What Makes Persuasion Work?

Overview

In this first lesson of the five-part Persuasive Speech Toolkit unit, students investigate how speakers influence an audience. They examine age-appropriate speech examples, identify key persuasive features, and apply a shared structure to write a short opinion paragraph.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify the purpose and audience of a persuasive speech.
• WALT recognise hooks, opinions, reasons, evidence and calls to action.
• WALT explain how persuasive language influences an audience.
• WALT use a persuasive structure to write a short opinion paragraph.

Success criteria

• I can identify the audience, purpose and opinion in a persuasive speech.
• I can label a hook, reason, evidence and call to action.
• I can use persuasive verbs, connectives and evaluative language.
• I can write an opinion paragraph with a clear position, reason and supporting detail.

Curriculum links

• English — Comprehension: identifying persuasive techniques and explaining how they influence an audience.
• English — Writing: creating persuasive texts such as speeches, arguments and discussions for topical issues.
• English — Writing to persuade: stating a position, grouping reasons, using supporting details, linking ideas and concluding clearly.
• English — Audience, purpose and language choice: making deliberate choices about content and language to affect readers.

The lesson develops the key competencies of thinking; using language, symbols and texts; managing self; and participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook: Which speaker would convince you? Teacher opens with the hook and comparison slides showing two short versions of a school proposal: “We should have a longer lunchtime” and “Imagine having ten extra minutes to finish your game, eat calmly and return to class ready to learn.” Students vote silently for the more convincing version, then discuss what made it stronger. Introduce the unit question: What makes persuasion work?

2. 5–12 min · Purpose and audience. Teacher explains that persuasive speakers want an audience to think, feel or do something, and models identifying purpose and audience in a brief exemplar about protecting native birds. Students identify who the speaker is addressing, what the speaker wants, and which words are chosen for that audience. Record responses on the purpose-and-audience teaching slide.

3. 12–22 min · Notice the structure. Teacher reads or displays a short speech exemplar, pausing to model annotation: hook, opinion, reasons, evidence and call to action. Students annotate the same text on the speech feature annotation and opinion paragraph worksheet, using a different colour or symbol for each feature. Prompt: “How does this feature help the speaker influence the audience?” Check answers through whole-class discussion.

4. 22–29 min · Build persuasive language. Teacher introduces persuasive verbs, connectives and evaluative language, using the Persuasive Techniques Posters as a reference display and the Persuasive Language Word Bank for vocabulary support. Students work in pairs to choose three useful words, explain their effect, and suggest a sentence using each. Add strong student suggestions to a class word bank under the headings verbs, connectives and evaluative language.

5. 29–40 min · Write an opinion paragraph. Teacher models the structure on the paragraph model and writing instructions: position/opinion, reason, supporting detail or example, and concluding statement or call to action. Offer the class topic: Our school should provide more opportunities for students to spend time outdoors. Students write independently on the worksheet. Encourage first-person language, such as “I believe…”, and linking words such as because, for instance, in addition and consequently. Confer with selected students and ask them to underline their opinion, circle their reason and box their supporting detail.

6. 40–45 min · Share and reflect. Teacher displays the peer-review and plenary slides and asks students to read their paragraph to a partner. Partners identify one persuasive feature and describe its likely effect on the audience. Students complete the worksheet reflection: “The feature I used most effectively was… because…”. Invite two or three students to share examples and preview the next lesson, where students will strengthen hooks and audience awareness.

Resources

• the persuasive speech introduction and teaching deck
• the speech feature annotation and opinion paragraph worksheet
• the Persuasive Techniques Posters
• the Persuasive Language Word Bank
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Class chart paper or shared digital word bank
• Short, age-appropriate persuasive speech exemplars

Assessment

• Listen to partner and class responses for accurate identification of purpose, audience and persuasive features.
• Check worksheet annotations and conferences during writing, particularly whether students distinguish an opinion from a reason and evidence.
• Use the completed paragraph and reflection to identify students ready for extension and students needing support with structure, vocabulary or supporting detail.

Differentiation

• Provide a partially completed annotated exemplar, feature icons and sentence starters such as “I believe…”, “This matters because…” and “For instance…”.
• Allow students to rehearse ideas orally before writing and provide a reduced word bank with explanations or visual cues for EAL learners.
• Scribe, speech-to-text or shared writing may support students with fine-motor, processing or writing needs; assess the quality of their persuasive choices separately from transcription.
• Challenge confident writers to include a rhetorical question, emotive language and a precise piece of evidence, then explain which audience response each choice is intended to create.