Lesson Plan for Year 8 English: Persuasive Writing

Overview

This lesson plan is designed for a 10-minute English class focused on persuasive writing. It caters to Year 8 students in New Zealand and adheres to the New Zealand Curriculum standards for English at Level 4. The lesson aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of persuasive writing techniques.

Curriculum Area and Level

• Subject: English
• Year Group: Year 8
• Curriculum Area: English
• Level: Level 4, New Zealand Curriculum
• Key Competency: Using language, symbols, and texts
• New Zealand Curriculum - English Level 4

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of persuasive writing.
2. Identify at least two techniques used in persuasive writing.

Resources Needed

• Examples of persuasive texts (advertisements, opinion pieces)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Persuasive Techniques Handout (TKI Resource)

Lesson Plan

Introduction (2 minutes)

1. Greeting and Introduction

   • Welcome the students and introduce the topic: "Today, we are going to learn about persuasive writing, which is a way to convince someone to agree with your opinion."

2. Define Persuasive Writing

   • Briefly explain what persuasive writing is: "Persuasive writing is used to convince the reader to believe or do something. It is commonly used in advertisements, speeches, and newspaper editorials."

Main Activity (6 minutes)

3. Illustrate with Examples

   • Display examples of persuasive texts on the whiteboard.
   • Ask students to read and identify persuasive phrases that aim to convince the reader.

4. Discussion

   • Discuss why these phrases are persuasive. Ask questions like:
     • "What makes this phrase convincing?"
     • "How does the writer try to influence the reader?"

5. Introduce Persuasive Techniques

   • Briefly introduce two main persuasive techniques:
     • Emotive language: Words that evoke strong feelings.
     • Rhetorical questions: Questions asked to make a point rather than to get an answer.
   • Provide examples from the texts and explain why they are effective.

Conclusion and Assignment (2 minutes)

6. Recap Key Points

   • Summarize the persuasive techniques discussed.

7. Homework Assignment

   • Assign students to find a persuasive article online or in a newspaper and identify the persuasive techniques used. They should prepare to discuss these in the next class.

8. Closing

   • Encourage students to think about how they are influenced by persuasive writing in media and advertisements.
   • Remind them of the homework and what will be covered in the next session on persuasive writing.

Evaluation

• Monitor student participation during the discussion.
• Review the examples students bring to the next class to ensure they understand persuasive techniques.

This concise lesson plan provides an engaging introduction to persuasive writing, fitting the educational standards of New Zealand and focusing on applicable techniques for everyday media.