Persuasive Letter Drafting

Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, Year 3 students will begin drafting their persuasive letters, building on their prior brainstorming work from the unit Persuasive Letters in Action. The lesson is designed to develop their writing skills aligned with the National Curriculum for England: Key Stage 2 English (Years 3 and 4). Students will focus on structuring their letters clearly — introduction, body, and conclusion — and using persuasive language effectively. The teacher will model the drafting process with a strong emphasis on engagement and imagination, incorporating visual aids and interactive elements.

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National Curriculum Links

English – Writing (Years 3 and 4)

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Plan their writing by discussing and recording ideas (NC 2014)
  • Draft and write by composing and rehearsing sentences orally (NC 2014)
  • Organise paragraphs around a theme (NC 2014)
  • Use a range of sentence openers to create cohesion and interest (NC 2014)
  • Use some features of standard English correctly (NC 2014)
  • Proofread for spelling and punctuation errors (to be addressed in later lessons of the unit)

Writing Purposes: Persuasion

• Writing to persuade by structuring texts with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion
• Using persuasive language and devices such as emotive language, rhetorical questions, and repetition (introduced gradually)

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, all students will:

• Begin drafting a persuasive letter using their brainstormed ideas
• Structure their letter with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion
• Use at least two persuasive techniques in their writing

Most students will:

• Write a coherent first draft with clear paragraphing and attempt varied sentence starters
• Show awareness of the reader’s perspective using appropriate persuasive language

Some students (higher attainers) will:

• Include a counterargument and rebuttal in their letter to strengthen their persuasion
• Use a wider range of sentence structures and vocabulary to engage the reader

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Resources

• Whiteboard and pens
• Visual aid: Letter structure poster (Introduction, Body, Conclusion with examples)
• Persuasive language word bank (emotive words, rhetorical questions, connectives)
• Personal brainstorming sheets from Lesson 2
• Drafting paper or exercise books
• Letter writing template (for differentiated support)
• Example persuasive letter (simple and annotated)
• Colour-coded sentence starters cards (for varied openers)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Objective: Recall previous work and set purpose for drafting

• Begin with a quick whole-class recap: What is a persuasive letter? Why do we write them?
• Show the example persuasive letter on the board with parts highlighted: introduction, body, conclusion, persuasive language.
• Use a Think-Pair-Share activity: Which parts do you remember from your brainstorm? What ideas do you want to include in your letter?
• Briefly introduce the letter structure poster as a writing roadmap.

Visual & hands-on: Display the letter structure poster and colour-coded sentence starters to anchor learning.

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2. Teacher Modelling (15 minutes)

Objective: Demonstrate writing process and persuasive techniques

• The teacher models drafting the introduction of a persuasive letter aloud, thinking aloud about: how to hook the reader, stating the purpose clearly, and using persuasive language.
• Show how to use the persuasive language word bank and sentence starter cards to enrich writing.
• After the introduction, model writing one body paragraph, pointing out how to explain one main point and emphasise it persuasively.
• Highlight how to organise ideas clearly and maintain a friendly yet convincing tone.

Engagement tip: Use a smartboard or large flipchart so all children can see each stage of the draft creation instantly.

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3. Independent/Paired Writing (20 minutes)

Objective: Students begin drafting their own persuasive letters

• Children start drafting their letters using their brainstorms. They use the letter structure poster as a guide.

• Provide differentiated support:

  • Template users: Students who need more help write into a template with sections labelled (Introduction, Body, Conclusion) and sentence starters provided.
  • Independent writers: Students draft freely, encouraged to try varied sentence openers and persuasive phrases from the word bank.
  • Extension learners: Challenge these students to include a counterargument and rebuttal paragraph (e.g. acknowledging the other side before convincing the reader why their viewpoint is better).

• The teacher circulates to scaffold learning, question students about their choices, and prompt use of persuasive language.

Hands-on support: Provide coloured highlight pens for students to underline or circle persuasive words/phrases as they draft.

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4. Sharing and Reflecting (10 minutes)

Objective: Encourage peer feedback and self-assessment

• Invite a few volunteers to read aloud a section of their draft.
• As a class, identify persuasive features and discuss what works well.
• Provide a simple success criteria checklist for students to assess their own draft:
  • Does my letter start with an introduction?
  • Is there at least one clear point in the body?
  • Have I used some persuasive words?
  • Do I have a conclusion that sums up my opinion?

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5. Plenary (5 minutes)

Objective: Reinforce key learning and set expectations for next lesson

• Summarise the importance of structure and persuasive language.
• Ask quick-fire questions to recap key points (e.g. “What is one good sentence starter for your introduction?”, “Why do we have a conclusion?”)
• Set a small “at home” challenge: children can think about an extra point or a new persuasive word they might add next time.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual aids: Use colourful posters, sentence starter cards, and word banks to support learners needing visual prompts.
• Templates: Provide scaffolded letter templates with labelled sections and sentence starters for those who find open-ended writing challenging.
• Adult support: For students with EAL or SEND, offer one-to-one or small group verbal scaffolding with guided questions.
• Peer support: Pair less confident writers with peer buddies for shared drafting or verbal rehearsal.
• Advanced learners extension: Encourage writing a counterargument and rebuttal paragraph and using more sophisticated vocabulary and sentence variety.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Informal teacher observation during paired/independent writing — monitoring use of persuasive language and structure.
• Review of draft letters to check for clear paragraphing and inclusion of introduction, body, conclusion.
• Use of success criteria checklist to foster self- and peer assessment.
• Recorded examples of persuasive phrases used, noting progression from brainstorm to draft.

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WOW Factor Ideas

• Use a “Letter-writing studio” classroom setup: create a "postbox" where children place their drafts, adding a tactile, role-play element.
• Introduce “persuasive voice” work: Children try reading their drafts aloud using varying intonation to feel the power of persuasive writing.
• Encourage young authors to imagine writing to a real person or group (e.g. school council or local library) for authentic writing purpose.

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By centring hands-on, visual, and imaginative learning opportunities, this lesson cultivates both the foundational writing skills required by the National Curriculum and the creative confidence to persuade others effectively.