Argumentative and Persuasive Writing
Writing to persuade and argue
The transition from insistent assertions into apt argumentation is not always made by every student. It takes the reading of many opinion articles on difficult socially-advanced subjects for one. It also requires the framing of argumentation in a way similar to a debate.
Ultimately, it is the ability to control the framing of an argument that will make writing persuasive, even more than style. Of course, not everyone
Writing to Argue, Plan example
Argue for or against a school uniform For Against 1 Stops bullying - people buying clothes not worth - people bullied for colours 3 Stops diversity - what are schools for? - Democratic society 2 Saves money - don’t have to buy as much - student could be more demanding...
Year 7 Theme Park Assessment
I have looked at the theme park assessments. What impresses me most is how the letters have been written. In the best instances, the students have been able to employ not only sustained paragraphs but an effective writing tone. The most persuasive group for me had the...
Marking writing to argue – KS4
Another Sunday of marking, and editing the new school website, and I am equally pleased and perturbed by my students' writing. More students are able to link their ideas into a line of argument. Rather than simply develop ideas in the confines of a paragraph that...
Full A* Essay (complete with Support Materials) for AQA Spoken Language: Analysing Barack Obama’s Speech
This has been one of my most popular posts, with 1500 downloads in about eighteen months. I've decided to rewrite this somewhat, and to change the download link to save stress on my server. Glad it has been useful to so many. For my class is an example essay for the...
Writing a letter to your MP
Task: Spend 30 minutes planning to write a letter to your MP about an issue you want to change. Read the plan below. The instructions are in italic, the plan itself is not. Summarise the italic instructions in 6-12 sentences. Do so in as much detail as you can. The...
Planning KS4 – Argue
Here are some further exemplar plans for writing to argue at KS4. I particularly like how they all contain the ingredients to plan the essay. There are a variety of ways to plan: listing bullet points; brainstorming and numbering; and to creating a for and against...
Visual Thesaurus
Sometimes encouraging pupils to produce literature coursework is difficult because the spirit isn't willing. While they see the adult-needs purpose of getting an English qualification, I have sometimes heard voiced the objection that they find discussing the...
School Newspaper
The school newspaper - if it's anything like a university newspaper - can be an errant affair: all multicoloured paperclips and last-minute photocopying. Articles, if apathy allows, range from the rancid to the subliminal. Yes, the media has taught me cynicism well....
