NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CURRICULUM SUPPORT
English
Persuasive Writing Skills
[NATIONAL 3–HIGHER]
This advice and guidance has been produced to support the profession with the delivery of
courses which are either new or which have aspects of significant change within the new
national qualifications (NQ) framework.
The advice and guidance provides suggestions on approaches to learning and teaching.
Practitioners are encouraged to draw on the materials for their own part of their continuing
professional development in introducing new national qualifications in ways that match the
needs of learners.
Practitioners should also refer to the course and unit specifications and support notes which
have been issued by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/34714.html
Acknowledgement
The publisher gratefully acknowledges permission to use the following sources: Cartoon, ‘I can help with
the Human Rights Act, but I don’t chase mice’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/?cartoon=8816293&cc=8800462 © Telegraph Media Group
Limited 2011; Cartoon – Cats: the new excuse for bad behaviour?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/cartoon/2011/oct/10/cat-flap-expulsion-excuse © Guardian News &
Media Ltd 2011; Article, ‘Looting with the lights on’ by Naomi Klein from The Guardian, 17 August
2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/17/looing-with-lights-off © Looting with the
lights on by Naomi Klein from The Guardian, 17 August 2011; Article, ‘Still irresistible, a working-class
hero’s finest speech’ from The Independent 13 August 2010,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/still-irresistible-a-workingclass-heros-finest-speech2051285.html, courtesy of the University of Glasgow; Figure: Lung cancer incidence and smoking trends,
Great Britain, by sex, 1948-2009 from http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/lung/smoking/ ©
Cancer Research UK, http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/lung/smoking/ October, 2011;
Table: Long Term Migration to the UK, 1991-2009 (thousands) and Chart 1a: Long Term Migration to the
UK, 1991-2009 from
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmhaff/361/36105.htm © Crown
Copyright. 2010, Home Affairs Committee - First Report, Immigration Cap, Table 1a: Long Term
Migration to the UK, 1991-2009 (thousands) and Chart 1a: Long Term Migration to the UK, 1991-2009;
Charts and Tables from http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/rp99/rp99-111.pdf ©
Parliamentary Copyright, Research Paper 99/111 A Century of Change: Trends in UK statistics since
1900, Homicides per million population in England and Wales, page 14, Police strength, England &
Wales, page 14, Prison Population in England & Wales: 1901-98, page 15; Table: Air pollutant emissions,
1970 – 2009, UK from UK Emissions Of Air Pollutants – 2009 Additional Results
http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/files/additional-results-2009-v2.pdf, Table 1: Air pollutant emissions,
1970 – 2009, UK from UK Emissions Of Air Pollutants – 2009 Additional Results, Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (defra)
© Crown copyright 2012. You may re-use this information (excluding logos) free of charge in any format
or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or e-mail:
psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from
the copyright holders concerned.
Any enquiries regarding this document/publication should be sent to us at
enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk.
This document is also available from our website at www.educationscotland.gov.uk.
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Contents
Introduction
4
Short exercises
12
Whole-class approaches to learning and teaching
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Introduction
This advice and guidance is offered on the assumption that learners will
already have done a great deal of the technical aspects of persuasive writing
in their prior learning; they will already have developed some knowledge of
the use of connectives, basic formal language and simple structures.
The materials are based, like the existing materials on the Education Scotland
NQ website on imaginative writing, on the notion that learners should
regularly be reading and responding to persuasive material around them: in
other words, a little and often. Rather than asking learners to have an opinion
once a session when their discursive essay is ‘due’, they should be regularly
expressing themselves about a range of issues.
As practitioners, we always tell learners to read a good-quality newspaper
