ENGLISH TEXT DEVELOPMENT UNIT:

Topic or Theme: Exploring Persuasive Texts

Genre focus: Persuasive/Exposition Year level: 1/2

Relevant Achievement standards:

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 1, students understand the different purposes of texts. They make connections to personal experience when explaining characters
and main events in short texts. They identify that texts serve different purposes and that this affects how they are organised. They describe
characters, settings and events in different types of literature.
Students read aloud, with developing fluency. They read short texts with some unfamiliar vocabulary, simple and compound sentences and supportive
images. When reading, they use knowledge of the relationship between sounds and letters, high-frequency words, sentence boundary punctuation
and directionality to make meaning. They recall key ideas and recognise literal and implied meaning in texts. They listen to others when taking part in
conversations, using appropriate language features and interaction skills.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how characters in texts are developed and give reasons for personal preferences. They create texts that show understanding of
the connection between writing, speech and images.
They create short texts for a small range of purposes. They interact in pair, group and class discussions, taking turns when responding. They make
short presentations on familiar topics. When writing, students provide details about ideas or events, and details about the participants in those events.
They accurately spell high-frequency words and words with regular spelling patterns. They use capital letters and full stops and form all upper- and
lower-case letters correctly.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 2, students understand how similar texts share characteristics by identifying text structures and language features used to describe
characters and events, or to communicate factual information.
They read texts that contain varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar vocabulary, a significant number of high-frequency sight words and images
that provide extra information. They monitor meaning and self-correct using knowledge of phonics, syntax, punctuation, semantics and context. They
use knowledge of a wide variety of letter-sound relationships to read words of one or more syllables with fluency. They identify literal and implied
meaning, main ideas and supporting detail. Students make connections between texts by comparing content. They listen for particular purposes.
They listen for and manipulate sound combinations and rhythmic sound patterns.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

When discussing their ideas and experiences, students use everyday language features and topic-specific vocabulary. They explain their preferences
for aspects of texts using other texts as comparisons. They create texts that show how images support the meaning of the text.

Students create texts, drawing on their own experiences, their imagination and information they have learnt. They use a variety of strategies to
engage in group and class discussions and make presentations. They accurately spell words with regular spelling patterns and spell words with less
common long vowel patterns. They use punctuation accurately, and write words and sentences legibly using unjoined upper- and lower-case letters.
 Learning intentions:

• Students understand that texts convey a point of view that can be agreed with or disagreed with.

• Students can create short persuasive texts in a topic that is familiar to them.

• Students know examples of persuasive language such as opinions, language of sequence, and language of cause and effect.

• Students know that a common structure of persuasive texts is: Opinion, Reason, Explanation, Opinion.

Content Descriptions:

Year 1

Understand that there are different ways of asking for information, making offers and giving commands (ACELA1446)

Understand that the purposes texts serve shape their structure in predictable ways (ACELA1447)
Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts, making connections with
students' own experiences (ACELT1582)

Use interaction skills including turn-taking, recognising the contributions of others, speaking clearly and using appropriate volume
and pace (ACELY1788).

Write using unjoined lower case and upper case letters (ACELY1663)

Year 2

Identify language that can be used for appreciating texts and the qualities of people and things (ACELA1462)

Understand that different types of texts have identifiable text structures and language features that help the text serve its
purpose (ACELA1463)

Compare opinions about characters, events and settings in and between texts (ACELT1589)

Use interaction skills including initiating topics, making positive statements and voicing disagreement in an appropriate manner,
speaking clearly and varying tone, volume and pace appropriately (ACELY1789)
Create short imaginative, informative and persuasive texts using growing knowledge of text structures and language features for
familiar and some less familiar audiences, selecting print and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and
purpose (ACELY1671)
 Lesson Focus and Activity Resources AC: English LINKS:

