About This BookWhat Is Persuasive Writing?

Inpersuasive writing,awritertriestoconvince,orpersuade,areaderthathisorheropinionisthebestone.Thewriterstatesanopinionatthebeginningofthewriting;givesdetailsorreasonsthatprove,explain,orsupportthisopinioninthebodyofthewriting;andconcludesthewritingbyrestatingtheopinion.Whenwritingapersuasiveparagraph,itisimportanttostatefactstosup-portanopinion. Developandenhanceyourstudents’persuasive-writingskillswiththiseasy-to-usecollectionof20two-pagelessons. Writing Works!—Persuasivecontainseverythingyouneedtosupplementasuccessfulwritingprograminyourclassroom.

Each two-page lesson contains the following:• Amotivatingwritingprompt• Simplestepsforteachingtheprewritingandwritingstages

ofeachlesson• Astudentreproduciblethatiseitheragraphicorganizerused

intheprewritingstagesorapatternonwhichstudentswritetheirfinaldrafts

• Suggestionsforpublishingordisplayingstudents’work

Also included:• Areproducibleproofreadingchecklistforthestudent• Areproduciblepersuasive-writingassessmentfortheteacher• 16extrapersuasive-writingprompts• Astudentreproduciblecontaining13commonlyusedediting

symbols

Other books in the Writing Works! series: •Writing Works!—Narrative •Writing Works!—Clarification •Writing Works!—Descriptive •Writing Works!—Explanatory •Writing Works!—Expressive

PLASTIC

ALUMINUM

PAPER

COWHOLE

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Imagine you heard a news report in which a government official announced the possibility of year-round schooling in the United States. Write a letter to the official persuading him to make or not make year-round schooling a requirement.

To School or Not to School?

Write It! 1. Instructthestudenttousetheinformationrecordedonpage5tohelpwritehis

persuasiveletteronanothersheetofpaper.Remindthestudenttoincludeatopicsentence,atleastthreestrongsupportingdetails,andaconcludingsentence.

2. Directthestudenttoproofreadandedithisworkcarefully.Encouragestudentstoswappaperstopeer-edit.Afterallcorrectionshavebeenmade,directthestudenttowritehisfinalversiononanothersheetofpaper.

3. Ifdesired,giveeachstudenta9”x12”sheetofconstructionpaperandacraftstick.Directthestudenttocreateapostershowinghisopinionaboutyear-roundschool-ing.Thenhavehimgluethepostertothecraftstick.Displaystudents’postersandfinalversionsonawallorbulletinboardtitled“ToSchoolorNottoSchool?”

Think It! 1. Readthefollowingstatementstostudents:

• Youshouldnotsmokebecauseit’sbad.• Youshouldnotsmokebecausethesurgeongeneralhas

foundthatsmokingmaycausecancer. Ifyourstudentsweretryingtoconvincesomeonetoquitsmok-

ing,askthemwhichstatementtheywouldchooseandwhy.

2. Pointoutthatwhenattemptingtoconvincesomeoneofsome-thing,itisimportanttostatefactstosupportyouropinion.Callonastudentvolunteertodescribeatimewhenheattemptedtoconvincesomeonetoagreewithhisopinion.Havethestudentexplainthefactsusedtohelppersuadetheindividual.

3. Explaintostudentsthatwhenwritingtopersuade,thewritertriestoconvincethereader(s)thathisopinionisthebestone.Hestateshisopinionatthebeginning;givesdetailsorreasonsthatprove,explain,orsupportit;andconcludesbyrestatinghisopinion.

�. Readaloudthepromptabove,displayitonatransparency,orwriteitontheboard.

5. Giveeachstudentacopyofpage5.Instructthestudenttousethereproducibletoorganizehisthoughtsandideasaboutyear-roundschooling.

We NeedYear-RoundSchooling!

©2000TheEducationCenter,Inc.•Writing Works!•Persuasive•TEC2310

5

Name Persuasive writing

Opinion/Topic Sentence:

To School or Not to School?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Details:

1.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

�.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

5.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Conclusion:____________________________________

_______________________________________________

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Your favorite vacation spot is the tops! Imagine that you’re there, and then write a postcard persuading a friend that it’s the best place in the world to vacation.

Destination: Best Vacation

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Write It! 1. Instructthestudenttouseherpictureonpage7tohelpwriteapostcardpersuadingafriend

thathervacationspotisthebestone.Havethestudentwriteherpostcardonaseparatesheetofpaper.Remindthestudenttoincludeatopicsentence,threestrongsupportingdetails,andaconcludingsentence.

