Guidelines for Choosing a Topic Choose a topic both you and your

partner can be passionate about.Each person needs to feel strongly

about the specific position/side he or she is defending.

Make sure both of you know a lot about the topic--part of having ETHOS appeal is possessing knowledge of both sides of the argument.

Order of Tasks

1) Choose a topic and pick the side each person will defend.

2) Write out at least TWO of each of the following types of arguments to defend your position.

ETHOS appeals - (What makes you a credible person on this topic?)

LOGOS appeals - (Use evidence, facts, proof) *Include one rhetorical technique in your writing.

PATHOS appeals - (Make an argument that will affect a particular emotion of your audience) *Include one rhetorical technique in your writing.

Order of Tasks3) DEBATE: You and your partner will meet up with

another pair. Announce your topic and positions.• Present your arguments, but mix up the order of

your three appeals! (don’t just go by the order they appear in the handout.) and don’t announce which appeals you are using. If you’ve done your job, the listeners should know.

4) After you present your arguments, either your partner or your audience members can challenge your arguments with questions.

5) After your argument, have the listeners guess the order of your appeals (which argument Ethos? Which was Logos? Which was Pathos? What rhetorical technique did you hear in the Logos and Pathos appeals?)

Order of Tasks

5) Now switch roles. The other pair will present their arguments while you and your partner listen.

6) With your partner, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the other team’s arguments. Decide and announce EACH speaker’s strongest argument/appeal

• IGNORE your prior feelings on the topic. Pay attention to the strength of the argument and how a particular appeal or rhetorical technique was used.