Writing a persuasive essay in English

Writing a persuasive essay in English

Learning objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to write a persuasive essay in English defending a statement with three arguments.

Introduce the learning objective of the lesson.

Peer feedback

You will show your essay to a peer (gelijke/medeleerling) for feedback and. Use the feedback to improve your writing skills.

Encourage the students to seek feedback from the teacher and use it to improve their writing skills.

What do you already know about writing a persuasive essay in English?

What is a persuasive essay?

A persuasive essay is a piece of writing where the author presents their opinion and tries to convince the reader to agree with their point of view.

Explain the concept of persuasive essay and its purpose.

Choosing a topic

Choose a topic you feel passionate about and that you can defend with strong arguments. Choose one of the following statements. You can argue for or against the statement.

• There should be a limit on how much money someone is allowed to earn
  
• Students should be required to wear school uniforms
  
• The age limit for voting should be lowered to twelve years old
  

Guide the students on how to choose a topic for their essay.

Crafting an opening statement

The opening statement should be a clear, concise, and debatable statement that summarizes the main argument of the essay.

For example:

"High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness."

Explain the importance of the thesis statement and how to write it.

Brainstorming arguments

Think about three strong arguments that support your thesis statement. Use facts, statistics, and examples to reinforce your points.

Example: Use of alcohol should be discouraged by increasing taxes because (1) use of alcohol causes lots of (domestic) abusive behaviour, (2) alcohol is bad for public health (use examples, statistics) and (3) use of alcohol can cause serious traffic accidents. 

Encourage the students to brainstorm their arguments and provide some tips on how to find evidence to support them.

Organizing your thoughts

Create an outline to organize your thoughts and structure your essay. The outline should have an introduction, three body paragraphs (one per argument), and a conclusion. So five paragraphs in total.

Teach the students how to create an outline and the importance of a well-structured essay.

Introduction

The introduction should grab the reader's attention, provide some background information, and present the opening statement.

Explain the purpose and structure of the introduction and provide some examples.

Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on one argument and provide evidence to support it. Start with a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the paragraph.

Teach the students how to structure the body paragraphs and provide some tips on how to transition between them.

Using Transitional Phrases

Use transitional phrases to connect the ideas and arguments throughout the essay. Some examples are 'Furthermore', 'In addition', and 'Moreover'.

Provide examples of transitional phrases and explain how to use them effectively.

Counterarguments

Acknowledge and address counterarguments to show that you have considered different perspectives. Use evidence to refute the opposing views.

Teach the students how to address counterarguments and provide some tips on how to use evidence to refute them.

Conclusion

Summarize the main points of the essay and restate the thesis statement. End with a call to action or a thought-provoking question.

Explain the purpose and structure of the conclusion and provide some examples.

Editing and Proofreading

Edit and proofread your essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Ask a peer or a teacher to review it.

Teach the students the importance of editing and proofreading and provide some tips on how to do it effectively.

Using formal Language

Use formal language to make your arguments and ideas clear and concise. Avoid slang (straattaal), contractions, and colloquialisms (spreektaal).

Check out the video explaining the difference between formal and informal writing in the next slide.

Explain the importance of using academic language and provide some examples.

Practice Activity

Write a persuasive essay defending a statement with three arguments. Use the skills and techniques you have learned in this lesson.

Provide a practice activity for the students to apply what they have learned.

Choosing a topic and start writing

Choose one of the following statements. You can argue for or against the statement. Start writing your essay. It should be 100-150 words. 

• There should be a limit on how much money someone is allowed to earn
  
• Students should be required to wear school uniforms
  
• The age limit for voting should be lowered to twelve years old
  

Guide the students on how to choose a topic for their essay.

Peer Review

Exchange your essay with a peer and provide feedback on each other's work. Use the rubric to evaluate the content, organization, and language of the essay.

Teach the students how to provide constructive feedback and use a rubric to evaluate their work.

Teacher Feedback

Show your essay to your neighbour for feedback. Use the feedback to improve your writing skills.

Encourage the students to seek feedback from the teacher and use it to improve their writing skills.

Common Mistakes

Avoid common mistakes such as using informal language, making unsupported claims, and ignoring counterarguments.

Provide some examples of common mistakes and explain how to avoid them.

Conclusion

You have learned how to write a persuasive essay in English defending a statement with three arguments. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Summarize the main points of the lesson and encourage the students to keep practicing their writing skills.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.