Writing

Persuasive Essay

For the next several weeks we will be working up to the unit writing prompt, which is a persuasive essay.

We will focus our writing lessons and practice on skills that the students will need to be successful in this genre of writing.

We will also continue working with the 6 Traits to strengthen our writing.

Writing Prompt: Adventurers

Imagine a great adventure for yourself that involves exploring the unknown. For example, you might map the ocean floor, travel to Mars, or create a robot that thinks like a human. Write a persuasive essay to convince classmates that this mission is necessary and important. Support your argument with facts, examples, and reasons.

Purpose: Persuade

Audience: Your classmates

Traits of a Good Persuasive Essay

• Focus/Ideas - The story is focused on one argument.

• Organization - Supporting reasons are organized into paragraphs, with one reason in each paragraph.

• Voice - The voice is convincing and entertaining.

• Word Choice - The writer uses persuasive words, such as should, better, important, and must.

• Sentences - Sentence structures are varied. Questions and exclamatory sentences are used to engage the reader.

• Conventions - Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar are used throughout the essay.