Week

• ‘The Three Little Year 1

Pigs’ book
1 Wednesday - Lesson 1 (Point of view) (Building the field) • ‘The True Story of Express preferences for specific texts
the Three Little and authors and listen to the opinions
Pigs’ video of others (ACELT1583)
Learning intentions: • Topic ideas for
- Elaboration: identifying who is
agree/disagree
• Students will know that a point of view is a particular view on a matter. telling the story in different
activity
• texts
Students will understand that texts are not neutral but convey a point of view. • Point of view Y-
• Students will be able to express their opinion about topics and listen to the opinion of others. chart
• Students will be able to use appropriate interaction skills such as active listening and • Things I like Use interaction skills including turn-
responding. worksheet/ or taking, recognising the contributions of
speech bubbles to others, speaking clearly and using
cut out and stick in appropriate volume and pace
Success Criteria: books next to
(ACELY1788)
• Be able to identify their own point of view on a topic. pictures.
• Persuasive writing - Elaboration: demonstrating
• Participate in discussion appropriately.
introductory video active listening behaviour and
• ‘The Big Bed’ responding to what others say
Teaching Strategies/Activities picture book in pair, group and class
• Writing books discussions
• Ask students if they remember what happened in ‘The Three Little Pigs’ picture book. What
was the opinion that the story told? What do you think? Is the wolf bad? Are the pigs good?
Should the wolf stop eating pigs? Why or why not? Year 2
• Watch The True Story of The Three Little Pigs.
• Think, Pair, Share: Ask students to think about what was different in the original story and the Discuss different texts on a similar
second version, then quietly chat with a partner about it for two minutes and then share topic, identifying similarities and
something with the class. differences between the texts
• Ask: What is an opinion? What is a point of view? If a book tells you something, does it mean (ACELY1665)
it’s true? Why? Which story was more convincing and why?
 • Discuss how the two different versions of the story show that there can be more than one - Elaboration: comparing two or
perspective about a topic. more versions of the same
• Ask students to think about examples of when they might have a different point of view to topic by different authors or
someone or their family members have different points of view. from different cultures,
• Ask students a couple of questions about how they feel about the statement ‘Weekends describing similarities and
should be three day long’. Tell them to stand on one side of the room if they agree, on the differences
other side if they disagree and in the middle if they aren’t sure.
• Give students a Y-chart with sections: Point of view, thoughts, and feelings.
Use interaction skills including initiating
• Explain how to complete the Y-chart and ask students to complete their own by deciding their
point of view and writing their thoughts and feelings that contribute to why they have chosen topics, making positive statements and
that point of view. Once they have attempted writing they can also add drawing to help them voicing disagreement in an appropriate
explain. manner, speaking clearly and varying
tone, volume and pace
appropriately (ACELY1789)
Thursday - Lesson 2 (Opinions/Reasoning) (Modelling/deconstruction)

Learning Intention

Students will be able to give a reason to support their point of view.

Success Criteria

Student writes a reason to justify why they like something.

Teaching Strategies/Activities

• Think, Pair, Share: Ask students to think about things that they like and why they like it. Share
some ideas with a partner and then some of the groups will share back ideas with the class.
• Draw a speech bubble and ask class if they know what it is. Explain.
• Explain task: Students will draw things that they like and then use the speech bubbles next to
it to write a reason why they like it. Do an example together as a class.
• Students work on their drawing and reasoning.
• Share a couple of students ideas with the whole class at the end of the lesson.

Friday – Lesson 3 (Persuasive texts/brainstorming reasons) (Building the Field and

Modelling/deconstruction)
 Learning Intention

• Students will understand that giving reasons to support your ideas is a persuasive strategy.
Success Criteria

• Students will actively participate in class discussion.