every day. Despite this, most learners don’t, either because they don’t want to
or because they don’t know how to. However, technology offers us many
ways in which to respond to the ideas and opinions we are bombarded with
every day. The most obvious example of this is blogging and tweeting, and
learners should be encouraged to blog and tweet their views on issues they
encounter.
Topicality is an issue. Subjects should be as topical as possible, but this
causes problems in a topic-centred approach where practitioners gather
materials on a particular issue and use them as a resource with the learners.
This material suggests that learners do their own research as much as
possible, relating their writing to current affairs and events. Of course, this
does not prevent practitioners still taking a topic-based approach if they wish:
the skills developed by these materials will, of course, be transf erable. This
advice and guidance is also easily adaptable: substituting current newspaper
reports, feature articles, etc, should be fairly straightforward.
The materials are divided into short exercises and suggested approaches to
learning and teaching.
What this advice and guidance is: a range of support materials to develop
skills. It is envisaged that these materials will be used periodically in the
curriculum. For example, when practitioners study a topic which entails
handling statistics, the ‘Using numbers to persuade’ PowerPoint can
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WRITING SKILLS
supplement and reinforce the learning, then, when studying a piece of prose,
perhaps a past paper, which uses irony, the ‘Aspects of language’ PowerPoint
can be slotted in. In each case, the learners engage in considering techniques
they read or see or hear and then practice these in their writing.
In addition, the blog and tweet sheets support regular persuasive/discursive
thinking. If learners produce one or two blog entries or tweets a week, they
are getting regular practice at expressing themselves.
The teacher’s discretion is paramount. This advice and guidance is intended
to be used as and when appropriate to support the development of persuasive
writing skills throughout the course of study.
What these materials are not: a ‘unit’ or ‘course of study’. There is no
defined order for their use. They can be used at times to support study or as
standalone stimulus exercises, but they are not designed to be used in a 2week block to produce one assessable piece of persuasive or discursive
writing. Practitioners already have a wealth of units and topics to generate
such assessment instruments. These materials are intended to periodically
supplement such learning experiences to develop persuasive skills.
The following table indicates possible contexts in which the materials can be
used and possible extensions for the practitioner. It is accepted that some of
the materials will require the practitioner to access more exemplars or to
adapt some of the tasks for the context of the learning or the ability of the
class.
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Topic
Taking the
Mickey
Writing
Persuasive
Speeches
Creating
rapport
Focussing on
the issues
6
Possible contexts / key
words
 Close reading; using
irony, humour.
 Satire / satirical writing /
cartoons
 Current affairs /
newspapers.
 Media study
 Talk skills development
 Famous speeches
 Scottish history /
literature / culture /
writing / biography
 Advertising / media /
posters
 Close reading / current
affairs
 Personal writing /
anecdotes
 Environment
 Writing skills –
paragraph structure
 Close reading: humour /
use of analogy
WRITING SKILLS (NATIONAL 3–HIGHER, ENGLISH)
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level 4 exercises
Level 5 exercises
Practitioner adaptation /
extension
Alternative topical cartoons;
further examples of irony in
literary non-fiction.
Cartoon analysis;
‘A Modest Proposal’
paraphrase;
exemplar analysis;
own writing using irony
Cartoon analysis;
‘A Modest Proposal’
original;
exemplar analysis;
own writing using irony
Analysis of Reid extract;
analysis of further speech
text; own writing.
Analysis of Reid extract;
analysis of further speech
text; own writing.
Introduction to Jimmy Reid;
use of other speeches by
great orators; using slides to
support Talking outcomes.
Poster analysis; exemplar
analysis; own writing.
Poster analysis; exemplar
analysis; own writing.
Provision of further texts /
posters for analysis.
Sourcing other ‘them and us’
speeches.
Paragraph analysis (EEE
structure); structuring own
argument
Paragraph analysis;
structuring own argument.
Similar exemplar of
argument structure.
WRITING SKILLS
The structure
of persuasion



