Persuasive Writing
Key Ideas for this Unit:
 Writers write to persuade readers of their point of view using
specific evidence and facts to support their ideas.
 Writer’s organize their ideas using persuasive language.
Goals and Overview:
Students will learn to…
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Name the characteristics of persuasive writing.
State their opinion/point of view on a topic in writing.
Support their opinion/point of view with evidence.
Develop arguments for an opinion/point of view.
Write effective leads and conclusions for their persuasive piece.
Revise and edit their writing using a rubric.
Writing Form for Persuasive Writing
Lessons presented in this unit are generally about persuasive writing.
Teachers for each grade level will need to tailor models of the
lessons to the specific forms below.
Grade 3: Students write letters to family members, teachers, or other
member of school community to persuade them of their point of view.
To publish, students can mail or deliver their letters.
Grade 4: Students write letter to the editor about a local topic or news
event of the day.
Grade 5: Students write an editorial to state their opinion about a
topic and defend their opinion. Students may research more
evidence/facts to include in their writing.
Note:
Continue to reinforce expectations for Writing Workshop. Repeat
procedural mini-lessons as needed. Also, repeat any of the following
mini-lessons that discuss craft as needed. Your conferences with
students
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Grade 3.W.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons.
a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an
opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists
reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the opinion.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since,
for example) to connect opinion and reasons.
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.
Grade 4.W.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an
organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to
support the writer’s purpose.
b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for
instance, in order to, in addition).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion
presented.
Grade 5 .W.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an
organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to
support the writer’s purpose.
b. Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts
and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses
(e.g., consequently, specifically).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion
presented.
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Persuasive Words to Link Ideas by Grade
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3-5th Grade Persuasive Unit Lessons:
Lesson 1: What do we know about persuasive writing?
Lesson 2: How do I get ideas for persuasive writing?
Lesson 3: What are the characteristics of persuasive writing?
Lesson 4: What are other characteristics of persuasive writing?
Lesson 5: How can I support my position with relevant details and supporting
examples and/or reasons?
Lesson 6: What language do persuasive authors use?
Lesson 7: What are the parts of persuasive writing?
Lesson 8: How can I use what I know to write persuasively?
Lesson 9A and 9B (Grade 5 Only): How can I refute an argument?
Lesson 10: How do I address the concerns of my audience?
Lesson 11: How do I select a topic? What are my important reasons for
selecting a topic to publish?
Lesson 12: How can I use a flow chart to organize a draft?
Lesson 13: How do I write a draft from a flow chart?
Lesson 14: How can I write effective leads?
Lesson 15: How can I write effective conclusions?
Lesson 16: How do I make sure that my sentences are constructed in different
ways that give my writing interest and rhythm?
Lesson 17: How does my writing compare to the persuasive writing rubric?
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Focus Lesson 1: What Do We Know About Persuasive Writing?
Six Traits: Ideas and Organization
Objectives
Materials
 Name the characteristics of persuasive writing.
 Read persuasive writing.
Samples of persuasive writing, which can be found at
www.timeforkids.com or
http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels
Also, see appendix of sample persuasive writing.
Connection
Tell students writing takes many forms. Remind them that
author’s write for different purposes. Sometimes writers write to
inform us of a topic, to entertain, and sometimes they write to
persuade us or convince us of an opinion or idea. Tell them that
during writing workshop, we will begin to focus on one form—
persuasive writing.
Teaching
Display on the overhead projector and distribute copies of a
strong exemplar of persuasive writing.
Read the piece aloud two times. The read aloud should
provides good expression, phrasing, and emotion found in
persuasive writing.
Begin a class anchor chart “What We Notice About Persuasive
Writing” chart. Do not include more than six to eight bullets on
the chart, so try to phrase students’ “noticings” in broad
language, such a “has interesting leads,” “gives reasons for
opinions,” “backs up opinions, and “restates position in
conclusion.”
Active
Engagement
See sample anchor chart of key points to help students
recognize about persuasive writing.
Students read other persuasive writing pieces with their
partners to reinforce or add to information on the “What We
Notice About Persuasive Writing” chart.
Link
No independent writing today.
Independent
No independent writing today.
Writing
Share/Closure Discuss any additional points students notice after reading
other persuasive writing.
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Sample Persuasive Writing Anchor Chart
What We Notice About Persuasive Writing
 States an opinion or position
 Gives reasons for opinions
 Backs up opinions with data, evidence, expert quotes,
examples, and so on
 Offers possible solutions
 Restates position in conclusion
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Focus Lesson 2: How Do I get Ideas for Persuasive Writing?
Six Traits: Ideas
Objectives
Materials
 Generate a list of topics for persuasive writing.
 Chart paper to begun unfair list.
Connection
So we have been talking about persuasive writing and how to
write persuasively. Today, I want to teach you how you can get
ideas to write your persuasive articles. We are going to get our
ideas from an “unfair” list.
Teaching
There are so many things that are unfair. For instance, I can
remember when I was 14, I thought it was so unfair that my
sister could drive but I couldn’t. I really felt strongly that the
driving age needed to be lowered to 14! So, I have made a list
of some things that I think are unfair.
(Display your list on an anchor chart on an easel in front of
students).
Active
Engagement
Now I want you to think about some things that you think are
unfair. Have students turn to a partner and share some things
they think are unfair.
Share ideas with the group as needed to help students’
brainstorm list.
Link
Now, I’d like you to generate your own list in your writer’s
notebook of things you think are unfair. Make it look just like
mine:
Example:
Unfair List
-driving age should be lowered
Independent
Have students make a list in their writer’s notebook of items and
Writing
ideas they think are unfair.
Share/Closure Students share their lists with a partner.
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Focus Lesson 3: What are the characteristics of persuasive writing?
Six Traits: Ideas
Objectives
Materials
Connection
 Identify the characteristics of persuasive writing
 State a point of view/opinion about a topic.
 Defend the point of view with specific evidence.
 Anchor Chart from previous day “What we notice about
persuasive writing”
 Student Writing Notebooks
We have read (persuasive mentor text or article) and then we
developed an anchor chart that showed what we notice about
persuasive writing. Today we are going to identify some
characteristics of persuasive writing as well as practice
developing a point of view and giving reasons for our point of
view.
Teaching
Explain to students that they are going to participate in a “State
Your Position” activity. Model this using the example “football or
soccer.” Point to ½ of the room and say that this is where you
would go if you like soccer better and on the other ½ of the room,
designate that area as where you would go if you like football
better. Have students stand up and begin by giving two choices
and have them select one. Once they decide, have them move
to the side of the room that is designated for that choice.
Note: Change the topic to meet the needs of your students, for
example some other ideas are as follows:
 Vanilla or chocolate?
 Writing or reading?
 Pizza or hamburgers?
 Summer break or year round school?
 School uniforms or no uniforms?
Each time, give each group a white board/sticky notes and have
them write down three reasons why they chose that choice.
Explain the importance of choosing only one side. Tie this to
generating a point of view and how in persuasive writing you
have to have only one point of view on an issue. Tell students
that this is just one of many characteristics of persuasive writing.
Add to the anchor chart the following:
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Has one point of view clearly stated at the beginning of
the piece (and sometimes restated at the end again).
Gives specific reasons for the point of view.
Active
Engagement
With your writing partner, choose one idea from your unfair list.
State your point of view and give some reasons for your point of
view.
Link
So, today, writers, I’d like you to choose a topic from your unfair
list and start writing a seed for a persuasive writing piece. State
your point of view on the topic. Give specific reasons for your
point of view.
Students may write on a persuasive writing topic of their choice.
They may choose to write about one of the choices you gave
them during the mini-lesson, but that isn’t required.
Independent
Writing
Share/Closure
Students share what they wrote with a writing partner.
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Focus Lesson 4: What are other characteristics of persuasive writing?
Six Traits: Ideas
Objectives
 Identify other characteristics of Persuasive Writing
Materials

