Grade 9 · English Language Arts · Unit 4 of 8
Argument & Rhetoric
Appeals, fallacies and credible sources
What your child practises
Spotting ethos, pathos and logos, common fallacies such as straw man and false dilemma, loaded language and bias, and judging whether a source or media message can be trusted.
Alberta Curriculum learning outcome: General Outcomes 2, 3 · persuasive techniques, credibility and bias
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
“If we let students use phones in class, next they'll want to sleep in class!” This is…
- ethos
- a rebuttal
- a slippery slope
- a statistic
Show answer
a slippery slope
Hint: It claims one small step will lead to an extreme result.
Question 2
What is the purpose of a rebuttal paragraph?
- To respond to an opposing view with reasons or evidence
- To introduce the author
- To list the sources
- To repeat the thesis word for word
Show answer
To respond to an opposing view with reasons or evidence
Hint: A rebuttal shows why the other view is less convincing.
Question 3
Which source would be most trustworthy for current Canadian unemployment rates?
- A rumour on a message board
- A celebrity's post
- Statistics Canada
- A sponsored advertisement
Show answer
Statistics Canada
Hint: Official statistics agencies collect data carefully and explain their methods.
Question 4
A graph's vertical axis starts at 90 instead of 0, making a small difference look huge. What is the problem?
- It makes the graph more accurate.
- It can mislead readers about the size of the difference.
- It shows the data in a different language.
- It adds more data.
Show answer
It can mislead readers about the size of the difference.
Hint: Check the scale of a graph before trusting its message.
Question 5
“Everyone's using this app, so it must be safe.” This is…
- a bandwagon appeal
- a logical claim
- ad hominem
- a rebuttal
Show answer
a bandwagon appeal
Hint: Popularity doesn't prove that something is true or safe.
Question 6
Ethos, pathos or logos? Sort each persuasive statement.
Sort into: 🎓 Ethos · 💗 Pathos · 📊 Logos
- 🧮If A is more than B and B is more than C, A is more than C.
- 🌙No child should ever go to bed hungry.
- 🐶Picture a lonely puppy waiting for a home.
- 🏆Our award-winning team has helped thousands.
- 📈Studies show 82% of students improved.
- 🩺As a doctor for twenty years, I recommend it.
Show answer
🎓 Ethos: Our award-winning team has helped thousands., As a doctor for twenty years, I recommend it. · 💗 Pathos: No child should ever go to bed hungry., Picture a lonely puppy waiting for a home. · 📊 Logos: If A is more than B and B is more than C, A is more than C., Studies show 82% of students improved.
Hint: Ethos: credibility (“I’m a doctor”). Pathos: emotion (“Imagine how scared they feel”). Logos: logic and evidence (“Studies show 80%…”).