Persuasive Language

Overview

Lesson 7 of 14 in Persuade Through Time. Students explore how writers influence an audience by identifying persuasive language in short mentor texts, then improve simple sentences for a chosen viewpoint.

Learning intentions

• WALT: We are learning to use persuasive language to influence an audience.
• Students will identify emotive words, modality, rhetorical questions, inclusive language and strong verbs.
• Students will choose persuasive words that suit their viewpoint and audience.
• Students will improve a simple sentence by making its language more persuasive.

Success criteria

• I can find persuasive words in a short text.
• I can explain how a word or question may influence an audience.
• I can choose words that match my viewpoint and audience.
• I can improve a simple sentence using persuasive language.

Curriculum links

• Creating and responding to imaginative, informative and persuasive texts for familiar audiences.
• Exploring how language choices, including vocabulary and sentence structures, influence meaning and audiences.
• Recognising and discussing how texts are organised and how authors use language features.
• Planning, creating, revising and editing short texts, with attention to purpose, audience, spelling and punctuation.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Engage and wonder

Open with the hook and learning intention slides. Display two versions: “We need a class garden” and “Our class really needs a wonderful garden!” Ask: “Which sentence makes you want to agree? Why?” Students think-pair-share, then contribute observations. Connect responses to the inquiry question: “How can words change what people think or do?”

2. 5–13 minutes – Notice persuasive language

Read the short mentor text on the mentor text and language-feature slides:

“Should our school have more shade? Everyone deserves a cool place to play. We must plant trees because they will make our playground safer and happier. Join us and help create a greener school!”

Think aloud while colour coding examples: emotive words such as “safer” and “happier”; modality such as “must”; the rhetorical question “Should our school have more shade?”; inclusive language such as “everyone” and “our”; and strong verbs such as “join”, “help” and “create”. Explain that a rhetorical question is asked to make an audience think, not usually to receive an answer.

3. 13–20 minutes – Guided investigation

Distribute the persuasive language investigation worksheet. Complete the first example together. Read two or three short sentences aloud and ask students to identify a feature using colour coding or by pointing to the matching label. Use oral repetition: students repeat each example with a partner and explain its effect using the stem, “This word makes the audience feel/think…”

For Year 1 students, focus on emotive words, inclusive language and strong verbs. Invite Year 2 students to identify modality and rhetorical questions as well.

4. 20–28 minutes – Word choice inquiry

Present a simple sentence on the word-choice comparison slides: “We should get new playground equipment.” Offer contrasting choices: “We could get new equipment” and “We must get exciting, safe equipment.” Ask: “Which sounds more convincing? Which sounds gentler? Who might each sentence suit?”

In pairs, students orally improve two simple sentences on the worksheet. They may select from the word bank or suggest their own words. Circulate and prompt: “What do you want your audience to feel?” and “Which strong verb would make your message clearer?”

5. 28–38 minutes – Independent creation

Students choose a familiar issue, such as more library time, a class pet, a quiet reading corner or healthier lunch choices. They write one or two persuasive sentences on the worksheet for a chosen audience, such as the principal, their families or another class.

Encourage students to include at least two persuasive choices. Provide a sentence frame: “We should ___ because ___.” Students may orally rehearse before writing. Confer with individuals and ask them to explain why their chosen words fit their viewpoint and audience.

6. 38–43 minutes – Share and respond

Invite four or five students to read their sentences. After each example, the class identifies one persuasive feature and discusses its effect. Use the response prompts on the sharing and discussion slide: “I noticed…”, “This might persuade the audience because…” and “A stronger word could be…”

7. 43–45 minutes – Reflect and close

Revisit the learning intention on the plenary slide. Students complete the final reflection on the worksheet by circling the feature they used and finishing: “My words will persuade my audience because…” Collect worksheets as an exit assessment.

Resources

• the persuasive language lesson deck
• the persuasive language investigation worksheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Colour pencils or highlighters
• Class set of pencils
• Teacher-created short mentor text
• Word bank: everyone, our, must, should, exciting, fair, safe, important, join, protect, choose, help
• Optional visual timer

Assessment

• Listen to partner explanations and questioning during the feature-identification activity, noting whether students can name or describe a persuasive choice.
• Review worksheets for accurate identification of language features and purposeful sentence improvements.
• Assess the final sentences for a clear viewpoint, an intended audience and at least two suitable persuasive language choices.

Differentiation

• Provide a visual word bank, sentence frames, oral rehearsal and colour coding. Explicitly model one strategy at a time before students work independently.
• Read all examples aloud and allow students to dictate ideas, draw first, or work with a supportive partner. Accept pointing, speaking or scribing as evidence of understanding.
• Reduce the writing demand for students needing support: one improved sentence with one identified feature is sufficient.
• Extension students experiment with contrasting language choices, such as “could” and “must” or “nice” and “essential”, then discuss how each changes the audience’s response. They may write two versions for different audiences.