Ethos, Pathos, Logos
A doctor said, "It's damaging children's health," he said. "Allowing children in academies and free schools to be exposed to unhealthy choices, unhealthy foods and unhealthy diets when there's still huge concern in this country about obesity in children is definitely a backward step."
This is an example of what technique?
Ethos - using the trusted words of a doctor.
Everyone knows kids snack on chips and soda—why should schools be any different? If all their friends are eating it, it doesn't make sense to single out the school cafeteria.
What technique is being used?
Bandwagon - This appeals to the idea that because many people are doing it, it must be acceptable or correct. It avoids critical thinking and promotes conformity.
We must promote health, wellness, and a brighter future for our children by eliminating junk food from schools.
Glittering Generalities - This uses vague but positive-sounding ideals like “health,” “wellness,” and “brighter future” to inspire support without offering concrete evidence.
One major issue with students having access to cell phones is it is easy for students to get off track if they’re focused on their phones instead of paying attention in class.
What is this an example of?
Topic Sentence
The prevalence of childhood obesity in the US is at an all-time high with nearly one-third of all children and adolescents now considered overweight or obese (Ogden et al 2008).
What technique is being used?
Hook - Surprising Fact
There are more than 55 million children and teens who attend public schools in the U.S. Kids eat between 35% and 40% of their daily calories at school, which means it’s important for these calories to be healthy ones.
What technique is used?
Logos - uses facts and statistics.
Either we let students eat what they want, or we turn schools into joyless, overly strict institutions.
What technique is being used?
False Dichotomy - This presents only two extreme choices, ignoring more reasonable middle-ground options (e.g., allowing some treats but encouraging healthier options).
We have a limited window to shape lifelong eating habits—every meal served in school matters.
What technique is being used?
Scarcity - This appeals to the idea that time or opportunity is limited, pressuring action by emphasizing that we may lose the chance to make an impact if we wait.
Each year, schools use around 2000 pages per day. Typically, schools use 34 billion pieces of paper every year. Therefore, when classrooms switch to paperless mode, it reduces paper waste, which has been a significant problem and saves energy spent on paper production, which reduces CO2 emission.
Therefore is an example of what type of word.
Transition
Have you ever wondered why the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s?
What technique is being used?
Hook - Question
Michael Rich, an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says, “The human brain is incapable of thinking more than one thing at a time,” he said. “And so what we think of as multitasking is actually rapid-switch-tasking. And the problem with that is that switch-tasking may cover a lot of ground in terms of different subjects, but it doesn’t go deeply into any of them.”
What is this an example of?
Ethos - using a credible person to support your idea
More and more schools across the country are removing junk food—and it's time ours did the same. Healthy eating is becoming the new norm.
What technique is used?
Bandwagon - This suggests that because many schools are doing it, it's the right thing to do. It appeals to the desire to follow the crowd or not be left behind.
With childhood obesity rates skyrocketing right now, we can’t afford to wait—junk food must be banned from schools immediately.
What technique is being used?
Timeliness - This emphasizes that the issue is urgent and requires immediate action, creating a sense of crisis.
While some people believe phones help students stay connect, the truth is that most students are negatively affected by social media.
What is this an example of?
Counterargument & Rebuttal
One of the biggest benefits of cellphones is their ability to give students access to educational resources because with just a few taps, students can research topics, use learning apps, or watch instructional videos.
What is this an example of?
Thesis Statement
"The old model is really outdated. Students not only need content knowledge but they also need to learn 21st-century skills. They need to be self-directed in their learning,” says Grace Magley, director of digital learning at Natick Public Schools in Massachusetts. If students are not taught the skills required to be successful in the future they will fall behind and struggle after graduation.
What techniques are used?
Ethos - using the words of a credible person.
Pathos - students falling behind
Banning junk food in schools is an outrageous attack on personal freedom and choice. Students deserve the right to make their own decisions, not be subject to draconian rules.
What technique is used?
Loaded Words - Words like “outrageous,” “attack,” and “draconian” are emotionally charged and aim to sway the reader or listener without presenting logical reasoning.
We should focus on freedom, choice, and trust in our students rather than controlling what they eat.
What technique is used?
Glittering Generalities - Uses feel-good, abstract concepts—“freedom,” “choice,” “trust”—to evoke a positive emotional response without providing detailed reasoning.
What are supporting sentences?
Sentences that provide details and examples to support your idea for the paragraph.
Have you ever imagined a classroom in your school without paper? At all?
What technique is used?
Hook - Question
“What we know now, after over 10 years of personal devices in the hands of children … is that they are becoming less educated, more anxious and chronically depressed,” says Lisa Strohman, J.D., Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and founder of Digital Citizen Academy.
What are all the techniques used above?
Ethos - quoting a well educated doctor
Logos - facts about changes over 10 years
Either we go completely paperless or we stay stuck in the past, wasting resources and harming the environment.
What technique is used?
False Dichotomy -
This presents only two extreme choices—going 100% digital or being outdated and environmentally harmful—while ignoring reasonable middle-ground options (like using less paper, recycling, or combining digital tools with traditional methods). It oversimplifies the issue to force a choice.
There are so few places where students feel in control of their own decisions—don’t take away one of the last choices they still have.
Scarcity - Creates a sense that student autonomy is rare or threatened, which urges people to preserve it while it still exists.
What is a closing sentence?
Phones should be banned in schools because they distract students from learning, contribute to increased social and mental health issues, and make it easier to cheat during exams.
What is this an example of?
Thesis Statement