Chart “What We Notice About Persuasive Writing
What We Notice About Persuasive Writing
• States an opinion or position
• Gives reasons for opinions
• Backs up opinions with data, evidence, expert quotes, examples, and so on.
• Offers possible solutions
• Restates position in conclusion
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Connection
Teaching
Active
Engagement
A persuasive writing model piece
Student writing notebooks
Have students recall what point of view is and how it relates to
persuasive writing. Explain that today they are going to add to
the chart of “Characteristics of Persuasive Writing”
Show students the chart “What we Notice About Persuasive
Writing” from above and have them identify words such as
solution, opinion, point of view, reasons, and evidence, discuss
their meanings and how they are all characteristics of
persuasive writing.
Then read aloud the sample persuasive writing piece and have
students analyze how this piece had these characteristics of
persuasive writing. Have students turn and talk to share what
they notice about the point of view, solutions, facts, and
evidence given in the text.
It’s best if students can see the text as you read it, so you might
print out copies for them to use or project the text for all to see.
Ask students to be specific as they point out areas where the
writer stated an opinion, gave reasons for their opinion, and
backed up their opinion with facts, etc.
Link
Today, writers, I want you to pick another idea from your unfair
list and give your point of view. Give specific reasons for your
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point of view, give specific reasons and evidence for your point
of view, and offer solutions.
Independent
Writing
Students may then write in their writing notebooks. Challenge
students to use the chart from today to make their persuasive
writing better.
Share/Closure Students share their writing with a writing partner.
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Focus Lesson 5: How can I support my position with relevant details and
supporting examples and/or reasons?
Six Trait: Ideas
Objectives
Materials
Connection
Use supporting details and examples
 Mentor text for persuasive writing
Writers, we have discussed how to form our point of view about
a topic. Today we are going to learn how to support our opinion
by adding details and examples to our persuasive writing.
Teaching
Using your mentor text, discuss what the writer did well. As a
group pick out some general information and some specific
details. Have students call out and categorize them as either
general information or specific details.
Active
Engagement
Model some general information sentences and then add some
details to make it a specific details sentence. For example,
 Schools should not be required to wear uniforms. School
uniforms can be too expensive for some families to buy.
 Students should go to school all summer long. Students
need to have time off to relax and get ready for the next
school year.
 Homework is so important we need homework during our
vacations. Homework can help students remember
important information and should be assigned over the
vacation breaks.
 Kids should be allowed to ride their bikes to school
because it is fun. Riding bikes to school is one way
students can get exercise instead of driving or taking the
bus.
 Kids should be allowed to eat ice cream for dessert ever
night because it is healthy. Ice cream can be a healthy
food because it contains milk and is an important way for
kids to get calcium and other vitamins.
Ask students look through their persuasive writing so far and
identify an area in their writing where they wrote a general
sentence and then add specific detail sentences. Have students
share their general sentence and their ideas for adding details
with a partner.
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Link
Writers, today, as you work on your persuasive writing pieces.
Make sure to write specific details to support your point of view.
Independent
Writing
Students may write in their writing notebooks. Students can
work on a new seed idea or continue working on a previous
entry.
Share/Closure Students share specific details they have in their writing with a
writing partner.
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Sample Topic: People should stop cutting down trees
3 poor reasons (These would be the ones that would
not be valid. This is an example of what the students
should not do.)
1. I love trees.
2. Trees are pretty.
3. I like to climb the trees in my back yard.
3 valid reasons (These are examples of reasons that
we want the students to do.)
1. Many animals are losing their homes because
people are cutting down trees to build more
buildings and homes.
2. Trees provide oxygen to all living things.
3. If there are no trees the land will continue to
wash away.
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Focus Lesson 6: What language do persuasive authors use?
Six Traits: Word Choice
Objectives
Materials
Identify words used in persuasive essay to convey point of view
and reasons for opinions.
 Persuasive article/text
 Sticky notes
Connection
We have been talking about what we notice about persuasive
writing. We started a chart for our findings. Today we are going
to look at the language authors tend to use when writing
persuasive texts.
Teaching
Read persuasive text aloud and chart what you notice as you
read. Point out the language that you see the author use
(sample language that might be seen in an article is below).
This is teacher directed. You are modeling all of your thinking in
front of your students. Use sticky note to underline the language
that you find as you read through the text aloud. Stop and
chart the language that you notice as you read the article. After
finishing article, go back and review the language that you
found in your text. Ask them: What does the persuasive
language do for the writing? What did you notice as a reader
and writer today?
Active
Engagement
Students will then get their own copy of a persuasive piece.
Have them get with a partner and highlight the persuasive
language that they notice within the text. Add their findings to
the anchor chart.
Link
Students when you go off to write today, start thinking about the
persuasive language that you have seen and found. Try and
use some of the phrases that we charted today and that we
found in the articles.
Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Writing
Share/Closure Have students turn and talk and tell their partner persuasive
language that they used today in their writing. Have a few
students share aloud.
Persuasive language
In my opinion
Believes
My point of view
In fact…
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On the other hand
I think
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Focus Lesson 7: What are the parts of a persuasive piece?
Six Traits: Organization
Objectives
Identify the beginning lead and structure of a persuasive piece.
Materials
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wr/article/0,27972,189
5390,00.html link above is for article: Summer Homework
Should Be Banned
highlighter/pencil
Connection
Yesterday we learned ….Today I am going to teach you how to
look at a persuasive piece and pick out the parts. This is a good
skill to learn because the more text we see like this, the more we
will start applying it to our own writing
Teaching
I have given everyone a copy of Nancy Kalish’s article “ Summer
Homework Should Be Banned.” I am going to let you read it first
silently, then I am going to read it aloud (give them time to read
it silently).
I think Nancy did a great job persuading the reader to agree
that homework should be banned in the summer. There were
several things that I noticed about this essay. One of the things
that I noticed is that she stated her opinion in a very playful way
in her first paragraph. She gave a list of things that were typical
summer activities and then threw in book reports. She goes on
to state that something isn’t right with that picture. She could
have said “I don’t think kids should be made to do summer
homework.” Instead, she had a great lead and grabbed the
readers’ attention.
The next thing I noticed was that she gives 3 reasons to support
what she believes. She thinks it is important to include those
reasons in her essay. Her first reason was actually proving
people wrong and explaining to us what research says. I think
this is so powerful. Anytime you can prove your point, that
makes your essay more believable (when modeling this: always
point to the section of the article that you are referring to).
Continue modeling your thinking out loud with all of the reasons
the author used to support their essay.
Active
Engagement
Now it is your turn to try it. I want you to read the last and final
paragraph again. I want you to use your highlighter and pencil to
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mark and write what you notice about what Nancy did.
Link
Give them time to work on this independently (2 minutes) Have
them share what they found.
Writers, today when you go off and write, I want you to think
about the article that we read. I want you to think about how
Nancy used all the parts of persuasive essay to make her piece.
Whatever piece you are going to work on today, make sure you
include all the parts that make a persuasive writing.
***When conferring with students the teaching point should be
focused on how to write a persuasive essay…provide teacher
support and have students tell you how they used the model
effectively.
Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Writing
Share/Closure Have students share with their writing partner their persuasive
writing from today. Have a few students share aloud specific
parts of their persuasive writing like Nancy’s article.
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Summer Homework Should Be Banned
NANCY KALISH
Nancy Kalish coauthored The Case Against Homework. She
believes there is no reason to overload kids with assignments
during the summer.
Swimming. Softball. Camp. Book reports. It's pretty easy to
recognize that one of these things does not belong with the others.
Summer is not the right time for homework, and not just because
kids hate it. There are some very good reasons why teachers
should think twice before piling it on this summer.
Some educators say that doing book reports and math problems
helps kids maintain their skills over the summer. But there's no
research proving that kids who don't do summer homework
experience long-term learning loss. Chances are, you won't forget
how to compute fractions in a few months. You might be rusty in
September. But a quick review in class should bring you up to
speed. If it doesn't, you might not have been taught the skill well
enough.
Summer homework can also take away from the important
learning that goes on outside of school. This includes reading for
pleasure, which helps you establish a lifelong love of books. Play
is also essential. It gives you an opportunity to master social skills,
such as teamwork, that will be key to your success as a working
adult.
And if you are doing anything that helps you break a sweat, you
are also helping your brain develop properly. Research shows that
physical exercise is essential to proper brain growth in children.
Plus, exercise helps keep you healthy.
Finally, it is important to consider how a load of summer
homework will make students feel about returning to school.
Should kids start the school year feeling burned-out and resentful?
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Or should they return to school refreshed and ready to learn?
Shouldn't kids have time to just be kids and not little adults? The
answers seem obvious to me. What do you think?
