Instructional Procedures:
Read a selection from the reading text in Open Court or Houghton Mifflin (refer to the bibliography below.)
Discuss how the characters felt about themselves, their goals, the opposition they faced, and what they did to overcome the opposition. Have students give examples of their responses.
In small groups, have students read examples of persuasive writing from: political pamphlets, advertising, book or film reviews, letters to the editor, or papers collected from previous students.
Discuss how the writers in the examples felt about themselves. How can you tell?
What were the goals of the writers? Make a list of ideas they used to persuade you to accept their goals.
How did the writer organize the piece? How did that help make their point?
How did their use of voice in the various pieces influence you?
Think about something that you would like to change. It could be at school, at home, or in the world. Who would you need to talk to in order to change it? (Audience) Write three paragraphs to your audience to persuade them to help you make this change.