2. Directthestudenttoproofreadandeditherworkcarefully.Encouragestudentstoswappaperstopeer-edit.Afterallcorrectionshavebeenmade,havethestudentwriteherfinalcopyinthespaceprovidedonpage7.Theninstructeachstudenttocutoutthepatternalongtheboldlines,foldit,andthenglueittomakeapostcard.

3. Ifdesired,useashoeboxandconstructionpapertocreateaclassmailbox.Placestudents’postcardsinthebox,andthensetitupatacentersothatstudentscanreadthepostcards

duringfreetime.

Think It! 1. Haveeachstudentimagineherfavoritevacationspot

andthinkaboutthereasonsthatmakeitherfavorite.Callonstudentvolunteerstosharewhatmakestheirfavoritevacationspotssoremarkable(suchashavingthebestrestaurants,excitingactivities,andmagnifi-centscenery).Listtheirresponsesontheboard.

2. Tellstudentsyourfavoritevacationspot.Giverea-sonswhyitisyourfavorite,includingsomefactsandsomeopinions.Pointouttostudentsthatifyouwereattemptingtoconvincesomeonethatthisisthebestspot,itwouldbeimportanttostatefactstosupportyouropinion.

3. Explaintostudentsthatwhenwritingtopersuadesomeone,thewritertriestoconvincethereader(s)thatheropinionisthebestone.Shestatesheropin-ionatthebeginning;givesdetailsorreasonsthatprove,explain,orsupportit;andconcludesbyrestat-ingheropinion.

4. Readaloudthepromptabove,displayitonatrans-parency,orwriteitontheboard.

5. Giveeachstudentacopyofpage7.Inthespacepro-videdonthepostcard,haveeachstudentdrawapic-tureofthespotshe’simagined,includingfivelabeleddetailsthatshowwhyherspotisagreatone.

©2000TheEducationCenter,Inc.•Writing Works!•Persuasive •TEC2310 7

Tom Travel123 Vacation StreetLeisureville, LA 65432

Name Persuasive writing

Destination: Best Vacation(Nameofvacationspot)

Foldhere.

VISIT ___________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

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Top Vacation Destination

VOTETOMMYFOR

CLASSPRESIDENT

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Cast Your Votes!

Think It! 1. ChallengestudentstorecallthenamesofpastorpresentU.S.

presidentialcandidates.Havethemnamethegoodleadershipqualitiesthatthesecandidatespossessed.Recordtheirresponsesontheboard.

2. Explaintostudentsthatpartofrunningasuccessfulcampaignishavingacandidatewhoisabletoconvincethevotersthatheorsheisthebestpersonforthejob.Askstudentstodeterminewhichofthefollowingismoreconvincing:• WhenIwasleaderofmystate,itbecameabetterplacein

whichtolive.• WhenIwasleaderofmystate,Icuttaxesandprovided

computersforeveryclassroom. Pointouttostudentsthatiftheywereattemptingtoconvince

someonethattheywouldbegoodleaders,itwouldbeimportanttostatefactstosupporttheiropinions.

3. Explaintostudentsthatwhenwritingtopersuade,thewritertriestoconvincethereader(s)thathisopinionisthebestone.Hestateshisopinionatthebeginning;givesdetailsorreasonsthatprove,explain,orsupportit;andconcludesbyrestatinghisopinion.

4. Readaloudthepromptabove,displayitonatransparency,orwriteitontheboard.

5. Giveeachstudentacopyofpage9.Instructthestudenttousethereproducibletoorganizehisthoughtsandideasforhisspeech.Encouragehimtorememberwhathisclassmatesthoughtwerethequalitiesofgoodleaders—they’rethevoters!

Your school is getting ready to hold its annual student council elections, and you’ve decided to run for office. Write a speech persuading your classmates to vote for you as class president.

Write It! 1. Havethestudentusetheinformationrecordedonpage9tohelpwritehisspeech.

Remindthestudenttoincludeatopicsentence,atleastthreestrongsupportingdetails,andaconcludingsentence.

2. Directthestudenttoproofreadandedithisworkcarefully.Encouragestudentstoswappaperstopeer-edit.Afterallcorrectionshavebeenmade,havethestudentwritehisfinalcopyonanothersheetofpaper.

3. Ifdesired,haveeachstudentreadhisspeechtotherestoftheclass.Thenhavetheclassvoteforthemostpersuasivespeechbycastingballotsinamockelection.Hailtothechief!