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Focus Lesson 8: How can I use what I know to write persuasively?
Six Traits: Ideas, Organization, Word Choice
Objectives
Materials
Connection
Teaching
 Anchor charts created about persuasive writing.
Writers I want us to look at the charts we created for our unit on
persuasive writing. The first one was what we noticed about
persuasive writing and the 2nd one was persuasive language
that authors tend to use.
Today I want to teach you how to use these two charts to create
a strong persuasive piece. We want to make sure that when we
write we refer to these charts. I am going to choose one of the
topics we brainstormed today and model using the charts from
the other day. I want you to watch how I refer to them and use
the language and attributes of the charts.
Model writing on chart paper and refer to the charts as you
write.
Active
Engagement
I want you to look at a persuasive piece you finished or are
working on in your notebook. I want you to think about how we
used the charts to make our piece stronger. Look over a piece
right now and if you think that you can make a sentence
stronger by changing something, I want you to do that now.
Link
Writers when you go off and write today, I want you to use the
charts and think about how these can make your essays
stronger writing pieces.
Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Writing
Share/Closure Have students share with their writing partner their persuasive
writing from today. Have a few students share aloud.
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Focus Lesson 9 A (Grade 5 Only): How can I refute an argument?
Six Traits: Ideas and Voice
Objectives
Materials
Connection
Has anyone ever heard someone say something that you didn’t
agree with? (Have a few students share aloud)
Well, today we are going to talk about a word that you might not
have heard of. Refute or refuting an argument means to prove
that something is wrong. When we have opinions about topics
or issues, we have to say more than just “because I want it” or
“because that’s what I think.” When we look at the other
viewpoint or side and think about how we best can refute the
argument, it makes our position stronger.
Teaching
Start a chart for effective ways to refute an argument. Write as
you discuss. (See end of lesson for sample chart).
I want to teach you some effective ways to refute an argument.
One ways is to offer solutions. We want the reader to know that
we have thought about the argument and we have solutions to
the way we think about the topic. We also have to gather expert
information or data to support our position. The more support
and research we have, the more convincing our piece will be.
We also need to cite examples that support our position.
Many of you have asked for a class pet. My argument
against a class pet is
1. Pets are messy, smell bad, and are time consuming to
care for.
2. Students might be allergic to animals.
3. The food, equipment, and other supplies are expensive
4. No one can take care of it during the summer (write this
on the same chart).
Here is the argument. Does everyone agree with what I am
saying, or would you like to refute? How could we refute these
arguments in a persuasive essay? Go through each of the 3
effective ways we charted and discuss how we could use each
one for this particular argument.
Active
Turn and talk and tell your partner one of the points I made and
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Engagement
how you would choose to refute it. Have a few students share.
Link
When you go off to write today, I want you to think about how to
effectively refute an argument. We want to go beyond “because
I said so”…Let’s try to really give solutions and answers to what
we believe about a topic or issue.
Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Writing
Share/Closure Two or three students share out with whole group.
Effective Ways to Refute an Argument Chart
• Offer solutions.
• Gather expert information or data to support your position.
• Cite examples that support your position.
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Focus Lesson 9 B (Grade 5 only): How can I refute an argument?
Six Traits: Ideas and Voice
Objectives
Materials
• “Effective Ways to Refute an Argument” chart from last lesson
A guest to help you refute an argument (ask a parent, a support
teacher, your instructional coach, etc. and prepare them with
the focus of the lesson beforehand)
Connection
Remind students people will always have opinions or decisions
that differ from ours. Explain that, of course, we do not always
get what we want, but if we can counter or refute arguments
with skillful persuasive techniques, we are more likely to get
other people to reconsider their positions.
Teaching
Ask students to look at the “Effective Ways to Refute an
Argument” chart, reminding students of these effective
persuasive techniques. Ask your guest to sit with you, face to
face, in front of the students. Ask the guest to make an oral
argument on a topic that you have discussed with ahead of time
(i.e. your support of school uniforms). The guest should make
their model argument by beginning with stating their position,
giving at least three supporting reasons, and concluding with
their position again. Then you model refuting their argument by
stating using the “Effective Ways to Refute an Argument” chart.
Point out to students each time you used an idea from the
chart.
Active
Engagement
Set a timer for two minutes. Have one partner talk about one
argument his or her paryner listed. Partners brainstorm which
“Effective Ways to Refute an Argument” will be most effective in
countering that argument. Reset the timer for another two
minutes, and partners brainstorm about the other person’s
arguments.
Link
Tell students to write new persuasive entries in their notebooks,
using the “Effective Ways to Refute an Argument” chart to
anticipate the opposing viewpoint of their argument. Let them
know they may want to make notes in their notebooks about
where they need— and can find—data or information to support
their positions.
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Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Writing
Share/Closure • Partners share entries where they attempted to use effective
techniques to refute the opposing argument.
• Ask partners to share techniques they found easy and difficult.
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Focus Lesson 10: How do I address the concerns of my audience?
Six Traits: Voice
Objectives
Materials
Connection
Today we are going to learn how to develop a concern for the
audience. This is important because it helps the writer
understand the other side of their argument. All of these things
are going to link together.
Teaching
Read Earrings by Judith Viorst. We are going to look at a book
today where the author has used many concerns when writing
the view point of the little girl. She is trying to convince her
parents to let her get her ears pierced and in the process she
presents their concerns to them. The little girl knows that she
has to address the concern in order to get what she wants.
She also addresses these concerns because she knows they
are going to be an issue. When writers use a concern in a
persuasive piece they tend to use certain phrases or words.
Point out the ones that Viorst used in the text Earrings.
Active
Engagement
I want you to look at a piece of writing that you have written in
the persuasive unit. Think about one of the concerns that your
reader could have had when reading your persuasive essay.
Think about what the concern would be? How would you
address that concern? Write the concern on the top of that
piece and make sure you go back and address it today in
workshop.
Link
When writing today, I want everyone to think about how you can
address the concern in your piece.
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Independent
Writing
Share/Closure Students share how they addressed possible audience
concerns in their persuasive writing.
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Focus Lesson 11: How do I select a topic? What are my important reasons for
selecting a topic to publish?
Six Traits: Ideas
Objectives
Materials
Objectives:
 Students will evaluate their persuasive ideas and
determine which to continue working on.
 Example of a persuasive letter from your writer’s
notebook
Connection
We have written several seeds of persuasive writing so far.
Today you are going to think about what idea you will stick with
and draft and develop into a finished piece of writing.
Teaching
Making this decision of which idea to develop requires a lot of
thought. This isn’t a pin on the tail on the donkey decision where
you close your eyes at random.
This is more like playing chess-spending time thinking and
making very purposeful choices.
Let me show you what I mean.
For the next few minutes, watch and listen as I think aloud about
what I have written and what is worth developing. What things
do I consider when selecting my topic?
Active
Engagement
Writing
Share/Closure
Here are some questions to model as you think aloud choosing
your topic:
 Am I excited to write about this topic?
 Do I have enough to say about this topic?
 What might I say? (This is a really important question and
one that we don’t usually ask ourselves as we write
narrative, especially personal narrative.)
 Will this topic be easy or hard for me to write about? Or
will it be somewhere in between?
Turn to a partner and summarize some of the questions to ask
when selecting a topic.
Have students read their seed entries of persuasive letters.
Put a sticker on the selection they will develop further.
Have students share with a partner the seed they have selected.
Have students explain to their partner why they chose this
particular topic.
27
Focus Lesson 12: How can I use a flow chart to organize a draft?
Six Traits: Organization
Objectives
Materials
Connection
 Overhead and student copies of “Persuasive Writing Flow
Chart”
Remind students that yesterday they chose a seed idea to
develop into a persuasive piece.
Tell students that using a good plan to organize their writing
helps ensure that they include and elaborate on all the
important points and arguments in their editorials.
Tell them a good plan also offers structure, so they can be
certain they have carefully thought about and addressed all the
characteristics of strong editorials on the class rubric.
Teaching
Using a think aloud, carefully consider what you really want
your persuasive piece to say or readers to understand. Explain
that this first step is the most crucial part of the flow chart,
because you convey why this topic is so important to you. The
rest of the flow chart supports your convictions about the topic.
Then model making notes on the “Persuasive Writing Flow
Chart” to organize ideas for writing your first editorial draft.
During the think aloud, mention that you will teach mini-lessons
during the next couple of days to help craft strong leads and
conclusions for editorials, so today you might leave those boxes
blank.
Active
Engagement
With partners, students discuss what they really want to say
about their topics and why they are important. Remind them
that these things are their big ideas. Listen carefully to partners
to make sure their importance or passion for their topics is
clear.
Link
Tell students to fill out as much of their flow charts as they can.
Like you, they can wait to consider leads and conclusions until
after those mini-lessons. Distribute copies or provide a chartsize version of your flow chart for students to use as a model.
Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Writing
Share/Closure Students share their flow charts with their partners and talk
about what was hard and what was easier in the process.
28
29
Topic:
Lead
Specific reasons to support my piece:


State clearly my Point of view/opinion:



Ending:
30
Focus Lesson 13: How do I write a draft from the flow chart?
Objectives
Materials
Connection
 Overhead and student copies of “Persuasive Writing Flow
Chart: What I’m Trying to Say” from Lesson 15
 Draft of a persuasive essay that you have prewritten. Write
on every other line to allow revision.
Tell students they have spent a lot of time gathering arguments
and evidence to support their positions and offer solutions to
their issues.
Explain that strong writers also gather evidence to support their
positions before beginning editorials or persuasive writing
pieces.
Then explain they will come completely out of their notebooks
and use regular notebook paper and their “Persuasive Writing
Flow Chart:
What I’m Trying to Say” to begin drafting their editorials. Tell
them not to worry about leads or conclusions, as they will insert
carefully crafted ones in a day or two.
Teaching
Tell students you drafted persuasive piece last night using your
own flow chart. Read your draft, stopping when necessary to
explain how you thought through writing the draft: expanding
your ideas, using the rubric, thinking about how authors of
various mentor texts wrote convincing arguments, refuting the
opposing side, and so on. Let them know what you found hard
and how you worked through it. Think aloud as you model
reading the draft on the overhead. Model how to cross out
ideas, write between lines, and make changes as ideas flow.
Encourage students to provide feedback and ask questions
about your piece of writing.
Active
Engagement
You may not need Active Engagement in this lesson. Most
students should have the organization and tools to begin
drafting on notebook paper. Keep a small group if you think
they need more support as they begin their drafts.
Tell students to follow this process today as they write their
persuasive pieces. Remind them of how you solved problems
Link
31
you encountered when writing your draft. Remind students to
spend the last few minutes of Writing Workshop editing for one
or more items on their self-editing checklists.
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Independent
Writing
Share/Closure Two or three students share out with whole group.
32
Focus Lesson 14: How can I write Effective Leads?
Six Traits: Organization
Objectives
Materials
Connection
Overhead and student copies of effective leads from mentor
persuasive texts
Tell students that during this writing this year, we have studied
effective leads to learn how to improve the quality of our writing.
Today we will think about leads for our persuasive writing.
Explain that leads are the first exposure readers get to your
writing, so when writing leads, you need to grab readers’
attention so they want to keep reading. If leads are boring or
predictable, readers will likely stop right there.
Teaching
Using the overhead and student copies, look closely at four to
six of the best leads from editorials you used. Read the first
lead and think aloud: “How does this lead pull the readers in?”
or “What makes this lead interesting or effective?” Underline or
circle leads. Use examples of different types of leads, so
students understand leads are not just the first sentence. Also
note on the overhead why the leads are good.
Model and think aloud leads you think might work best for your
writing.
Read from your own writing notebook how you tried two
possible forms of leads, then talk about which one worked best
and why.
Active
Engagement
Tell students to take a few minutes to think about each lead.
Have them talk with partners about why each lead was
effective. Remember, not all editorials you used have strong
leads, so only pick mentor articles that provide memorable
leads. Ask students which ones will work well for their editorials.
Link
Tell students to try two forms of effective leads. They can also
try other leads they think will work well for their editorials. Tell
them to share leads they think worked best for their editorials.
Remind students to spend the last few minutes of writing
workshop editing for one or more items on their self-editing
checklists.
33
Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks.
Writing
Share/Closure Students share with their “Turn and Talk” partners the leads
they chose to use
Samples of Strong Leads and Their Strategies
Imagine: Author engages readers by bringing them right into setting.
Example: “The pioneers who cross the Appalachian Mountains depended on trees and
forests for food and shelter. Imagine starting over in a place with almost no tress. Add to
that, blizzards in the winter and swarms of grasshoppers in the summer. For some
pioneers, the hardest part of life was getting to their new home. But for the settlers of the
Great Plains, known as sodbusters, getting there was easy compared to what came
next.”
“Sodbusters,” Kids Discover, August 1999
Student written example: “Imagine you are in a long hallway. You can’t see the
beginning or the end. The hallway is miles long. You look up. Someone has put a pattern
of bathtubs and mirrors upside on the ceiling. As far as you can see, there are bathtubs
and mirrors.”
Question: Author starts with an important question that makes readers think or
wonder about the answer.
Example: “Do you ever wonder when you look at buildings in your own town or city, as
well as those in other parts of the United States and in other countries, about the amount
of work involved in their construction?”
“View From the Crow’s Nest : American Architecture,” Cobblestone, August 1988
Student written example: “Have you ever wondered how you talk to your best friend or a
family member just by picking up something called a phone and dialing seven
numbers?”
Student written example: “Have you ever heard of the composer that was deaf?”
Right to the Point: Simple, short sentence that tells the readers what the report
is about, but does not say “This report is about….”
Example: “Spiders live in many places. They live at the top of mountains or on the
bottom of caves. Some live in damp areas. Others live in deserts. Some spiders live on
the ground, some in trees and some in buildings.”
A Look at Spiders, 1998
Student written example: “Many parts make up a computer. The video card translates
instructions into a computer. An expansion card lets you add new features to a
computer. The computer also holds a sound card that determines the sound quality
produced.”
Hanging On: Author gives readers some clues and readers try to guess what is
being described.
Example: “Its body stretched flat in the water, the hunter swims toward the prey. One
hop and the hunter is out of the water, snatching its catch. Lickings its lips, it prepares to
devour its meal. A ruthless killer? An unlucky victim? Nope. The hunter is a fluffy
34
muskrat, looking more like a bedroom slipper than a dangerous predator. Its prey is an
apple slice, hidden in an exhibit at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC.”
“Call of the Wild,” Boys’ Life, July 1999
Student written example: “Try to imagine that you are on a trip in South America. You
are on a tour of a Brazilian rain forest, and you see a spotted animal and a black animal.
You think the spotted animal is a jaguar, but you’re not sure. Can you guess what kind of
animal the black one is? Well, as you might have guessed, the black animal is not a
black panther. But it is a female jaguar. Female jaguars are usually always black. In fact,
a jaguar cub usually will have a black mother and a spotted father.”
Adapted from Integrating Research Projects with Focused Writing by Mary McMackin and
Barbara Siegel, an article online from the Reading Online Web site,
www.readingonline.org/articles/mcmackin/index.html#leads1
Other Types of leads include:
Dialogue Lead:
“Where’s Papa going with that axe?' said Fern to her mother as they were setting the
table for breakfast. ~ Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Sound Lead:
“Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I’m off to the moon! ~ Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I’m off to the moon! by
Dan Yaccarino
Setting Lead:
Rancher Hicks lived out West. As far as the eye could see there was nothing…not even
a roaming buffalo. So nothing much ever happened. ~ Meanwhile Back at the Ranch by
Trinka Hakes Noble
35
Focus Lesson 15: How can I write effective conclusions?
Six Traits: Organization
Objectives
Materials
Your own writing that you have shared or modeled
Connection
We have learned a lot about endings this year. We know how
important endings are in our writing because it is the last thing
the reader reads. We are going to look at how we can end our
persuasive pieces by writing a conclusion.
Teaching
(Use a piece that you have written on chart paper, one that you
modeled in front of your class.) Today I want to show you
several ways to end your piece.
We are going to try the “take 5 strategy” with one of my pieces
and come up with the perfect ending. (The “take five strategy” is
taking different ending options and then choosing the best one.)
Let’s look at the piece I wrote a few days ago.
There are several ways to end a persuasive piece. Restating
your lead, creating a memorable image, summarizing and
connecting, a clever comment, or a call to action are all endings
I am going to try with my piece. (Model writing each one of the
endings on a new chart while showing your thinking out loud.)
Think through picking out the best one.
Active
Engagement
Tell students to find one of their pieces and try the take 5 and
then pick out the best conclusion. (Have them do this on the
carpet. The active engagement might be a little longer today.)
Students “Turn and Talk” generating possible endings to a
piece.
Link
When you go off to write today. I want you to think about your
endings. Really think about choosing the right ending to help
make your piece more persuasive.
Independent
Students write independently in their writer’s notebooks several
Writing
different endings to their persuasive piece.
Share/Closure Students share with their “Turn and Talk” partners conclusions
they chose to use.
36
Note:
Anchor chart for conclusions
Types of Conclusions for Persuasive Writing
 Restate your lead sentence
 Call to action
 Create a positive or memorable image
 Summarize and connect to central message
 Clever or thought provoking comment
37
Focus Lesson 16: How do I make sure that my sentences are constructed in
different ways that give my writing interest and rhythm?
Objectives
Materials
To vary sentence structure within the persuasive writing


