Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is an important skill that can seem intimidating to elementary students. This lesson encourages students to use skills and knowledge they may not realize they already have. A classroom game introduces students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they want) and making persuasive arguments. Students then choose their own persuasive piece to analyze and learn some of the definitions associated with persuasive writing. Once students become aware of the techniques used in oral arguments, they then apply them to independent persuasive writing activities and analyze the work of others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques.

Featured Resources

	Persuasion Map: Students can use this online interactive tool to map out an argument for their persuasive essay.
	Persuasive Strategy Presentation: This handy PowerPoint presentation helps students master the definition of each strategy used in persuasive writing.
Check the Strategies: Students can apply what they know about persuasive writing strategies by evaluating a persuasive piece and indicating whether the author used that strategy, and–if so–explaining how.

From Theory to Practice

Students can discover for themselves how much they already know about constructing persuasive arguments by participating in an exercise that is not intimidating.
Progressing from spoken to written arguments will help students become better readers of persuasive texts.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

Materials and Technology

Computers with Internet access
PowerPoint
LCD projector (optional)
Chart paper or chalkboard
Sticky notes
Persuasive Strategy Presentation

Printouts

Persuasion Is All Around You
Persuasive Strategy Definitions
Check the Strategies
Check the Strategy
Observations and Notes
Persuasive Writing Assessment

Preparation

Student Objectives

Work in cooperative groups to brainstorm ideas and organize them into a cohesive argument to be presented to the class
Gain knowledge of the different strategies that are used in effective persuasive writing
Use a graphic organizer to help them begin organizing their ideas into written form
Apply what they have learned to write a persuasive piece that expresses their stance and reasoning in a clear, logical sequence
Develop oral presentation skills by presenting their persuasive writing pieces to the class
Analyze the work of others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques

Session 1: The Game of Persuasion

Have students get into their groups.
Explain that sometimes when you play games the winner gets a reward and that at the end of this game the winning team will get the reward you have chosen (see Preparation, Step 1).
Have each team choose a recorder, or designate a recorder for each team yourself. The recorder's job is to write down the team's arguments.
Tell students that they must work together as a team for 15 to 20 minutes to come up with the best reason why the class should award their group the prize. Their reasons can be serious or playful.
Use a signal to let them know when to begin and when time is up.
Have students present their arguments. Students can either present as a group or choose one person to be their speaker.
Have the judge decide on a winning group or ask students to vote for a group other than themselves that had a convincing argument.

Home/School Connection: Distribute Persuasion Is All Around You. Students are to find an example of a persuasive piece from the newspaper, television, radio, magazine, or billboards around town and be ready to report back to class during Session 2. Provide a selection of magazines or newspapers with advertisements for students who may not have materials at home. For English-language learners (ELLs), it may be helpful to show examples of advertisements and articles in newspapers and magazines.

Session 2: Analysis of an Argument

1.	Begin by asking students to share their homework. You can have them share as a class, in their groups from the previous session, or in partners.
2.	After students have shared, explain that they are going to get a chance to examine the arguments that they made during Session 1 to find out what strategies they already know how to use.
3.	Pass out the Persuasive Strategy Definitions to each student. Tell students that you are going to explain each definition through a PowerPoint presentation.
4.	Read through each slide in the Persuasive Strategy Presentation. Discuss the meaning and how students used those strategies in their arguments during Session 1. Use your observations and notes to help students make connections between their arguments and the persuasive strategies. It is likely your students used many of the strategies, and did not know it. For example, imagine the reward for the winning team was 10 extra minutes of recess. Here is one possible argument:

“Our classmate Sarah finally got her cast taken off. She hasn’t been able to play outside for two months. For 60 days she’s had to go sit in the nurse’s office while we all played outside. Don’t you think it would be the greatest feeling for Sarah to have 10 extra minutes of recess the first week of getting her cast off?”

Home/School Connection: Ask students to revisit their persuasive piece from Persuasion Is All Around You. This time they will use Check the Strategies to look for the persuasive strategies that the creator of the piece incorporated. Check for understanding with your ELLs and any special needs students. It may be helpful for them to talk through their persuasive piece with you or a peer before taking it home for homework. Arrange a time for any student who may not have the opportunity to complete assignments outside of school to work with you, a volunteer, or another adult at school on the assignment.

