage students to explore how spoken elements (tone, pace) and visual elements complement each other to create persuasive power.
• Emphasize emotional connection in persuasion as a key learning point.

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This lesson aligns closely with the Victorian Curriculum’s emphasis on comprehension, analysis, and oral presentation skills in English for Year 7 students, supporting them to critically engage with persuasive texts in spoken and multimodal formats.