Teacher’s rough draft (either on chart paper or overhead
transparency)
Anchor chart on varying sentence structure (if one has
been created previously)
Connection
As we’ve been working on our persuasive writings, we’ve
learned different ways to make sure our writing is the best it can
be. We’ve looked at our details to make sure they are
convincing. We’ve looked at our word choice to make sure
we’ve chosen words that exactly express our meanings. Today
we’re going to look at our sentence structure and make sure
that all of our sentences are not beginning the same. We need
to make sure our writing isn’t choppy or monotonous.
Teaching
The teacher writes an example sentence on chart paper:
“Hershey Kisses are the best candy.” Then she writes
underneath: “Sweet, creamy Hershey Kisses are the best
candy.” Discuss how the second sentence is structured
differently with adjectives first. This is only one way that a
sentence can be changed. Have students look at their own
rough draft and choose a sentence that they believe they can
change to perhaps include an adjective or two at the beginning.
This is an easy way to vary sentence structure. Depending on
your class, you can model changing another sentence – but this
time maybe choose two short sentences and combine them to
make a compound sentence. Whatever is modeled, the
students will need to practice the strategy in their own writings.
Active
Engagement
Students continue to work on revising their rough drafts. They
are encouraged to look specifically at sentence structure today
to improve the quality of their writing. Teacher continues to
conference or work with small groups.
Link
Independent
Writing
Share/Closure Select students to share how they improved their sentence
38
structure. They can read the “before” and “after” with students
contributing ideas of how the sentence was changed. Teacher
can ask, “What did he do to make the sentence better?”
39
Focus Lesson 17: How does my writing compare to the persuasive writing
rubric?
Objectives
Materials