Group talk skills
Close reading
Riots / social unrest
Aspects of
language

Close reading: linking,
punctuation, emotive
language.
Using numbers
to persuade



Close reading: statistics
Numeracy
TV addiction
Developing language for
developing arguments;
article analysis (with
support); analysis of articles
chosen by practitioner at
appropriate level; essay
planning
Discussion of techniques;
identification of techniques
from articles / passages at
appropriate level chosen by
practitioner; own writing.
Article analysis; using
language to express statistics
for particular effect; analysis
if press release exemplar.
Developing language for
developing arguments;
article analysis; analysis of
articles chosen by
practitioner at appropriate
level; essay planning
Finding articles for analysis
at relevant level.
Discussion of techniques;
identification of techniques
from articles / passages at
appropriate level chosen by
practitioner; own writing.
Article analysis; using
language to express statistics
for particular effect; analysis
if press release exemplar;
writing own press release.
Identification of techniques
from appropriate articles /
passages chosen by
practitioner for appropriate
level.
Finding statistics presented in
a way for NQ4 to access
press release task.
Further examples of the use
of statistics for particular
effect.
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Curriculum for Excellence
Where appropriate, the relevant experiences and outcomes in Writing are
indicated. The materials also provide incidental coverage of experiences and
outcomes in Reading, Talking and Listening, Numeracy and Mathematics:
practitioners will be able to match these activities to the relevant experiences
and outcomes if felt necessary.
Outcomes and assessment
The following table conflates levels 4 and 5, the difference b eing the
terminology of ‘straightforward’, ‘basic’, etc for level 4 and ‘detailed’,
‘significant’, etc for level 5. It is meant only as a guide: practitioners are well
able to make decisions for themselves as to how the materials match the
requirements of their own courses and contexts.
Assessment will be exemplified by the relevant authorities. These materials
merely offer the opportunity to produce or enhance writing that may become
an assessable instrument: they do not in and of themselves ‘produce
assessments’.
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Outcome 1: Level 4/5
The learner will: Write to create and produce straightforward/detailed language in familiar contexts by:
Using numbers to
persuade PowerPoint
1.1 Identifying
basic/significant ideas and
content, of a broadly creative
or discursive nature, that is
mainly appropriate for a clear
purpose and audience
1.2 Creating a
straightforward/detailed
structure for ideas and
content that is mainly
appropriate to purpose and
audience
1.3 Using knowledge of
language by applying
basic/significant features of
spelling, punctuation,
grammar and layout, that is
mainly appropriate to purpose
and audience
1.4 Communicating
straightforward/detailed
meaning at first reading, in
a format and of a length that
is mainly appropriate to
purpose and audience


structuring the use of
statistics for different
purposes

re-writing from different
point of view
press release




expression of statistics
for different purposes
re-writing from different
point of view
press release


Writing persuasive
speeches PowerPoint

annotation of ideas in

written speech to account
for audience, purpose
structuring persuasion in
the genre of
speechwriting

adaptation of existing
writing in the genre of
speechwriting
The structure of
persuasion PowerPoint

using language to
indicate relationship
between ideas

using the propose–refute
cycle to structure own
writing using planning
sheet

using language to indicate 
relationship between
ideas
re-writing from
different point of view
press release
adaptation of existing
writing in the genre of
speechwriting
using the propose–refute
cycle to structure own
writing using planning
sheet
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10
Focusing on the issues
PowerPoint



‘windows’
school uniform
revision of existing
writing


‘windows’
explain, expand,
exemplify


school uniform
revision of existing
writing


school uniform
revision of existing
writing
Taking the mickey
PowerPoint

adopting absurd
viewpoint

adopting absurd
viewpoint

adopting absurd
viewpoint

adopting absurd
viewpoint
Aspects of language
PowerPoint


linking

using inverted commas to 
cast doubt on argument


identifying relationship
between ideas – revision
of writing
using irony
using emotive language
Creating rapport
PowerPoint



‘them and us’
anecdote
emotive writing



‘them and us’
anecdote
emotive writing



Blog sheets/tweet
sheets/journals





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

identifying relationship
between ideas – revision
of writing
using irony
using emotive language
‘them and us’
anecdote
emotive writing



