Plan a Persuasive Ad

Overview

Students begin planning a persuasive Trade Me-style advertisement for a random object selected from a class bag. Building on prior learning about persuasive writing and AFOREST features, they identify an audience, purpose, key selling points and a clear structure before drafting.

Learning intentions

• WALT plan a persuasive advertisement for a specific audience and purpose.
• WALT generate and organise ideas about an unfamiliar object.
• WALT select persuasive language and structural features that will influence a buyer.
• WALT explain how planning helps us create an effective piece of writing.

Success criteria

• I can identify my item, intended audience and purpose.
• I can list useful facts, opinions and selling points about my item.
• I can plan an attention-grabbing introduction, three persuasive points and a call to action.
• I can choose at least three persuasive features, such as rhetorical questions, emotive language, repetition, commands, humour or the rule of three.

Curriculum links

• English — Working with texts: explicitly explore text features that carry meaning in a year-level text.
• English — Working with texts: provide rich opportunities to share thoughts about texts and topics.
• English — Working with texts: recognise that text difficulty depends on the relationship between the text, the task and students’ existing knowledge.
• English — Working with texts: support students to engage independently with a range of texts and authors.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Engage with an example. Teacher opens the persuasive advertising introduction slides and displays the Decorator’s Dice advertisement from the class materials, asking: “Would this make you want to buy the product? Why or why not?” Students silently notice one feature, then share with a partner. Emphasise that an advertisement is designed for a purpose: to persuade a particular audience to take action.

2. 5–11 min · Revisit persuasive features. Teacher uses the persuasive features slides to briefly revisit rhetorical questions, repetition, hyperbole, tone, humour, emotive language, facts, opinions, commands and the rule of three. Model one example from the Decorator’s Dice ad, such as “Stop procrastinating, start decorating!” Students identify the feature and explain its likely effect on a buyer. Keep the discussion focused on how each choice helps the writer influence the audience, rather than simply naming techniques.

3. 11–16 min · Introduce the challenge and model planning. Teacher explains that each student will select one random item and plan a Trade Me advertisement for it. Model a quick think-aloud using an ordinary classroom object: identify a likely audience, invent a suitable purpose and turn a feature into a benefit. Complete the first part of the persuasive advertisement planning sheet on the board. Students suggest possible audiences and benefits, noticing that the same object could be marketed differently to a child, parent, athlete or collector.

4. 16–21 min · Select and investigate an item. Teacher passes the bag around, ensuring each student chooses one item without swapping immediately. Students record the item on the persuasive advertisement planning sheet, then quietly examine it using sight, touch and, where appropriate, smell or sound. They write at least three observations and one question. Remind students that they may use imagination, but should not claim unsafe or impossible facts as if they are true.

5. 21–33 min · Complete the pre-writing plan. Teacher circulates, conferencing first with students who are unsure how to approach their item. Prompt with: “Who would want this?”, “What problem could it solve?”, “What makes it special?”, and “What could you exaggerate for humour?” Students complete the audience, purpose, selling points, possible facts or opinions and persuasive-feature sections of the persuasive advertisement planning sheet. Students then plan the structure: an attention-grabbing opening, three different persuasive points and a final call to action. Encourage them to include AFOREST choices where they fit naturally, rather than forcing every feature into the advertisement.

6. 33–41 min · Share and improve. Teacher displays the planning-share and feedback slides and organises students into pairs. Each student gives a 30-second “sales pitch” using their plan; the partner identifies the intended audience, one convincing idea and one place where the plan could be clearer or more persuasive. Students make one improvement to their plan. Provide the sentence stems: “Your audience might be…”, “The strongest selling point is…”, and “You could make this more persuasive by…”.

7. 41–45 min · Plenary and next step. Teacher uses the plenary and drafting prompt to ask students to complete the sentence: “A strong plan helps me because…” Students circle their best selling point and write the first sentence they might use in the advertisement. Collect plans or check them at the door, explaining that the next lesson will use them to draft the full advertisement.

Resources

• the persuasive advertising slide deck
• the persuasive advertisement planning sheet
• Class bag containing one suitable, safe object for each student
• Decorator’s Dice advertisement from the supplied class materials
• Pens, pencils and highlighters
• Board or projector
• Timer

Assessment

• During modelling and discussion, check whether students can identify a persuasive feature and explain its effect on an audience.
• During planning, conference with students and check for a named audience, clear purpose, three selling points and a planned structure.
• Use the final plan and opening sentence as an exit check. Note students who need further support with audience, idea generation or organising paragraphs before drafting.

Differentiation

• Support students with a choice of audience cards written on the board: a busy parent, a younger child, an outdoor adventurer, a collector or a person solving a problem. Provide sentence starters such as “This is perfect for…”, “Have you ever…?”, and “You need this because…”.
• For dyslexic learners, provide a dyslexia-friendly worksheet with a clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, uncluttered boxes and the persuasive-feature words read aloud. Allow speech-to-text, oral planning or a scribe, and do not require copying the advertisement example.
• EAL learners may draw the object, label features, rehearse ideas orally and use a word bank containing audience, purpose, benefit, fact, opinion, command and call to action. Pair them with a supportive peer for the sales pitch.
• Students who need more challenge can plan two contrasting advertisements for the same object, changing the audience, tone and persuasive choices. They should explain which version would be more effective and why.

Extension

• Students can create a short “seller profile” for their imagined Trade Me account, including a tone and style that match their target audience.
• Students can draft two alternative attention-grabbing introductions and rank them from least to most persuasive, explaining their choice.