Connection
Teaching
Persuasive writing rubric for your grade level \
Sample persuasive essay you’ve written (you may
choose to use one of the samples you’ve previously
written)
We have learned a great deal about writing persuasive essays
over the past several weeks. You have been working on an
essay to publish for our writing celebration in several days.
Today I’m going to show you how to use a rubric to evaluate
your writing and to help you with making decisions about
revising and editing your writing.
Go over the persuasive essay rubric for your grade level with
your students. Begin with the “meets expectations” area of the
rubric. Then show students how they can move up or down the
rubric in each section depending on the elements of their essay.
Next, examine your persuasive essay and compare it to the
“ideas” and “organization” domains of the rubric. Make sure
your essay is not perfect, but is missing some elements.
Demonstrate how you might take notes about what you need to
do to improve your writing. Explicitly show students how you
might add whole paragraphs or larger sections of text using big
sticky notes. (This part of revision is very difficult for some
students – if they don’t see an “easy” way to add text, they will
simply choose not to. It’s important for us to provide them with
solutions that make revision an easier process)
Active
Engagement
Have partners turn and talk about your writing and how it
compares to the “style” section of the rubric. Come back
together as a class to discuss possible changes while you make
notes of their suggestions. Repeat this with the conventions
section of the rubric.
Link
Tell students that they will need to go through the same process
with their own persuasive essay. They should make notes on
possible changes, and after they’ve gone through the entire
rubric they may begin making changes to their writing based on
the notes they took.
Students continue working independently on final drafts with the
elements of the rubric in mind.
Independent
Writing
40
Share/Closure Students share with their “Turn and Talk” partners at least one
change they made or will make to their writing based on the
rubric.
41
Final Lessons
In the final days of this unit you may give students several days to fine-tune their
writing by editing and revising their final essay. You may choose to model how to
do this with one of your sample pieces, depending on the experience your
students have had with the editing and revision process. Students will also need
to recopy their writing into final draft form.
Finally, plan a publishing event as a way for students to share their final pieces.
The publishing party can take many forms, with students sharing in small groups
or whole group. You might choose to invite parents, or another class, or guests
from the school such as the principal or instructional coach. Food is always a
welcome addition! Make the celebration a culminating event that celebrates the
accomplishments of the students and the newfound knowledge they have about
writing persuasive texts.
42
Debate: Homework for the Holidays?
For many kids, winter break is a time to take a vacation, celebrate the holidays and relax at
home. Should it also be a time to do homework?
Studies have shown that struggling students who were improving significantly in math
performed worse after a school break. Winter break can be up to three weeks long. Teachers
who assign homework over the break hope to keep their students' skills sharp. Giving
homework over break can also provide teachers the opportunity to assign more creative
projects.
Others believe winter break should be a time for students to rest. In 2008, a school board in
Palo Alto, California, asked teachers not to assign homework or projects that would be due the
first week back from winter break. Officials hoped this would reduce student stress. The
message to teachers said, "The winter break is intended to be a time that is free from
schoolwork for students and staff."
Do you think teachers should assign homework over winter break? Here, two experts weigh in
with their views.
YES
By Janine Bempechat is an associate professor of human development at Wheelock College, in
Boston, Massachusetts.
A good many students see a break from school as a break from learning, but actually, learning
does not stop when the school building is closed. Unfortunately, many students have a lot of
experience with homework that is boring (think math worksheets), and from which they feel
they are not learning. Their gut reaction is a justifiable dread and resentment of homework
over a school holiday, especially if the assignment is mind-numbing. However, lots of students
enjoy homework when it allows them to express themselves creatively. What better time than
the holidays to give students an opportunity to think critically and reflectively about how they
value time with family and friends? This kind of homework—the type that engages students'
interest—is a very good idea.
NO
Alfie Kohn is the author of The Homework Myth and many other books about education.
Vacations from school are for hanging out with your friends and family, reading a book you
love, playing outdoors or just relaxing. If you have to do more schoolwork, it's not much of a
vacation! Besides—what you do away from school is something you and your parents should
decide, not your teachers. Some experts wonder whether homework is necessary at all. People
who say it helps you learn better may not realize that scientific evidence doesn't support this
belief. There's actually no proven benefit to doing homework, at least before you get to high
school. That's why many teachers and some schools don't give any homework, and their
students do just fine academically. They also stay more excited about learning than kids who
have to take home worksheets.
Source: Time for Kids (Retrieved on December 17, 2010
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wr/article/0,27972,2036533,00.html)
43
Saved by the Sell?
By Andréa Ford for TIME
To make ends meet, some schools are selling ad space on lockers, buses and permission slips.
Is this bad for kids?
Imagine you're walking through your school. In the hallway, you pass a row of lockers
plastered with a giant ad for a supermarket. In the cafeteria, you sit at a table covered with
characters from an upcoming movie. The side of your school bus carries an ad for a bank.
Your permission slip for a field trip includes a special discount offer from a department store.
Children and their parents are used to seeing ads on TV, and on cereal boxes and other
products. Parents can always turn off the TV or buy brands with less advertising. But they
can't do much about the ads you see on school grounds. And that is exactly what some
advertisers want.
At What Cost?
As school budgets get tighter, more schools are making room for advertisers. It's an easy way
for schools to make money. For example, the public school district in St. Francis, Minnesota,
recently agreed to cover 10% to 15% of its schools' lockers with ads. Superintendent Edward
Saxton says that so far, parents are accepting this as a way to bring in needed funds. The
money pays for programs like art, sports and music. "Parents don't like to see programs
getting cut," Saxton says.
As budgets are cut, school boards face hard choices when selecting which ads—if any—are
appropriate for students. Some people think zero ads in schools makes sense. "It's a slippery
slope," Susan Linn, director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, says about
determining which ads should be allowed in schools. "It's really better to draw the line at
none, because schools are going to be constantly weighing the impact."
