Persuasive EssayWriting Workshop

Lessons 1-15

Big Understanding

Engage the reader by establishing a context, creating a persona, and otherwise developing reader interest

Use a range of appropriate strategies, such as providing facts and details, describing or analyzing the subject, narrating a relevant anecdote, comparing and contrasting, naming and explaining benefits of limitations

Day 1

KBAD identify the purpose of persuasive writing.

This year we will be writing a persuasive essay.

Today we will be talking about why people write persuasive essays.

Day 1

Why would someone write a persuasive essay?

Convince someone to do something

Persuade someone to believe them

Change someone’s point of view

Turn and Talk

Why would someone write a persuasive essay?

Day 2

KBAD identify topics for persuasive writing.

This week we started talking about persuasive essays.

Today we will be talking about topics people write about in persuasive essays.

Day 2

What are some of the topics we have seen in the persuasive essays we have read?

Turn and Talk

Why is a topic you could write about?

Day 3

KBAD read mentor texts to see how good writers persuade their reader.

This week we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays.

Today we will be talking about topics people write about what good writers do in persuasive essays.

Day 3

What features have we seen in all of the persuasive essays that we have read?

Five paragraphsReasons supported by examples

Turn and Talk

Why do good writers include in their persuasive essays?

Day 4

KBAD respond to persuasive essays.

This week we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays and reading many examples.

Today we will be responding persuasive essays that we have read by reflecting, reacting, questioning and wondering.

Day 4

Let’s respond to the persuasive essays we have read:

Reflect: I learned that…React: I can’t believe that…Question: Why did the author

make that choice?Wonder: I wonder why…

Turn and Talk

What is a question you have about a persuasive essay you have read?

Day 5

KBAD continue to respond to persuasive essays.

This week we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays and read many examples.

Today we will continue to respond to persuasive essays that we have read by reflecting, reacting, questioning and wondering.

Day 5

Let’s respond to the persuasive essays we have read:

Reflect: I learned that…React: I can’t believe that…Question: Why did the author make

that choice?Wonder: I wonder why…

Turn and Talk

What is a reaction you have had to a persuasive essay you have read?

Day 6

KBAD build a definition of a persuasive essay.

The past few weeks we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays and read many examples.

Today we will begin to build a definition of persuasive essay.

Day 6

Let’s build a definition of persuasive essay together. What should a persuasive essay have?

Turn and Talk

What is the most important thing that a persuasive essay must have?

Day 7

KBAD notice features of a persuasive essay.

This week we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays and identified the features of a good persuasive essay.

Today we will be reading like a writer to notice features of persuasive text.

Day 7

Read like a writer…What choices does the author make?I like how the author did this…I don’t like how the author did this…One thing that the author did really

well…One thing that the author could

have done better…

Turn and Talk

Why is it important to read like a writer?

Day 8

KBAD notice features of a persuasive essay.

This week we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays and identified the features of a good persuasive essay.

Today we will be continuing t read like a writer to notice features of persuasive text.

Day 8

Read like a writer…What choices does the author make?I like how the author did this…I don’t like how the author did this…One thing that the author did really

well…One thing that the author could have

done better…

Turn and Talk

What kind of topics did your authors choose?

Day 9

KBAD notice features of a persuasive essay.

This week we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays and identified the features of a good persuasive essay.

Today we will be reading like a writer to notice features of persuasive text.

Day 9

Read like a writer…What choices does the author make?I like how the author did this…I don’t like how the author did this…One thing that the author did really

well…One thing that the author could have

done better…

Turn and Talk

What is one thing that you saw an author do really well?

Day 10

KBAD notice features of a persuasive essay.

This week we started talking about how writers create persuasive essays and identified the features of a good persuasive essay.

Today we will be reading like a writer to notice features of persuasive text.

Day 10

Read like a writer…What choices does the author make?I like how the author did this…I don’t like how the author did this…One thing that the author did really

well…One thing that the author could have

done better…

Turn and Talk

What is one thing that the author of a persuasive essay you read could have done better?

Day 11

KBAD collect entries that could become seed ideas for a persuasive essay.

The past few weeks we have been talking about how writers create persuasive essays.

Today we will begin collecting entries in our notebooks of possible topics for our persuasive essays.

Day 11

In our notebooks, we are going to reread old entries to see if there are any ideas for things that we could write about in a persuasive essay

In our notebooks, we are going to write down ideas that we have for great topics for a persuasive essay

Turn and Talk

What is one topic that you could write a persuasive essay about?

Day 12

KBAD collect ideas for a persuasive essay based on entries in their notebook or noticings.

The past few weeks we have been talking about how writers create persuasive essays.

Today we will continue collecting ideas in our notebooks of possible topics for our persuasive essays and recording our noticings.

Day 12

In our notebooks, we are going to reread old entries to see if there are any ideas for things that we could write about in a persuasive essay

In our notebooks, we are going to write down ideas that we have for great topics for a persuasive essay

Turn and Talk

What is a topic that someone could write a persuasive essay about?

Day 13

KBAD identify questions, concerns, and thoughts writers have about their ideas.

The past few weeks we have been talking about how writers get ideas for their persuasive essays.

Today we will think about questions, concerns, and thoughts that we have about possible topics for our persuasive essays.

Day 13Questions Concerns Thoughts

Turn and Talk

What is a question, concern, or thought that you have about your possible persuasive essay idea?

Day 14

KBAD plan out possible ideas before choosing a seed idea.

The past few days we have been collecting entries in our notebook for possible topics for our persuasive essay.

Today we will begin working with those topics to figure out which one would work best for our published piece.

Day 14

Today you need to think about…Which idea has the best reasons to

support it?What will you be excited to spend a

couple weeks writing about?Which idea has the best examples to

use?Will your topic be interesting to a

reader?

Turn and Talk

What is are two ideas you have for topics that you could write a persuasive essay about?

Day 15

KBAD choose an idea that you are truly passionate about.

Yesterday we spend time thinking about the different topics we could write a persuasive essay about.

Today we will choose the one idea that we are most passionate about.

Day 15

At of all of the topics you have thought about what makes you the most excited and would be interesting to write about?

Turn and Talk

What is topic do you want to write a persuasive essay about?