Defend Your Character

Overview

Students examine how a fairy-tale character might present a different side of their story. Using Shrek as a familiar context, they identify persuasive techniques, plan logically grouped reasons, and draft an extended persuasive essay arguing that Lord Farquaad was misunderstood. The lesson assumes students have previously discussed character actions and viewpoints.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify persuasive techniques in a model text.
• WALT plan a persuasive essay for a clear audience and purpose.
• WALT support a position with logically ordered reasons, relevant details and emotive language.
• WALT use linking words and a conclusion to create a convincing extended text.

Success criteria

• I can clearly state my position about Lord Farquaad.
• I can organise my writing into an introduction, three reasoned paragraphs and a conclusion.
• I can use facts or details from the film, emotive words and linking words to influence my audience.
• I can choose details that support my purpose and leave out details that weaken my argument.

Curriculum links

• Writing to persuade: introduce a topic, state a position, organise ideas into paragraphs, and conclude appropriately.
• Writing to persuade: support reasons with facts and details, using emotive language and linking words.
• Audience, purpose and language choice: make deliberate decisions about content to affect readers.
• Writing processes—planning: reduce information into key words and phrases before drafting.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and viewpoint. Open with the opening character image and question: “Can a villain also be a victim?” Students silently choose whether Lord Farquaad was misunderstood, then discuss their position with a partner, giving one reason. Invite three contrasting responses and explain that persuasive writers deliberately shape what their audience thinks.

2. 7–17 min · Notice persuasive craft. Display the model paragraph and technique prompts and read aloud a short model:

“Lord Farquaad was treated unfairly by everyone around him. Although he made poor choices, he was determined to create a safe kingdom. Surely a leader who wants order deserves understanding. Consequently, we should consider his fears before judging him.”

Students identify the position, emotive words, rhetorical question, linking word and supporting detail. Clarify that persuasion is not simply saying an opinion repeatedly: the writer selects details that will influence a particular audience.

3. 17–27 min · Build possible reasons. In groups of three or four, students use the persuasive techniques poster as a reference while discussing possible arguments. Prompt: “What could make Farquaad seem misunderstood?” Record suggestions such as fear of being mocked, pressure to appear powerful, desire for order, or belief that he was protecting his kingdom. Groups sort ideas into strongest, middle and weakest reasons, then share one reason and the detail that could support it. Remind students to distinguish a film detail from an invented explanation.

4. 27–37 min · Plan the essay. Distribute the fairy-tale character persuasive writing planner. Model planning one paragraph: reason, film detail, explanation of how it supports the position, and a persuasive word or phrase. Students complete a plan for an introduction, three logically ordered reasons and a conclusion. They may choose another character or a different position if they can justify it, but all plans must identify an audience, such as the citizens of Duloc or people who judged Farquaad.

5. 37–53 min · Draft extended writing. Students independently write their persuasive essay from their plan. Require at least five paragraphs: an introduction with a clear position, three body paragraphs and a conclusion related to that position. Encourage linking words such as “although”, “specifically”, “consequently”, “therefore” and “however”. Confer with individuals, asking: “What does your audience need to believe?” and “Which detail most strongly supports this reason?” Students who finish underline one emotive phrase and circle two linking words.

6. 53–60 min · Share and assess. Students exchange writing with a partner and use the final checklist on the peer-review checklist to identify one effective technique and one specific improvement. Take two examples of persuasive language for class discussion. Students complete an exit response: “My strongest reason is ___ because ___; one technique I used was ___.”

Resources

• the persuasive writing teaching deck
• the fairy-tale character persuasive writing planner
• the persuasive techniques poster
• Copies of the film or a prepared list of brief, accurate scene details
• Whiteboard and markers
• Devices or writing books
• Highlighters or coloured pencils

Assessment

• During discussion, check whether students can distinguish a position, reason, supporting detail and persuasive technique.
• Review planning sheets for a clear audience, a stated position, three logically ordered reasons and relevant details.
• Use the draft and exit response to assess paragraph structure, emotive language, linking words and a related conclusion. Note students needing support with evidence, organisation or sentence construction.

Differentiation

• Support students with a partially completed planner, a bank of linking words, oral rehearsal before writing and sentence starters such as “Although Farquaad…, …” and “This shows that…”.
• Allow students who need it to dictate ideas, use speech-to-text, or draft fewer sentences in each paragraph while retaining the five-part structure.
• Provide EAL learners with a visual word bank and rehearse the meanings of “position”, “reason”, “evidence”, “audience” and “misunderstood” using examples.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to acknowledge an opposing view, then rebut it using “Some people may argue…, however…”. They should also explain why one chosen detail is more convincing than another.