To learn how cereal makers use ads to target kids, go to timeforkids.com/advertising.
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wr/article/0,27972,2031240,00.html
44
Watching American Idol
March 2007
Dear Mom,
Have you ever had that feeling when you’re under stress and you need to kick
back and relax with your family? Twice a week I get an opportunity to watch
American Idol with my family. When we watch, we don’t think about the stress of
everyday life. We watch to have a good time while we listen to the ups and
downs of the music biz. Twice a week I have a chance to let go of all the usual
stress and relax.
Tonight, I was overwhelmed by the amount of homework I had. I said some
things I should have said. My punishment is not being able to watch American
Idol. I am already overworked so won’t taking American Idol away from me
tonight make me more anxiety ridden?
You may think watching TV is bad for me but what you have to remember is that,
for me, TV is not a replacement for reading or physical activity. I take karate
classes three times a week and enjoy playing sports with my friends. Just last
week, I read the first two books of the Eragon trilogy.
So, please rethink your punishment.
From your loving son,
Michael
This is a letter that a sixth-grade student wrote to his mother. Notice the
counterargument in the third paragraph.
From Writing to Persuade by Karen Caine, 2008. (Heinemann: Portsmouth,
NH).
45
I Am Not a Nerd Letter
Dear Josh,
Hey how are you doing? I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to write to you
about something that kind of upsets me. I want you not to call me a nerd
anymore because I am not a nerd. I’m a regular boy. Now, I am going to tell you
the reasons I am not a nerd.
The first one is that I’m not a nerd just because I read comic books. I’m a regular
kid who likes to read about Spiderman. I even asked Papa and he said that he
liked to read comic books when he was my age and I don’t thin Papa is a nerd.
Do you?
My second reason is that I don’t ACT like a nerd. I don’t go around playing
Dungeons and Dragons and I don’t play any silly card games. I like to play
basketball and make three pointers.
My third reason, is that I don’t DRESS like a nerd. I don’t run around in capes
and costumes and act like a superhero. I have a most decent wardrobe. I don’t
own a pair of pocket protectors and I don’t look weird...usually. I do own a pair of
glasses. But they are only to help me see. Just because I own a pair of glasses
does not really make me a nerd. (Is everyone who walks into a hospital
necessarily a doctor?)
Josh, I just want you to reconsider. If you still think I am a nerd, I will tell you the
reasons again so that you are convinced of the truth. I’m not a nerd just because
I read comic books. I don’t ACT like a nerd. I don’t dress like a nerd.
I hope I have convinced you fully.
From Your Cousin,
Benjamin
This is a letter written by a fifth grade student named Ben who wrote to his
cousin, Josh. As you read, Ben really wants Josh to understand that he is
not a nerd. He has some compelling reasons that prove that he is in fact
just a regular boy. This letter shows that persuasive writing can be written
about any topic.
46
Vegetable Garden
Dear Mom,
I think a vegetable garden would be good for our family. Who really wants
to buy them? They are so expensive and are not fresh!
It would save you money on vegetables and they would be fresh from the
garden. How convenient! With this you will never have trouble with
unfreshness, for example, have you ever tasted half dry squash? Well, let’s
say
47
Adopting a Pet from the Pound
Owning a pet from the pound or Animal Rescue League has many
advantages. First of all, a child feels good about rescuing an abandoned or
abused animal and giving it a whole new life. Besides, if the animals from the
pound aren’t adopted right away, they might be put to sleep. Having a pet also
means lots of responsibilities. A child has to feed, clean up after, brush, and
exercise the pet.
Another great advantage of having a pet from the pound is the price of
these cute and cuddly animals. Pets from the pound cost only a few dollars while
pets at a fancy pet store can cost hundreds of dollars.
Once you adopt a pet from the Animal Rescue League, it will quickly
become a part of your family. If you are thinking of adopting a pet, you might
consider choosing a dog or a cat. Dogs and cats can bring lots of happy times to
a family, and they can be excellent companions for a person who lives alone or
someone who has lost a loved one. Dogs are also a wonderful source of
protection. Cats are funny, and they may help to calm people down when they
are sad or mad.
Please consider adopting an animal. If you remember all of the advantages
of adopting a pet from the pound, you might find the bird, mouse, hamster, dog,
or cat of your choice.
This model is based on an essay submitted by fourth-grader Kristyn. She clearly
states her opinion in the first paragraph. Then she shares a supporting reason in each
of the middle paragraphs.
48
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I’m writing to you about the Teacher-Who-Made-a-Difference contest. Ms.
Wells made a difference to me! I think she should be the winner of your contest.
Ms. Wells has done so much for me and for all of her students; this is the least I
can do for her.
First of all, Ms. Wells is helpful. She’s willing to help anyone in the
classroom who needs help. My teacher always helps us with worksheets. On
Friday, she showed me how to do something in math. If you ask her for help,
she’ll help you.
In addition, Ms. Wells is a kind person. She always lets her students stay in
from recess. On February 26, she let our class have a Colonial Day. We got to
dress up like colonists; it was a blast! Not only is she kind to kids, but she’s also
kind to other teachers and parents. She is always thoughtful and considerate.
Lastly, Ms. Wells donates her time to kids. She donates her lunch recess
for Student Council, which meets in her room. Last fall, Ms. Wells promised me
that she would come to one of my soccer games. Guess what? She did, even
though she had a lot of school stuff to correct and had to leave for Chicago.
In conclusion, I think Ms. Wells should be the winner of your contest. She is
helpful and kind and gives her free time to students. I know you will agree with
me that Ms. Wells is a Teacher Who Made a Difference. She’s the best!
Sincerely,
Melissa
Fifth-grader Melissa clearly states her opinion in the first paragraph. She shares
supporting ideas, with details, in the middle paragraphs. In her conclusion, she
restates her opinion in a fresh way.
49
Persuasive Essay
Shannon C., a student from Texas, has a great idea for making her school a better
place. Read her persuasive essay to see what reasons and details she chose to
convince her audience.
Don't Touch That Towel!
By Shannon C.
I think our school would benefit by investing in automatic motion-sensing hand dryers. I
have several reasons for this. Children can get sick from the germ-infested paper towel
dispensers we now have. There is also terrible waste when students continuously pull
the lever, dispensing towels they don't really need.
First of all, this automatic hand dryer is very sanitary. Instead of pulling on a lever that
has been touched by a large number of students, users can just stick their hands under
the blow-dryer. No germs can get on them because there is nothing to touch.
In addition, if we buy this automatic hand dryer, we can save the school budget and
trees. The money we save by not wasting paper towels can be used for educational
things,such as field trips. We could even go to a tree farm and see how many trees we
