COOLUM BEACH CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas...
Student Name _______________________
Teacher: Mrs. Briggs
Subject: Year 8 English
PERSUASIVE SPEECH
CHECK DATE: Friday 3rd June
DUE DATE:
Monday 6th June
Parent Signature: _________
Issued: 23rd May, Term 2 2011
Teacher Signature: ______________
Teacher Signature: _______________
TASK:
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a powerful story that can teach us lessons about bullying, prejudice,
hate and the innocence of childhood. Through the story we are introduced to the historical events of World
War II and Hitler’s Nazi Germany and through the character Bruno, we begin to understand the horrors
of the Holocaust and how unjust and unfair our world can be.
Your task is to construct a persuasive speech that argues for or against one of the following statements.
1. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is an important novel that all young people should read.
Why/Why not?
2. The movie version of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is more powerful than the novel.
Why/Why not?
CONTEXT OF TASK:
Format:
Length:
Class Time:
Oral Presentation (Persuasive Speech)
2½ - 3 minutes (300-350 words)
You will have 5 out of 6 English lessons in week 6 to prepare for this task. Whatever is
not completed in class will need to be finished at home.
CHECKLIST
Tick the box when you have completed each task:
 I have chosen which question I am going to do and given Mrs. Briggs an outline of my argument
 I have handed in a draft copy to Mrs Briggs by the Check Date
 I have completed this task myself with minimal help from my parents/friends
 I have completed this task to the best of my ability
 This task is my own work
Student Signature: _____________________
Date: ______________
COOLUM BEACH CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
Middle-School English 2011
Student’s Name: _________________________________________________________
Constructing
Texts
Appreciating Knowledge and
Texts
Understanding
CRITERIA
Overall Grade:
A
B
C
D
E
The Student:
Demonstrates a highly
accurate comprehension of
the novel through skilful
identification of main ideas
and proficient manipulation of
language elements.

The Student:
Demonstrates a thorough
understanding of the novel and
identifies the key themes and uses
language effectively to construct an
engaging text.
The Student:
Demonstrates satisfactory
knowledge of the novel and
indentifies some of the key ideas
and uses language to justify their
claims.
The Student:
Makes well-reasoned
judgements about the novel
and can justify their opinions
with confidence.
The Student:
Makes reasoned judgements about
the novel, showing their
understanding of the content and
ability to use the text to build on
their opinions.
The Student:
Makes credible judgement about
the novel and shows their
interpretation of the novel through
their opinions of the text.
The Student:

The Student:
Makes obvious judgements about
Makes cursory judgements about
the novel, showing some
the novel, showing little
understanding of the content and
understanding of the content and a
little ability to make informed
reliance on others to inform their
opinions about the text.
opinion about the text.
The Student:

Discerning and controlled use 
of language elements to
construct a persuasive speech,
showing great understanding
of the context, purpose and
audience.
The Student:
Purposeful and effective use of
language elements to construct a
persuasive speech, showing a good
understanding of the context,
purpose and audience.
The Student:
Appropriate and competent use of
language elements to construct a
persuasive speech showing a solid
understanding of the context,
purpose and audience.
The Student:

The Student:
Variable use of language elements 
Rudimentary use of language
to construct a persuasive speech,
elements to construct a persuasive
showing some understanding of the speech, showing little
context, purpose and audience.
understanding of the context,
purpose and audience.
The student:
The student:
Demonstrates some knowledge of 
Demonstrates little
the novel and identifies some of the understanding of the novel, key
key themes throughout their text.
themes, or how to construct a
persuasive speech.

Time: _____________
Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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