Explore: Crafting Persuasion (Continued)

Here is an example of what you might have written:

Purpose Statement	Ethos	Logos	Pathos
You should let me throw a huge party over the weekend.	I am a responsible teenager, evidenced by the fact that I am self-disciplined by working hard, respectful in my interactions with others, and dependable through my sparkling clean record of conduct.	It is a known fact that if all my friends are here at home during the party, they will not be out on the streets causing trouble. Furthermore, it stands to reason that a party here would allow them to not only have fun but also develop invaluable social skills and wise decision-making skills.	I would be the most uncool kid at school if you did not allow me to have this party. I would be alone and shunned by my peers because I was too uncool to have a party at my house. You would be the cause of my pain and suffering, should you not allow me to throw this party.

In addition to looking for ethos, logos, and pathos, consider these essential questions to analyze a persuasive work. These questions will help to better understand how the message has been purposefully crafted:

• Who is giving the speech?
• To whom is the speech being delivered?
• Based on the audience, what kind of tone is the speaker taking?
• What is the occasion?
• What is the purpose of the speech? Why is the speech being given?

By identifying these elements of a speech or persuasive text, the audience can start to connect the persuasive appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos to the various elements of these essential questions.

Look at how a great speaker from American history uses these appeals to add to the persuasiveness of a speech.

Read Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on page 543 of your textbook. Use the graphic organizer below to determine how Martin Luther King Jr. crafts persuasion in his work.