Mastering Persuasion

Lesson Overview

Subject: Drama
Year Group: Year 5
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Lesson Title: Introduction to Debate: The Art of Persuasion
Unit: Dramatic Debates Unleashed
Class Size: 7 students

Curriculum Links

This lesson aligns with the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum for England, particularly within:

• English – Spoken Language:
  • "Articulating and justifying answers, arguments, and opinions"
  • "Using spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining, and exploring ideas"
• Drama – Expressive Arts:
  • "Improvising, rehearsing, and performing using role-play and performance strategies"
  • "Developing confidence and clarity in spoken communication"

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
✅ Understand the basic structure of a debate (proposition, opposition, rebuttal, conclusion)
✅ Identify key persuasive techniques (emotive language, rhetorical questions, facts vs opinions)
✅ Practise using tone and body language effectively in argumentation
✅ Work collaboratively to create a simple argument and counterargument

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Lesson Breakdown

Starter Activity (10 mins) – The Power of Persuasion

1. Warm-up Game: "Would You Rather?"

   • Teacher presents fun, age-appropriate debate-style prompts:
     • Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?
     • Would you rather live in a treehouse or an underwater house?
   • Students share opinions, justifying their choices in one sentence.

2. Mini-Discussion:

   • Question to the class: What makes some arguments more convincing than others?
   • Introduce persuasion as a key drama and communication skill.

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Main Activity (30 mins) – Building Arguments

Step 1: Understanding the Debate Structure (10 mins)

• Explain the four main parts of a debate with a simple visual aid (written on the board or printed as cards):

  1. Proposition – The side that agrees with the idea
  2. Opposition – The side that disagrees with the idea
  3. Rebuttal – Responding to the other side’s argument
  4. Conclusion – Summarising key points convincingly

• Model a short debate using a fun example:

  • "School uniforms should be banned."
  • The teacher demonstrates both proposition and opposition, using emphasis, gestures, and persuasive reasoning.

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Step 2: Creating Mini Arguments (10 mins)

Students are split into two teams (random selection). Each team picks a side for a given statement:
🗣 "Homework should be optional!"

• Task: In pairs, students write one point & one counterpoint for their side.
• Encourage use of persuasive devices:
  • Emotive language ("It’s unfair that children never get a break!")
  • Facts vs. Opinions ("Studies show homework helps learning!")
  • Rhetorical questions ("Do you really want to spend all your evenings working?")

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Step 3: Performance & Feedback (10 mins)

• Pairs present their mini-arguments dramatically, focusing on:
  🎭 Voice projection (speaking clearly and confidently)
  🎭 Facial expressions (engaging emotions to persuade)
  🎭 Gestures & body language (open, strong stance)

• Teacher Feedback & Peer Review

  • Each student gives one positive comment and one improvement tip to their peers.

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Plenary (10 mins) – Reflection & Drama Techniques

🔹 Think-Pair-Share:

• What made a strong argument today?
• Which persuasive technique was most effective?

🔹 Dramatic Freeze Frames:

• Teacher calls out key words ("confidence", "persuasion", "opposition").
• Students freeze in a dramatic pose that represents the word’s meaning.

🔹 Exit Ticket:
Students complete one sentence:
"Today I learned that persuasion is important in drama because…"

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Differentiation & Inclusion

• Support for less confident speakers: They can work with a partner to rehearse before presenting.
• Challenge for advanced students: Encourage them to weave in humour, irony, or more complex rhetorical techniques.
• Adaptations for SEND/EAL learners: Provide key terms with visual examples; allow them to express their arguments using drawings or short recorded sentences.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

✅ What went well?
✅ Were students confident in presenting?
✅ Did they use both verbal and non-verbal persuasive techniques?
✅ What should be improved for future debate activities?

Next Steps: This foundational lesson sets up students for engaging, structured classroom debates in future sessions. Consider choosing relevant real-world topics for their next challenge! 🎭✨