Persuasive+Writing

Persuasive writing is simply: an opinion, with support, using strong voice. PowerPoint from Nebo School District: PowerPoints from Davis School District:
 * // What is Persuasive Writing? //**

Great examples of persuasive writing can be found through these links and books: //** //**Links:** Can we Change the Climate?**
 * // Who uses persuasive writing?
 * Should Marine Mammals Be In Captivity?

Deseret News Opinion Section
 * Try Looking at the Opinion Sections of the Salt Lake Tribune or Desert News for timely, pertinent, real-life examples:**
 * Salt Lake Tribune Opinion Section

Books:** Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin Letters from a Nut by Ted L. Nancy (These are well-paired with an activity where students write to a corporation to lodge a complaint.) **
 * Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague

The Fat of the Land Regretlessly Yours
 * For You or Your Upper Intermediate/High School Students:**
 * Anything by Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly is both hilarious and persuasive (though a bit inappropriate for young children, middle school students love him!)

When will your students be expected to understand how to write persuasively? The DWA will be testing persuasive writing this spring, but it is part of most Language Arts curricula (even if only a small part.) Here are a few resources to help you get yourself and your students ready for this test! If you have further questions or concerns about the program being used or the test itself, you can contact Margaret Young at the State Office of Education: margaret.young@schools.utah.gov. Also, the STS in your school should be trained on the program being used or you can look at the following website for more help. USOE Assessment - DWA Levels of Achievement

Why is persuasive writing such a helpful skill for our students? **// Students can get excited about persuasive writing because it is genuinely useful skill for them to have to convince their parents to buy then a cell phone or extend their curfews, or to offer convincing reasons why a school rule should be changed or why a teacher might add a topic of study to the class... Try to create authentic writing situations for students to practice writing persuasively. MyAccess! has a wealth of persuasive topics with high interest and relevancy for students of all ages. Some topics available through MyAccess! are:
 * animal welfare
 * cell phones in schools
 * banning books
 * writing a letter to the editor
 * AND MUCH MORE!

Students can use MyAccess! to practice, but can also write letters to government officials or create a classroom newspaper showing the opinions of the students in the class through a fun format. Check out NCTE's ReadWriteThink website for some great ideas on using persuasive writing in your own classroom.ReadWriteThink Persuasive Writing
 * // Where can students write persuasively? //**

Here are some great graphic organizers to help your students organize their writing: [|Graphic Organizers] NCTE Persuasion Map (an interactive tool for organization) Power Proofreading Interactive Four Square Writing - Persuasive (This four page guide can be broken apart to help break apart the writing process and help students understand what they are trying to accomplish through their writing.) Students can use this interactive site to complete activities to build their proofreading skills.
 * // How can you help your students organize their writing? //**