‘them and us’
anecdote
emotive writing



WRITING SKILLS
Progression and formative assessment
The notion of progression is difficult to marry with these materials, since
they are designed to be used as and when the practitioner sees fit and there is
therefore no defined order. However, there are undoubtedly some skills and
tasks which might be seen as more advanced than others; it is likely that
practitioners will wish to look at skills such as linking or emotive language
before they tackle the use of statistics, irony or the absurd.
Practitioners should feel free to use the materials as and when appropriate,
which might also then take account of learners’ learning OUTSIDE the
English classroom. For example, learners studying population growth in
Modern Studies may gain much from the ‘Using Statistics’ PowerPoint
lesson.
Equally, formative assessment practices wil l be a part of the practitioner’s
day to day practice anyway, and so such assessment is not always presc ribed
in the materials. However, each of the PowerPoint lessons contains a peer or
self evaluation task at the end. This should become part of the practitioner’s
ongoing assessment of each lesson.
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Short exercises
These can be done for homework, or as 5- to 15-minute lesson starters.
Please note that these suggested approaches to learning and teaching are
designed to be ‘technology blind’: while it may be preferable to undertake
these suggested approaches to learning and teaching using the appropriate
technology, it is recognised that not all schools have adequate ICT access, or
that not all practitioners are ICT adept. Individual practitioners may have
concerns over internet security, the school may have a mobile phone policy
which mitigates against tweeting or the local authority may have severe
firewall protection and protocols. For all these reasons, it is possible for these
to be paper-based ICT approaches to learning and teaching: a ‘blog corridor’
or ‘tweet wall’ is a perfectly acceptable way to allow learners to post their
own views and reply to others’ views.
The tweet sheet
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-24a / LIT 4-24a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This can be done as a class exercise first in order to model the approach.
Learners should identify a key issue of the day and two news reports (Hint:
Practitioners could also show videos of contrasting news bulletins) which
offer different outlooks on it. This offers opportunities for the learner to
consider different editorial stances, the difference betw een red top and
broadsheet papers, etc. Learners are asked to identify the tone, language and
editorial position revealed in each article. Having done so, they then have to
write a short reaction to the articles. Choices should be made here: the learner
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may (a) agree with one newspaper or the other or, perhaps more interestingly,
(b) decide both are manipulating the story for their own ends. The final
exercise is to reduce their reaction to a 140-character tweet.
This enables the learner to identify, assimilate and manipulate the messages
they receive every day. This can be done as an ongoing homework exercise,
once a week perhaps.
Blog sheet
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-24a / LIT 4-24a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This is a lengthier exercise which demands a more detailed response. It is
linked to the active reading practices which learners need to develop.
The key is to move the learner from a passive reading of the text to an active
interrogation of the text. Please stress step 1: the concentration on what
learners DO understand is key to their confidence in responding to texts.
Learners are led towards considering questions they wish to ask and
expressing their views on this; however, there is no need to work through all
the steps each time: the sheet can be used as a reading support.
Hint: This has implications for learners who have to answer ‘say what you
think of the writer ’s argument’ type questions. Often they don’t know what to
think or say, and this activity helps to build that capacity, therefore this can
be done as a class exercise using past-paper passages.
Hint: This sheet can also be used as a peer-assessment sheet for learners to
use on each other ’s work. Learners can take each other ’s essays and use them
as source material: how easily do they understand it, what questions do they
wish to ask of it?
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Journal activity
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-24a / LIT 4-24a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This is a more traditional way to get learners to respond regularly to issues
they encounter. No formal support sheets are offered for this, since the
activity is well known. It is useful as a 5-minute exercise. Practitioners may
wish to show a few extracts from broadcast news programmes and ask
learners to respond for 5 minutes in their journal on any item they found
thought-provoking.
If learners already have a journal for their creative work based around the
existing LTS imaginative writing resources, this is a perfectly acceptable
supplement to that.
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Whole-class suggested approaches to learning and
teaching
Using numbers to persuade PowerPoint
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This activity looks at interpreting and using statistics to persuade. It
concentrates on the language used to express statistics and the way in which
