Ariana Carr
Persuasive Writing
Earth Day Persuasive Letter
Big Idea:
Students will continue their writing skills by convincing or persuading someone to save our
planet.
Standards:
1.4.1.B: Write informational pieces using illustrations when relevant (e.g., descriptions,
letters, instructions).
1.5.1.F: Use grade appropriate conventions of language when writing and editing.
Essential Question:
“What can we do to save our Earth?”
Objectives:
Students will be able to write, edit and publish a persuasive letter about saving our Earth,
first as a class then individually.
Lesson Materials:
 Earth Day poem (attached)
 “Michael Recycle”
 “What helps/harms the Earth” (examples of each with two different planets to place
on)
 “Tire” Experiment (clear jar full of cheerios marked, water and flour)
 Smart Board page to brain storm
 Sample letter completed as a class
 Peer Evaluation Rubric –one for student
 Persuasive letter, stemmed, to be completed individually
 Reusable bags for each students
 Permanent markers to decorate
Anticipatory Set:
On the first day of the lesson, the students will have the book, “Michael Recycle” being read
to them. Afterwards, we will discuss aspects of the story, how Michael, the superhero,
helped save a town full of garbage, brown skies, and no blue and green space. “What would
it be like to live in a town before Michael Recycle came? What did he do to help? What can
we do?” We will read the Earth Day poem together. Next, we will sort what helps/harms
the Earth. Each student will come up, read the example, and determine if the example helps
or harms the Earth. An example picture of a landfill will be viewed as a class to showcase
what will happen if we don’t do our part to help. The “tire” experiment will follow. The
cheerios represent tires, that need to be recycled –what can we do to recycle tires? First,
just like real tires, the cheerios will be smashed down to a fine powder (reduce) and then
with water and flour added to the powder, can be created into a road (reuse).
Procedure:
The next day, a sample story of how we can help will be given. The story will follow
examples of walking where you can, throwing the trash in the garbage, and using what you
can etc. This story will be relevant to Farrell and the 1st graders lives. Next, we will
brainstorm together, as a form of a review of the previous day, of what we can do on our
part. With our brainstorming as a guide, we will write a class sample of the persuasive
letter. Students will take turns giving examples of what to include in the letter. To finish the
day, students will start their first draft –again using the brainstorming as a guide.
The following day, the students will receive another peers’ first draft. They will have a
small rubric guideline to edit their peers’ paper on: capitalization, full sentences, spelling,
ideas, and neatness. After editing their peers’ and receiving their own back, the students
will complete their final draft –attending to the edits made by their peers. The final draft
will be decorated on paper to be published.
Closure:
As a final activity, on the last day, students will receive their own reusable bag to decorate.
Their reusable bag will have to convey a message to encourage others to help our Earth. An
example could be “Keep our Earth blue and green –not grey and brown!” “Recycle to keep
our Earth healthy!” Before decorating the bag, students will write a “rough draft” on a piece
of paper before being permitted to use markers.
Assessment:
The students will be assessed on their final draft, using the same rubric that was used as
the peer evaluation: handwriting, spacing, capital letter, punctuation and name.
Adaptation: During the peer evaluations, students that need more instruction will be
grouped and led step by step through the “grading” process. For the their rough and final
drafts, students have three examples (What helps/harms the Earth, Smart Board
brainstorming, and example class letter) to help with ideas, spelling and structure.
Extension: If time permits, a Scholastic Reader on Earth Day will be read together as a
class. Ironically, the Scholastic Reader is called “Tired of Trash” –focusing on a young man
and his efforts to remove trash, more specifically tires, out of rivers which is a perfect
connection to our previous experiment.