saved. Cutting fewer trees will make a big difference in the environment.
If the electricity happens to go out, the hand dryer, like all electric appliances, will go out
too. That is ONE bad thing, but we know the lights don't go out that often. We will store
extra paper towels in the custodian's room for emergencies.
So I think there is much to be said for this automatic motion-sensing hand dryer.
Administrators will be glad to know that absenteeism will be lowered. Money can be
saved. Finally, if the trees could talk, they would probably shout for joy, knowing that a
whole school is saving a forest. Let's install automatic hand dryers at our school as soon
as possible.
50
Persuasive Essay
Textbooks on Disk
By Beth W.
“Okay, class is over. You can leave now,” says the teacher. It's the end of the school
day, and my mind is jumbled with many thoughts. What's the homework? What books
and materials will I need to do the assignments? How much do I have to carry home with
me? At my locker I pick up pencils, notebooks, and three heavy, thick textbooks. My
arms ache as I walk down the hallway. This problem could be solved by making all takehome textbooks available on CD-ROM.
First, textbooks on disk would make parents and school committees happy because they
would help keep costs down. CD-ROMs are inexpensive compared to traditional
textbooks, which can run as high as fifty dollars a copy. Lost or damaged CD-ROMs are
cheaper to replace than those clunky books. Also, when the text needs to be updated,
changes could be downloaded from the Internet, which is less expensive than buying
hundreds of new books.
In addition, textbooks on CD-ROM could make studying easier. For example, have you
ever wanted to highlight parts of a textbook but knew you'd get in trouble if you did? With
a CD-ROM, you could print out selected text and highlight it in any way you wanted. No
book would be ruined. You could also scribble notes on the printed pages. Also, if you've
ever tried to nag your parents into driving you to the copy shop to make photocopies of
textbook pages, you'll see right away how much easier your life would be with CD-ROM
textbooks.
Perhaps most important, this change would improve the health of students. Studies have
shown that back pain and scoliosis (curvature of the spine) are closely related to the
weight and pressure caused by overloaded backpacks. This serious problem could be
avoided by replacing textbooks with CD-ROMs. You could even downsize your
backpack, since disks are so small and light.
Of course, some might ask about availability of computers. What if a student does not
have the equipment needed at home? Well, computer literacy is extremely important in
our day and age. Everyone needs a home computer, whether a small laptop or a larger
setup. Kids should be able to borrow a laptop from the school or community. If there is
no such program in place, that too is needed.
In summary, putting textbooks on CD-ROMs is a good idea for many reasons. CDROMs would save money, improve study, and prevent health problems. All over the
United States, people are using technology to solve problems. Schools should follow this
example by making CD-ROMs available to students
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Dear Governor Davis,
I suggest that we should have a law that tells us not to leave trash on
beaches. If there is a law already in place, then I suggest we take strong
measures to enforce the law.
I think this because a lot of people leave trash on beaches and
eventually the trash will get picked up by the tide. When this
happens a lot of animals die. Some become or are close to becoming
extinct. Every day and night tons of sea animals die because of
trash!
Here are some reasons why we should have or enforce this law. Lots
of people don’t pick up trash, mostly plastic bags. Turtles eat jellyfish, as
you may know, but what I’m getting at is that plastic bags look like jellyfish
in a turtle’s eyes. Then when the turtle swallows the bag it chokes because
the bag is so thick. The turtle then dies. Another problem is the plastic
six-pack soda rings that are left on the beach. When seagulls poke their
heads in everything you know that they’re going to get into trouble. Well,
they do. In fact, some seagulls get their beaks stuck in these plastic soda
rings and then they die from starvation. Also, the seals are very curious
animals and they will sometimes try to eat two liter plastic soda bottles that
float out with the tide. This can make them sick or even kill them. Another
really big reason to outlaw trash on beaches is the fact that California has
the most beautiful beaches in the world. People come from all over the place
to visit our coastline. How sad it would be if they left thinking we didn’t
care about our own beaches and allowed people to throw trash anywhere.
Here is an example of how we can clean our beaches. I remember
every summer when we go to the beach we have a picnic lunch. With six
people in my family we can sometimes create a lot of trash. My mom always
brings a ‘trash bag’ and when we are done eating we have to put every scrap
of trash in the bag. We even clean up the beach in our immediate area and
put other people’s trash in our bag. I am a Girl Scout and my mom is a Girl
Scout Leader. We live by the creed: “Leave a place better than you find it”.
But anyone can do this … you don’t have to be a Girl Scout! At the end of our
day at the beach, we take the trash bag out to the parking lot and place it in
a trash can.
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Some people might think that they should not have to clean up.
Perhaps they think that is somebody else’s job. But nobody wants to
go to a stinky, messy, polluted beach . . . and the animals that live
there do not want to have a messy home. I am sure that the Great
State of California has some sort of law that makes it illegal to
leave trash on the beautiful beaches. What I’m wondering is why
that law is not enforced. If it is too costly to have people patrol
the beach and give tickets to those who leave their trash behind,
then maybe it’s time to consider not allowing people to bring food or
beverages to the beaches. I would be sad to see that happen,
though, because I enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach.
Think of it – a junkyard! No beach deserves to be raided with trash,
so please consider the idea of making a law to stop people from polluting our
beaches or please consider enforcing this law if there is one. I know that
you make the best choice you can!
Sincerely,
Lizzie
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Persuasive Writing Mentor Texts:

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff

The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer

My Brother Dan’s Delicious by Layne/galey

Can I Keep Him? by Steven Kellogg

Earrings by Judith Viorst

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

Dear Mrs. LaRue by Mark Teague

Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin

Hey, Little Ant by Philip Hoose

Should There Be Zoos? by Tony Stead and Judy Ballester

I Want a Pet by Lauren Child

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James

Can I have a Stegosaurus, Mom? by Lois G. Grambling

Can I have a T-Rex, Dad? by Lois G Grambling

I Am Absolutely Too Small for School by Lauren Child

Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack and Rachel Isadora

Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? By Shel Silverstein

Duck for President by Doreen Cronin

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
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