Powerful Persuasive Words

Year Level

Year 3

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

20 students

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Curriculum Links

Australian Curriculum: English (v9)

Strand: Language

• ACELA1486: Understand how to use vocabulary to express greater precision of meaning, including modal verbs to indicate degrees of possibility, probability, and obligation.

Strand: Literature

• ACELT1582: Identify some features of texts including events and characters and retell events from a text.

Strand: Literacy

• ACELY1682: Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features.

• ACELY1683: Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events, ideas and information in texts listened to, viewed or read.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand what high modality (powerful) words are and their role in persuasive language.

2. Identify and match persuasive high modality words related to common product types.

3. Use high modality words to complete simple persuasive sentences with guided support.

4. Contribute to a classroom word wall of powerful persuasive words.

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Resources Needed

• Sets of word cards with persuasive high modality words (e.g., must, definitely, best, amazing, guaranteed, excellent, unmissable)

• Product images or name cards (e.g., chocolate, toys, books, sports gear)

• Large display area or board for Word Wall

• Sentence starters and word prompts handouts for guided writing task, e.g.:

  • "This product is ______ because ______."

  • "You should buy this ______ as it is ______."

• Whiteboard and markers

• Visual aids/model sentences with high modality words

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Greet the class and explain that today they will learn about "powerful words" used to make writing and speaking more convincing and interesting.

• Explicitly teach what high modality words are, describing them as words that show strong feelings or certainty, such as "must," "definitely," or "best."

• Show examples on the board:

  • "You must try this chocolate."

  • "This toy is the best in the store."

• Use clear, simple language, and check understanding with the whole class through questioning.

2. Word Wall Relay Activity (15 minutes)

• Divide the class into 4 teams of 5 students.

• Explain the rules clearly: each team will receive a pack of persuasive word cards and product cards.

• Each team must match the powerful word cards to the correct product card as quickly and accurately as possible.

• After matching, teams come to place their words on a large Word Wall under the related product category.

• Teacher supports by reading words aloud, prompting teams with examples and definitions if needed.

• Reinforce the meaning and impact of high modality words during the activity.

3. Modelling Sentences (5 minutes)

• Model writing 2-3 simple persuasive sentences on the board using high modality words from the Word Wall.

• Highlight each high modality word by underlining or using a different colour.

• Read the sentences aloud with expression to show their power.

4. Guided Writing Task (10 minutes)

• Distribute sentence starter prompts and word support sheets.

• Guide students individually or in pairs to write simple persuasive sentences about a product using the high modality words learned.

• Sentence prompts help students structure their sentences.

• Teacher circulates to provide explicit scaffolding, encouraging use of the Word Wall for vocabulary support.

5. Sharing and Recap (5 minutes)

• Invite some students to share their persuasive sentences aloud.

• Recap the meaning and use of high modality words.

• Reinforce the importance of these words when trying to persuade someone.

• Add exceptional student examples to the Word Wall to encourage ownership.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment will be conducted through observation during the Word Wall relay: noting students’ ability to recognise and match high modality words.

• Collect students' written sentences to assess understanding of using high modality words persuasively, using a simple checklist:

  • Did the student use at least one high modality word?

  • Is the sentence persuasive (e.g., uses words like must, best, guaranteed)?

  • Sentence structure is simple and clear.

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Differentiation and Support

• For students needing additional support, provide direct one-to-one help during the writing activity.

• Use clear visual cues, gesture, and repetition to reinforce new vocabulary.

• Allow students to verbalise sentences before writing.

• Provide a limited number of word cards to avoid overwhelming students.

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Teacher Reflection Tips

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the Word Wall relay in engaging students with low literacy skills.

• Consider using visuals and gestures more intensively when introducing new words.

• Monitor student confidence in using high modality words and plan follow-up lessons for further practice.

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This detailed lesson plan aligns with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Year 3 English, specifically targeting ACELA1486, ACELY1682, and ACELY1683, focusing on persuasive language, vocabulary precision, and structured writing development. The explicit modelling, active participation, and scaffolded writing task support low-ability learners effectively while making the learning interactive and memorable. The Word Wall promotes ongoing vocabulary reinforcement beyond the lesson .