Building Persuasive Arguments

Curriculum links

• Planning and creating texts that express ideas and opinions for a specific audience.
• Creating persuasive texts with a clear purpose, considered arguments and supporting examples.
• Discussing how texts represent ideas, characters and experiences.
• Using interaction skills to listen, contribute relevant ideas and build on others’ responses.

Overview

This is Lesson 5 of 22 in Persuading with The Wild Robot. Students revisit how robots can help or create challenges, generate possible viewpoints, choose a position for a persuasive letter, and select three arguments suited to their audience.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify benefits and concerns connected with robots in The Wild Robot
• generate reasons and examples for different viewpoints
• choose a position for a persuasive letter and identify its audience
• select three strong arguments and explain why they may persuade the audience

Success criteria

• I can state my position clearly.
• I can give three different reasons for my position.
• I can support each reason with an example or explanation.
• I can explain why my arguments would persuade my audience.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Settle, connect and share the purpose Display the learning intention and success criteria using the learning intention and success criteria slides. Say: “Today we are generating ideas, not writing the whole letter.” Briefly remind students that persuasive writing presents a position and gives reasons to influence a particular audience. Students turn and tell a partner one thing Roz did that helped another character or created a challenge.

2. 5–12 minutes – Revisit the novel Open the Wild Robot recall slides and show simple prompts such as: “How did Roz help?” and “What problems or concerns did robots create?” Use a quick round-robin discussion so each of the six students contributes one idea. Record responses in two teacher-created headings: Robots can help and Robots can create challenges. Prompt students to refer to an event, character or consequence rather than giving only a general opinion.

3. 12–22 minutes – Sort benefits and concerns Distribute the benefits-and-concerns sorting worksheet. Students work in pairs to sort the provided robot-related statements into Benefits, Concerns or Unsure. Read each statement aloud before students decide, and invite pairs to justify one choice. Pause after several items to model that a statement can be viewed differently depending on the audience. Students add one new benefit and one new concern from The Wild Robot or their own experience.

4. 22–28 minutes – Choose a position and audience Use the position and audience choice slides to present the core topic: “Should robots be used more in our community?” Students choose yes, no or it depends. They may instead choose a suitable alternative topic, such as whether robots should help in schools, homes or hospitals. On the worksheet, students complete: “I believe…” and “I am writing to…” Examples of audiences include the school principal, families or the local council. Check each choice is safe, debatable and appropriate for a persuasive letter.

5. 28–37 minutes – Build a class bank of reasons Create a shared class bank on the board, using the class argument bank slides as a visual guide. Invite students to contribute reasons, then ask: “What example proves or explains this?” Record concise paired notes, such as “Robots can help people – they can complete dangerous jobs” and “Robots may cause problems – people might rely on them too much.” Encourage linking words including because, for example, also and however. Students add at least three possible reasons to their worksheet.

6. 37–43 minutes – Select and test three arguments Students choose their three strongest reasons and complete the final section of the benefits-and-concerns sorting worksheet. For each reason, they add an example and finish the prompt: “This could persuade my audience because…” Confer with students individually, checking that the reasons are different, relevant to the position and suited to the chosen audience. Use the argument strength check slides to prompt: “Is it clear?”, “Is it supported?” and “Would this audience care?”

7. 43–45 minutes – Share and preview Use the reflection and next-lesson slide. Each student reads one selected argument to the group. Students give a quiet thumbs signal for “ready”, “nearly ready” or “need help”; collect worksheets to use when drafting persuasive letters in the next lesson.

Resources

• the complete lesson slide deck
• the benefits-and-concerns sorting worksheet
• The Wild Robot or selected class extracts
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pencils and highlighters
• Optional sticky notes for the class argument bank
• Timer or visual countdown

Assessment

• Listen for students identifying specific events or consequences from The Wild Robot during discussion and sorting.
• Check worksheets for a clear position, named audience, three distinct reasons and relevant supporting examples.
• Confer during argument selection, asking students to explain why each reason would persuade their audience.

Differentiation

• Provide a small choice of clearly worded positions, picture-supported prompts and sentence starters: “Robots can help by…”, “One concern is…” and “This would persuade…”.
• Read all worksheet statements aloud, chunk instructions one step at a time, and use a visible timer and consistent partner routine to support students with ADHD and Autism.
• Allow students to respond orally, by drawing, typing or using scribed ideas before recording their final choices.
• Extend students by asking them to include a counterargument, such as “Some people believe…, however…”, and explain why their audience may disagree.