Persuasive Writing Draft

Overview

In this 20-minute writing lesson, students practise writing a short persuasive text about a matter of immediate personal relevance. The lesson builds toward connected writing where students state an opinion and give simple reasons, aligning to During Novice 2 writing expectations for European Languages.

Learning intentions

• WALT write a straightforward persuasive paragraph with a clear opinion.
• WALT give 2–3 simple reasons to support my opinion.
• WALT use basic linking words to make my writing connected.
• WALT check my writing against a short success checklist (clarity, reasons, linking).

Success criteria

• I can write a clear opinion about a topic (e.g., school rules, phone use, homework).
• I can write 2–3 reasons using simple sentences.
• I can use at least two linkers (e.g., “because”, “also”, “but”) appropriately.
• I can read my paragraph aloud and correct obvious errors (spelling, missing words).

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — European Languages introduction: During Novice 2 Writing (Productive skills): produce straightforward connected texts about matters of immediate personal relevance, expressing opinions and giving reasons in a simple way.
• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — European Languages introduction: Writing: produce straightforward connected texts about immediate personal relevance, expressing opinions and giving reasons in a simple way.

Lesson structure (20 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Teacher present. Teacher displays the writing prompt and model sentence frames for persuasive writing; students read silently, then underline the key words (opinion + reason).

2. 3–7 min · Contents + mini model. Teacher briefly explains the structure: (1) Opinion sentence, (2) Reason 1, (3) Reason 2, (4) short closing (optional). Students follow along with a model paragraph in the target language (or teacher-provided bilingual scaffold), noting which parts are opinion vs reasons.

3. 7–12 min · Example review (guided). Teacher and students review two short example paragraphs and highlight:

• opinion is stated directly
• each reason starts a new sentence
• linkers are used to connect ideas Students do a quick “spot the opinion” check: hands up when they identify the opinion sentence.

4. 12–17 min · Writing task (independent). Students write one persuasive paragraph (6–8 sentences total) using sentence starters and their own ideas. Teacher circulates and provides quick feedback on whether each reason links to the opinion.

5. 17–20 min · Share + quick check. Students swap with a partner for one focused check using the checklist: “opinion present, 2 reasons present, at least two linkers”. Partners give one “glow” and one “grow” comment, then students make one correction to improve clarity.

Resources

• Teacher slide or board with the writing prompt and model paragraph
• Sentence starters for opinion and reasons (e.g., “I think…”, “Because…”, “Also…”, “I believe…”)
• Linker word bank (because / also / but / therefore adapted to the language being learned)
• Student writing template: 1 boxed paragraph with line guides (6–8 lines)
• Checklist card (opinion + 2 reasons + linkers + read aloud check)
• Timer visible to students
• Coloured pens/pencils for highlighting opinion and reasons

Assessment

• During writing: teacher checks for the presence of an opinion and at least two reason sentences (quick notes or tick marks).
• During peer check: students complete the checklist and identify one improvement suggestion.
• End-of-lesson observation: teacher listens to a short sample of 3–5 students to confirm clarity and connectedness.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide a partially completed model for students to finish (opinion + 1 reason given; students add 1–2 more reasons).
• Offer a reduced checklist (must-have: opinion + 2 reasons).
• Use a word bank tailored to the day’s topic (school, free time, sports, homework).
• Challenge:
• Require a counterpoint using “but” (e.g., “Some people think…, but…”).
• Add a short concluding sentence that restates the opinion in different words.
• EAL/SEN considerations:
• Allow use of correct key vocabulary from the bank and encourage sentence-by-sentence accuracy over length.
• Offer sentence starters with fewer grammatical demands; focus on clear meaning and logical order.
• Choice:
• Students choose the topic angle (agree/disagree) to increase relevance and ownership.

9-week sequence (2 lessons per week)

This plan repeats the same lesson routine weekly with different prompts and increasing complexity. Each week includes Lesson A (build + write) and Lesson B (revise + improve).

• Week 1: “Homework should be…” (agree/disagree). Focus: opinion + 2 reasons.
• Week 2: “Phone use at school should…” Focus: opinion + reasons + linker “also”.
• Week 3: “School uniform should/shouldn’t…” Focus: opinion + reasons + “because”.
• Week 4: “More free time is needed…” Focus: add a short conclusion.
• Week 5: “Sports should be…” Focus: reasons with “I think/I believe” style variation.
• Week 6: “Class rules should…” Focus: counterpoint with “but”.
• Week 7: “Canteen food should/shouldn’t…” Focus: connectives for contrast and cause.
• Week 8: “Homework should be shorter/longer…” Focus: stronger reason sentences (more detail).
• Week 9: “A class trip should happen…” Focus: best copy + peer feedback + final edit.

If you tell me which European language you’re using today (French, German, or Spanish) and the topic you’ve selected for the first week, I can tailor the sentence starters and linker word bank exactly for that language while keeping the same 20-minute structure.