Session 3: Persuasive Writing

Have partners enter their names and topics on the opening screen.
The goal or thesis is the claim or stance that they are taking on the issue.
Students should then brainstorm three reasons to support their claim, and facts and examples to support each reason.

Ask students to show you the persuasive strategies they are using
Guide students to use a variety of persuasive strategies
Make sure students are using their Persuasion Map as a guide
Check their supporting facts and examples for accuracy
Help groups write an interesting beginning and ending
Encourage partners to read their paragraphs to and provide feedback for each other
Edit for grammar and mechanics

Session 4: Presenting the Persuasive Writing

1.	During this session, partners will present their written argument to the class. Before students present, hand out the Check the Strategy sheet. This checklist is the same one they used for homework after Session 2. Direct students to mark off the strategies they hear in each presentation.
2.	Use the Observations and Notes sheet to record your observations.
3.	After each set of partners presents, ask the audience to share any persuasive strategies they heard in the argument.
4.	After all partners have presented, have students vote for the argument other than their own that they felt was most convincing.
5.	Tally the votes and award the prize to the winning team. To end this session, ask students to discuss something new they have learned about persuasive arguments and something they want to work on to become better at persuasive arguments.

Extensions

Endangered Species: Persuasive Writing offers a way to integrate science with persuasive writing. Have students pretend that they are reporters and have to convince people to think the way they do. Have them pick issues related to endangered species, use the Persuasion Map as a prewriting exercise, and write essays trying to convince others of their points of view. In addition, the lesson “Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues” can be adapted for your students as part of this exercise.
Have students write persuasive arguments for a special class event, such as an educational field trip or an in-class educational movie. Reward the class by arranging for the class event suggested in one of the essays.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Compare your Observations and Notes from Session 4 and Session 1 to see if students understand the persuasive strategies, use any new persuasive strategies, seem to be overusing a strategy, or need more practice refining the use of a strategy. Offer them guidance and practice as needed.
Collect both homework assignments and the Check the Strategy sheets and assess how well students understand the different elements of persuasive writing and how they are applied.
Collect students’ Persuasion Maps and use them and your discussions during conferences to see how well students understand how to use the persuasive strategies and are able to plan their essays. You want to look also at how well they are able to make changes from the map to their finished essays.
Use the Persuasive Writing Assessment to evaluate the essays students wrote during Session 3.

Calendar Activities |
Printouts |
Strategy Guides |
Lesson Plans |
Student Interactives

Calendar Activity Author & Text

Students select characters that they believe are the most memorable from Cleary's books and write short persuasive essays to explain their choices.

Calendar Activity Historical Figure & Event

Students practice the Pre-AP strategy called SOAPSTone, identifying important parts of the Gettysburg Address and comparing it with John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech.

Calendar Activity Historical Figure & Event

Students write expository and persuasive pieces with the help of the Persuasion Map and Essay Map interactives, and compare the essential features of the two modes of writing.

Calendar Activity Historical Figure & Event

In a small group or as individuals, students write letters related to a unit of study or particular topic they have studied.

Assessment Tool

Use this rubric to assess the effectiveness of a student's essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

Graphic Organizer

Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

Strategy Guide

This strategy guide focuses on persuasive writing and offers specific methods on how you can help your students use it to improve their critical writing and thinking skills.

Lesson Plan Standard Lesson

Students learn that you don't have to raise your voice to raise a point. Writing a persuasive letter to your principal is a great way to get your opinions heard.

Lesson Plan Standard Lesson

This lesson encourages students in grades 4 and 5 to think critically and write persuasively by focusing on preparing, presenting, and evaluating mock campaign speeches.

Lesson Plan Standard Lesson

In this lesson, students use focused prewriting strategies to explore content and ethical issues related to a persuasive assignment.

Lesson Plan Standard Lesson

After researching topics that the students have chosen, students write argumentative essays. Then, using Piktochart, students create their own infographics to illustrate their research.

Student Interactive Organizing & Summarizing

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

Student Interactive Organizing & Summarizing

This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.