statistics can be manipulated because of this.
Slides 2–9: Examination of a short piece of writing critical of TV addiction.
Learners are asked to consider the effect of the language, in particular the
way in which statistics are expressed. The key is to understand that ‘up to one
in three’ and ‘only a third’ are factually equivalent but wholly different in the
effect they have on the reader. This text should be printed out for the learners.
Slides 10–14: Expansion of this by considering the expression of statistics
generally: how can we maximise or minimise the effects of statistics ? (Note:
Slide 14 gives suggested answers to the questions posed on slide 13, so don’t
allow the learners to see this first.)
Slides 15–18: Consideration of one set of statistics from cancer research
which might be interpreted in different ways by differ ent pressure groups.
Suggested press releases, which should be printed out for the learners , are
given in the ‘notes’ boxes on slides 17 and 18, reprinted here:
The Clean Air Group: ‘The Clean Air group welcomes these latest figures
which clearly show that the UK is turning its back on the disgusting habit of
smoking. It is staggering to think that, in 1948, 4 out of 10 women and almost
7 out of 10 men smoked. Thankfully, thanks to decades of campaigning, the
public now realises the dangers it faces, and a paltry 20% now indulge in this
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WRITING SKILLS
fatal addiction. As a result, we have seen a satisfying reduction in the
incidence of lung cancer, with deaths per thousand tumbling by a quarter.
However, this is still too high, and we must not rest until this curse on t he
health of our nation is eradicated completely. ’
Free Smokers Now!: ‘Figures released by Cancer Research UK seem to
confirm what our group has always said: that the link between smoking and
cancer, while clear, is overestimated by a virulent anti -smoking lobby that
wishes to deny basic human rights to the people. Doubtless much will be
made of the huge reduction in the numbers of smokers since 1948, a reduction
brought about by pressure groups intimidating smokers through a range of
alarmist campaigns. However, no doubt they will have little to say about the
fact that these recent statistics clearly show that while the number of female
smokers has decreased over the last fifty years, the incidence of lung cancer
in females has actually increased. It would seem that the message that
smoking causes lung cancer is more complex than the anti -smoking lobbyists
would have us believe: if fewer women are smoking but more are getting lung
cancer, something other than the humble cigarette is to blame.’
Slides 19–26: Three more possible scenarios of pressure groups responding to
statistics. In groups, learners should use the statistics for different purposes.
All the issues are potentially controversial and may need to be handled
sensitively. Practitioners may substitute the source material for anything
which fits into what they are doing at the time or with which they feel more
comfortable. This can obviously be done as a group exercise: there are six
possible scenarios, and groups can present their press releases at the end. It is
also possible that these tasks may be difficult for pupils at Level 4:
practitioners may wish to substitute more accessible tables/figure etc.
Slide 27: Evaluation task
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WRITING SKILLS
Writing persuasive speeches PowerPoint
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This activity concentrates on speeches, using Jimmy Reid’s famous address to
Glasgow University in 1972 as an example. This is used because it is
considered a truly great speech even internationally, and because it stresses a
very Scottish context that is relevant in the light of Scottish Government
aspirations regarding Scottish Studies. It is overtly political: practitioners
can, of course, find an alternative if they wish.
The key here is the recognition that a piece of writing which is designed to be
spoken will be very different in its use of language from a piece of persuasive
writing designed to be read. While of course the practitioner may wish to
develop this into an assessable delivered speech for outcome 2, a piece of
writing annotated for delivery and using language in a way which is clearly
designed to be rhetorical is in itself a powerful writing outcome.
All speech extracts should be printed out for the learners.
Slide 2: Simple contextual introduction to Reid: practitioners may wish to
expand.
Slides 3–5: Links to (a) a video extract of Reid’s speech and (b) the text of
the whole speech, both from the Education Scotland website. Extract from the
speech and questions for discussion. This links to sheet Reid speech 1, which
analyses the rhetorical techniques and relates them to the text. Practitioners
should do this as a model, noting the use of body language, repetition, pace,
pause, ad libs, etc which make the delivery effective.
Slide 6: Discussion questions relating to additional extracts from the Reid
speech on sheets Reid speech 2 to Reid speech 4. Learners discuss how the
speech may have been delivered.
The Reid speech sheets are in the Support sheets folder.
Slide 7: Learners are directed to consider a piece of persuasive writing of
their own which could be delivered as a speech. What changes would they
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WRITING SKILLS
make? What rhetorical devices would they use to deliver it effectively? This
can result in one of two possible assessable pieces:
 a speech delivered to the class or
