Playground Persuasion Posters

Overview

Students analyse short adverts before planning and designing a persuasive poster proposing a realistic playground improvement. They build on prior learning about audience, purpose, persuasive vocabulary and paragraph or sentence organisation, then evaluate and edit their own and a partner’s writing.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify slogans, emotive words and rhetorical questions in adverts
• explain how each device influences an audience
• plan writing for a clear audience, purpose and form
• select vocabulary and presentational features to persuade
• evaluate and improve a poster for clarity and impact

Success criteria

I can:

• write a memorable slogan and include at least three emotive words
• use one rhetorical question to engage the reader
• propose one realistic playground improvement and explain its benefit
• include a clear call to action, suitable images and an organised layout
• check my poster and make at least one improvement after feedback

Curriculum links

• Planning writing by identifying audience and purpose, selecting an appropriate form and using models
• Developing initial ideas through discussion and research
• Using organisational and presentational devices to structure text and guide the reader
• Evaluating and editing the effectiveness of own and others’ writing
• Building cohesion through connected ideas and purposeful linking words

Key vocabulary: persuade, audience, purpose, slogan, emotive word, rhetorical question, proposal, benefit, call to action, impact, layout, cohesion.

Prior learning: Students should know that persuasive writing aims to influence a reader and should have practised identifying audience, purpose and powerful vocabulary.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and purpose. Display a dull playground photograph alongside an imagined improved playground using the opening playground comparison slide; ask, “What would make you care enough to change this space?” Students discuss their response with a partner and identify the audience: pupils, staff and governors.

2. 5–15 min · Spot the persuasive devices. Open the advert analysis slides and distribute the advert annotation and poster-planning worksheet. Read the examples aloud, then model labelling one slogan, one emotive word and one rhetorical question. Students annotate the remaining examples independently or with a partner.

Example adverts for the worksheet:

• “A brighter playground starts with us! Add colourful planting and give our school a joyful welcome.”
• “Tired of sitting on cold concrete? Comfortable benches would give everyone a safe place to rest.”
• “Choose shade, choose comfort, choose a cooler playground. Will you help us make play fairer for all?”

Ask: “Which word creates a feeling? What does the question make the audience think or do?” Accept explanations such as excitement, concern, fairness or responsibility.

3. 15–23 min · Compare impact. Show the influence discussion slides. In groups of three, students sort features into “grabs attention”, “creates feelings” or “encourages action”, recognising that some devices may fit more than one category. Groups justify one choice using: “This influences the audience because…”. Teacher checks that students understand that emotive words should support a genuine proposal rather than exaggerate unrealistically.

4. 23–32 min · Model planning and writing. Think aloud using the teacher modelling slides. Select “a shaded quiet zone” and complete the planning section: audience, purpose, proposal, benefits and action needed. Model a poster:

Shade for Every Child! “Wouldn’t a cooler, calmer playground help everyone enjoy break time?” “Our safe, welcoming shade zone would protect children on hot days and give pupils a peaceful place to read or talk. Please support our proposal by sharing your ideas with the school council.”

Underline the slogan, circle emotive words and box the rhetorical question. Point out the title, short sections, large lettering, image, bullet points and call to action as devices that guide a reader.

5. 32–48 min · Plan and design. Students choose one realistic improvement: shade, seating, planting, climbing equipment or a quiet zone. They complete the planning boxes on the advert annotation and poster-planning worksheet, then create a draft or final poster on the reverse or a sheet of A3 paper. Teacher conferences with pupils, prompting: “Who needs persuading?”, “What problem does this solve?” and “What action should the reader take?” Students may work individually or in pairs, but each pupil must contribute language.

6. 48–56 min · Peer evaluation and editing. Display the peer-review and editing slides. Students swap posters and use the checklist on the peer-review checklist to identify one strength and one improvement. Partners check for the five required elements: slogan, three emotive words, rhetorical question, clear proposal and call to action. Students edit wording, punctuation, spelling or layout in a different colour.

7. 56–60 min · Plenary and exit check. Return to the plenary slides. Invite two or three pupils to share an effective device and explain its impact. Students complete the final reflection on the advert annotation and poster-planning worksheet: “The most persuasive feature in my poster is ___ because ___.” Collect posters and reflections.

Resources

• the persuasive advertising slide deck
• the advert annotation and poster-planning worksheet
• A3 or large poster paper
• Pencils, rulers, coloured pencils and felt-tip pens
• Playground improvement photographs or simple illustrations
• Visual timer
• Board or interactive display
• Peer-review checklist displayed or printed on the worksheet

Assessment

• During annotation, question pupils to check accurate identification and explanation of each persuasive device.
• During planning, assess whether the proposal is realistic, the audience is clear and benefits are linked to the improvement.
• Collect posters and exit reflections. Check the five success-criteria elements and whether pupils edited after feedback.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a word bank, picture choices and sentence stems: “Our playground needs…”, “This would help because…”, “Wouldn’t it be better if…?”, and “Please support us by…”. Allow oral rehearsal before writing.
• SEND: reduce copying, provide a pre-drawn poster frame, use a large-print checklist and offer adult scribing or speech-to-text. Seat pupils where they can clearly see the model and display.
• EAL: pre-teach vocabulary with images and gestures; pair pupils strategically; allow bilingual dictionaries and planning through labelled drawings before English sentences.
• Extension: challenge pupils to connect two benefits with cohesive linking words such as therefore, as a result and in addition, or to adapt the same proposal for a different audience, such as governors rather than pupils.

Behaviour and safety: Establish respectful discussion rules and remind pupils that posters must persuade without insulting or blaming others. Use scissors only if required and keep movement limited during peer review. Avoid promises that the school cannot realistically fulfil; proposals should be affordable, safe and inclusive.