Building Strong Reasons

Overview

Lesson 4 of 12 in Persuade with Purpose. Students explore a familiar local or national issue, choose a clear position, and organise two or three logical reasons with supporting evidence using a “burger plan”.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify a clear position on a familiar issue.
• WALT choose reasons that logically support our position.
• WALT add examples, facts or explanations as evidence.
• WALT organise persuasive ideas into an introduction, body and conclusion.

Success criteria

• I can state my position clearly.
• I can choose two or three reasons that support my position.
• I can add useful evidence or examples for each reason.
• I can organise my ideas in a burger plan.

Curriculum links

• Creating texts: planning and organising ideas for a clear purpose and audience.
• Purposes and audiences: recognising that persuasive texts are written to influence what people think or do.
• Structure and language: using an introduction, connected reasons, evidence and a conclusion.
• Key competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 minutes – Hook and connect Open with the issue hook and learning intention. Display the question: “Should our school have one car-free day each week?” Students show thumbs up, sideways or down, then briefly explain their view to a partner. Remind students that persuasive writers take a position and give convincing reasons.

2. 4–9 minutes – Model the burger plan Use the burger plan model to show the structure:

• Top bun: introduction and position
• Fillings: reasons and evidence
• Bottom bun: conclusion that restates the position Model a short example: “Our school should have a car-free day because it would make the gate safer, reduce pollution and encourage healthy travel.” Think aloud about how each reason connects to the position.

3. 9–14 minutes – Generate possible issues and positions Show the familiar issue choices on the issue choice slide. Possible topics include banning single-use plastic at school, creating more playground shade, having longer library opening times, protecting a local stream, or introducing a school garden. In pairs, students choose one issue and complete the position sentence: “I believe that…”

4. 14–22 minutes – Plan reasons and evidence Distribute the persuasive burger planning worksheet. Students record their position and brainstorm three possible reasons. They test each reason by asking, “Does this really support my position?” Students then select their strongest two or three reasons and add evidence, such as a specific example, observation, fact they know, or explanation of what might happen. Circulate and prompt students to replace repeated or unrelated reasons.

5. 22–26 minutes – Partner check Use the partner-check prompts. Partners read each other’s plan and respond:

• What is the writer’s position?
• Which reason is strongest?
• What evidence makes one reason convincing?
• Is any reason unclear or unrelated? Students make one improvement to their plan after the discussion.

6. 26–30 minutes – Share and consolidate Invite two or three students to share their position and strongest reason. Finish with the reflection and exit prompt: “A strong persuasive plan includes ___ because ___.” Students complete the final reflection on their worksheet. Collect plans to identify who can select connected reasons and who needs further modelling in the next lesson.

Resources

• the “Building Strong Reasons” teaching deck
• the persuasive burger planning worksheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector or interactive display
• Pencils and coloured pencils
• Timer
• Optional local issue photographs or examples for discussion

Assessment

• Listen during partner talk for a clear position and reasons that logically connect to it.
• Check each worksheet for a stated position, two or three relevant reasons, and supporting evidence.
• Use the partner-check response and final reflection to identify students needing support with relevance, explanation or organisation.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters: “I believe…”, “My first reason is…”, “For example…”, and “This matters because…”.
• Support students by offering a smaller choice of issues and orally rehearsing their ideas before writing.
• Allow EAL and students requiring additional support to draw evidence first, dictate ideas to a peer or adult, or use a scribed response.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to rank their reasons from strongest to weakest and explain why their evidence would persuade the intended audience.