 a speech text with accompanying notes on how it would be delivered as a
speech. It is this element which would distinguish the text of a speech
from a straightforward discursive essay.
Slides 8–9: Evaluation task.
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The structure of persuasion PowerPoint
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-28a / LIT 4-28a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This activity considers the structure of a persuasive essay. What is important
to stress about structure is that it should be organic , ie each point should arise
from what has come before and lead on to what comes next. Too often,
learners adopt a ‘one point for/one completely unrelated point against’
approach, which results in disjointedness. This activity relates discursive
essays to the behaviours appropriate to group discussion, making a clear link
between what we do to persuade when we are speaking to someone and what
we do to persuade someone in our writing. It uses the ‘propose–refute’ cycle
(slide 2):
The cycle should be printed out or displayed on the wall for learners.
Slides 3–7: Class/group discussion of the language appropriate to each stage
of the cycle. It is important that learners engage with the language usable in
speech and in writing: the practitioner may want to separate these. The
activity builds a word bank of phrases which logically move an argument on
from one stage to another. This kind of exercise is very familiar in both
reading and writing suggested approaches to learning and teaching in English.
Slides 8 and 9: Introduction of the notion of re-proposing, ie the purpose of
persuasion is to lead us from idea A to idea B. This is considerably more
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sophisticated than a simple point-by-point summary of opposing arguments,
and may require some exemplification.
Slides 10–12: Link to and analysis of Naomi Klein’s ‘Looting with the lights
on’. This is chosen as a clear example of an argument that follows the cycle .
Practitioners may wish to find an alternative. The text of this article is in the
Support sheets folder. This should be printed out for the learners.
Slide 13: Practitioners should issue a range of articles or past-paper passages.
Groups can work on identifying areas of articles where the author proposes,
supports, builds, etc. It is important to develop an unders tanding of how
passages fit together conceptually and not just in technical terms of the use of
connectives, etc. Teaching learners the difference between ‘however’ and
‘moreover’ doesn’t necessarily lead to a better conceptual structure.
Slide 14: Using the planning sheet, practitioners should encourage learners to
consider the cycle when planning their own essays. The sheet is perhaps
better offered to the learners electronically, as that way they can add boxes
and adapt the sheet as they need. It should not be seen as a paragraph plan,
but as a plan to allow the formation of a coherent set of arguments.
Slide 15: Evaluation task.
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Focusing on the issues PowerPoint
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This is a lesson about focusing arguments using an ‘explain, expand,
exemplify’ structure (thanks to Carolyn Bremner for her input).
Slide 2: Link to David Mitchell’s ‘Soapbox’ on the Guardian website. This is
an entertaining short video which practitioners use extensively: explore the
various topics which David Mitchell talks about (hint: there are adverts at the
start of each video).The added appeal of a recognisable face is valuable.
Learners are asked to consider the various techniques Mitchell uses in his
speech.
Slide 3: Brief discussion on how Mitchell focuses his speech . Practitioners
may wish to expand on this.
Slides 4–7: Introduction of the idea of narrowing focus (thanks to Hugh
Gallagher for the concept of ‘windows’). Slide 6 suggests that school uniform
may be examined from a range of different perspectives . Slide 7 expands on
this as an exemplar – so don’t show them this slide until slide 6 has been
discussed.
Slides 8 and 9: Introduction of ‘explain, expand, exemplify’ and relation of
this structure to Mitchell’s speech.
Slide 10: The ‘explain, expand, exemplify’ structure is exemplified using the
school uniform arguments in slides 6 and 7. Learners are asked to ‘explain,
expand, exemplify’ one or two more arguments on school uniform.
Slide 11: Learners are asked to review a piece of their own writing to think
about how it might be improved using an ‘explain, expand, exemplify’
structure.
Slide 12: Evaluation task.
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Taking the mickey PowerPoint
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This lesson looks at the difficult notion of humour. Ability levels in the class
need to be considered.
Slides 1 and 2: Two political cartoons. The difficulty with these is that they
are very topical: it’s unlikely that learners will remember the relevant story
(the human rights spat between Theresa May and Ken Clarke about a foreign
criminal being allowed to stay in the UK because he ‘owned a cat’).
Practitioners may provide material to put the cartoons into context. Links to
the story which can be used to provide context include the following:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa -mays-immigrant-catclaim-rejected-2365464.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15171448
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/oct/04/theresa-may-clashes-judgescat
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2045156/Theresa-May-Ken-Clarkeclash-catgate-Human-Rights-Act.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/8806485/Conservativ e
