Persuasive Writing

1. Evidence to Support Your Opinion

1.1. Conduct research to find factual information to support your claims.

1.2. Use linking words and phrases (because, therefore, since, etc.) to connect ideas.

2. Providing a Conclusion

2.1. Restate your opinion.

2.2. Leave the reader thinking about the problem.

3. Subject Area: English Language Arts Grade Level: 3rd Objective: Students will be able to conduct research to find factual information that will support the claims they make in their persuasive writing piece. Students will be able to write a persuasive writing piece, supporting their view with reasons.

4. Activity 2: The students will fill out a persuasion map to help them visualize and plan out their persuasive paper. The students will fill out the map on a computer or tablet and can then print it out when it is finished. The map allows for the student to create a thesis, three supporting reasons, facts to back up the reasoning, and a conclusion to the paper. Resource: Persuasion Map

5. Teaching Resource: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/convince-developing-persuasive-writing-56.html?tab=1#tabs

6. Stating your Opinion

6.1. Get your reader's attention with a hook.

6.2. State the problem you are addressing in your thesis statement.

7. Standards Addressed: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1.A: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. ISTE Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

8. Activity 1: Prime Question: What can we do to help the endangered animals found within our world? The students will be played in groups of three. Each group will be assigned an endangered animal. The students will then work together to locate information online about the animal, where they live, why they are endangered, and ways to help. The students will need to decide if the information they are finding is coming from a source that is accurate and reliable. The students can then work together to think of possible solutions to help the endangered animals. This will help the students find the evidence needed for their opinion paper, and a possible solution to pitch to the reader.

9. Reflection Activity: The students will be asked to write a post for our class blog reflecting on their experience with persuasive writing. The students can look back at their persuasion maps and their papers to help them with this process. In the blog post, the student will identify positives and the negatives that came about during this experience, including brainstorming and researching with the group, creating the persuasion map outline, and the writing process. The students will also identify three goals they hope to achieve during their next writing experience. The responses will be posted in the class blog, as well as a link to each student's persuasive paper. The students will be encouraged to read and respond to others' posts.