Persuading an Audience: Writing Effective Letters to the Editor

Lesson Plans

Student Interactives

Calendar Activities

Printouts

Strategy Guides

 

LESSON PLANS

Grades   11 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Professional Writing in Action! Publishing Student Reviews Online

Writing professional reviews teaches students to understand audience, content, and publication guidelines. In this lesson, students put these into practice as professional writers critiquing, designing, and publishing reviews on Amazon.com.

 

Grades   9 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Demonstrating Understanding of Richard Wright's Rite of Passage

Students use the elements of persuasion for a specific audience to demonstrate their understanding of Richard Wright’s accessible and engaging coming-of-age novel, Rite of Passage.

 

Grades   7 – 9  |  Lesson Plan  |  Unit

Finding Solutions to Food Waste: Persuasion in a Digital World

Using various reading strategies and resources, students explore the issue of food waste. They also create persuasive arguments and blog posts examining this topic.

 

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STUDENT INTERACTIVES

Grades   3 – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Organizing & Summarizing

Persuasion Map

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

 

Grades   K – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Writing & Publishing Prose

Letter Generator

The Letter Generator is a useful tool for students to learn the parts of a business or friendly letter and then compose and print letters for both styles of correspondence.

 

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CALENDAR ACTIVITIES

Grades   5 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  December 1

Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus.

Students make believe that the year is 1955 and they just heard about Parks' arrest. Students write newspaper editorials with their points of view on segregation.

 

Grades   5 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  November 21

Today is World Hello Day!

Students study a letter written by a famous author to determine purpose, and words and phrases that make the letter meaningful. They can use the Letter Generator to write their own letter promoting peace.

 

Grades   3 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  March 12

On this date in 1901, Andrew Carnegie gave $5.2 million to New York City libraries.

Students write expository and persuasive pieces with the help of the Persuasion Map and Essay Map interactives, and compare the essential features of the two modes of writing.

 

Grades   1 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  July 7

Write letters that make things happen!

In a small group or as individuals, students write letters related to a unit of study or particular topic they have studied.

 

Grades   7 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  February 10

The New York Times used the slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print."

After discussing newspapers and their different points of view, students choose a current event, read editorials on the event, and share them with the class to identify the editor's point of view.

 

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PRINTOUTS

Grades   3 – 12  |  Printout  |  Graphic Organizer

Persuasion Map

Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

 

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STRATEGY GUIDES

Grades   6 – 12  |  Strategy Guide

Developing Persuasive Writing Strategies

This strategy guide describes the techniques used in effective persuasive writing and shares activities you can use to help students understand and use persuasion in their writing and critical thinking.

 

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