-Party-Conference-2011-Ken-Clarke-and-Theresa-May-fall-out-in-row-overpet-cat.html
Alternatively, they may substitute topical cartoons of their own.
The following textual slides should be printed out for the learners.
Slides 3–10: Discussion tasks introducing and using extracts from ‘A Modest
Proposal’. Learners should be made aware of the use of irony, exaggeration,
etc. Practitioners will wish to engage with the language of the original, but to
support level 4 learners, a modern English paraphrase i s include.
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Slide 11: Learners invited to examine the absurd potential of a topic they are
considering or have written on.
Slide 12: Exemplar extract of an essay considering the discipline argument
about school uniforms. Practitioners may want to pursue this in a variety of
ways. Learners can analyse techniques, add the next paragraph, etc.
Slide 13: Evaluation task.
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Creating rapport PowerPoint
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This lesson looks at using different forms of tone to create rapport with the
audience.
Slide 1: Introduction of the idea of appealing to reason, experience and
emotion. Learners may wish to think about what these words mean.
Slide 3: Looking at a pro-animal testing poster, the learners should consider
the contrast between the reasonable tone of the words (measured, using facts
and statistics, appearing to be doing good for the people in the photo) and the
presentation of protesters as unreasonable (grimacing, hate-filled
expressions). Introduce the idea of ‘them and us’, and perhaps discuss
examples from history of this being created – William Wallace’s speech,
Hitler, etc.
Slides 4 and 5: Analysis of extract on rioting in England. This should be
printed out for the learners. Draw out the way in which the writer builds
rapport by suggesting affinity with the reader (the use of personal pronoun
‘we’ etc., suggesting a shared values system) while being contemptuous of the
‘mindless’ rioters and the ‘politically correct apologists’ who try to explain
their actions.
Slide 6: Brief writing exercise for learners to try. Encourage them to think
about who ‘them’ and ‘us’ are in each case.
Slide 7: Introduction of the idea of shared experiences. Concentrate on the
common experiences that bind people: support for a football team, political
affiliation, cultural aspects, family history, etc.
Slide 8: Poster with Paul McCartney recounting a personal experience which
had an effect on his views. Practitioners may wish to explore the contrast
between a remote celebrity and the ordinariness of the experience which
readers can relate to.
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Slide 9: Exemplar writing piece using an anecdote to argue against school
uniform. This should be printed out for the learners. Practitioner s may wish to
have learners write the opposite.
Slide 10: Brief writing exercise for learners to try.
Slides 11–13: Introduction of the idea of appealing to emotions. Nike poster –
appeals to guilt, negative. Girl poster – explores images in media, appeals to
self esteem, positive message.
Slides 14 and 15: Exemplar writing piece which evokes emotions. This
should be printed out for the learners. Explore fear for children, horror, sense
of loss, etc.
Slide 16: Brief writing exercise for learners.
Slide 17: Evaluation task.
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Aspects of language PowerPoint
Suggested relevant CfE experiences and outcomes in Writing
LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a
LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a
LIT 3-23a / LIT 4-23a
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a
ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a
LIT 3-29a / LIT 4-29a
This lesson looks at various language skills involved in persuasive writing.
These have relevance to close reading as well as writing, especially for
questions which ask ‘How does the writer express their opinion?’. These
techniques are easily identifiable when scanning through a passage as a
whole.
Slide 2: Introductory slide.
Slides 3–10: Linking. This suggests that link phrases structurally link ideas
because some words in the phrase link back and some link on. Learners
should be encouraged to find this pattern in their reading as well as writing –
it has implications for how they tackle link questions in close reading. This
structure is a concept well worth exploring in detail in close reading.
Emphasise the need for linking of ideas for logical coherence.
Slide 11: Brief task which asks learners to (a) find examples in their reading
and (b) revise their writing.
Slides 12–16: Unattributed quotations: how authors expre ss opinion using
inverted commas. The concept of ‘someone else’s words – not mine’ should
be emphasised.
Slide 17: Brief task which asks learners to (a) find examples in their reading
and (b) revise their writing.
Slides 18–20: Emotive language – stress the notion of substitution and
insertion.
Slide 21: Brief task which asks learners to (a) find examples in their reading
and (b) revise their writing.
Slides 22 and 23: Irony. Emphasise the appropriateness of the image used –
Hitler reference suggesting ‘evil is good’ which ties in with original premise.
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Slide 24: Brief task which asks learners to (a) find examples in their reading
and (b) revise their writing.
Slide 25: Evaluation task.
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