Teaching Strategies/Activities

• Ask: What does it mean to persuade someone? Ask students to think about times when they
wanted to persuade someone.; What did they do? Did they manage to convince them? Note
that writing is a powerful way to persuade. Remind them about how the two different versions
of The Three Little Pigs tried to persuade us to see things quite differently.
• Watch persuasive writing introductory video -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD9arWXIddM&list=PLTCzXKdxBpDD2Pap27TZUudIHGE5r
gwSi&index=1
• Which examples of persuasive texts were brought up in the video? What are the different
purposes of persuasive texts?
• Read ‘The Big Bed’ by Bunmi Laditan. Before reading reflect back on how we have been doing
some reasoning in the previous lessons. Note that reasoning is an important strategy for
persuading.
• Ask some questions to prompt discussion. Questions: Whose point of view was conveyed in
the story? What was the purpose of the text? (to convince us that the young girl should share
the big bed with her mum and that the dad should sleep somewhere else) What is a reason
that the little girl used to persuade? Are there any words you didn’t recognise?
• Brainstorm a list of reasons that were used in the book to persuade. As a class make a list on a
piece of butcher’s paper.

Year 1

2 Wednesday – Lesson 4 (For and Against reasoning) (Modelling/Deconstruction) • ‘The Pros and Cons Understand that the purposes texts
of Being a Frog’ serve shape their structure in
Lesson learning intention picture book or predictable ways (ACELA1447)
read along video
Students will be able to recognise arguments for and against a topic.
https://www.yout
ube.com/watch?v
Use interaction skills including turn-
=yPYN3wwXoOU
taking, recognising the contributions of
Students will understand that the purpose of creating a For and Against T-chart is to clearly see the • For and Against T- others, speaking clearly and using
arguments for both sides of a topic, which supports you to form an educated opinion. chart template appropriate volume and pace
• Topic cards for (ACELY1788)
groups to choose
from. - Elaboration: demonstrating
Success Criteria active listening behaviour and
• ‘The Day the
responding to what others say
• Write at least one reason for and one reason against a topic. Crayons Quit’
picture book in pair, group and class
• OREO poster discussions
Teaching Strategy/Learning Activity: • Strong descriptive
words worksheets
• Persuasive text
• Read ‘The Pros and Cons of Being a Frog’. Go back to the page with the pros and cons lists and planner Year 2
ask students what the little boy is doing. Ask students what pros and cons are. Explain that they •
Understand that different types of
are reasons for and against the issue, which support the argument for agreeing or disagreeing
with it. Ask what the purpose of writing a pros and cons list is and when you might use it. texts have identifiable text structures
Highlight the fact that it is a great strategy for deciding if you agree or disagree with an issue and language features that help
and for coming up with arguments to support your point of view. the text serve its purpose (ACELA1463)
• Create a T-chart for Pros and Cons to discuss whether it is ok for The Big Bad Wolf to eat the
Three Little Pigs.
• In groups students create a T-chart with For and Against columns about a topic (groups Use interaction skills including initiating
differentiated by similar interests and varied ability level). topics, making positive statements and
• Bring the class together again and ask each group to report back what they found. As a class see voicing disagreement in an appropriate
if you can add more items to each list. manner, speaking clearly and varying
tone, volume and pace
Thursday – Lesson 5 (Better reasoning) (Modelling/deconstruction) appropriately (ACELY1789)

Learning Intentions

Students will know that strong words make reasons more effective.

Students will be able to write examples of different words that they could replace a weak word with.
Success Criteria

Students will write a list of strong words that they could use in their writing.

Teaching Strategies/Learning Activity:

• Show slides with a weak reason and a strong reason. Discuss each pair of reasons as a class and
think about why one reason is better than the other. Highlight examples of strong words and
weak words.
• Complete a word cline by brainstorming synonyms of a word and ranking the synonyms in
order of strength/intensity.
• Give students a weak reason and ask them to identify the weak words and replace them with a
stronger word.
• Students complete strong words worksheet by looking at the weak word at the top of the
column and writing any strong words that they can think of to replace the word.

Friday – Lesson 6 (Persuasive structure)

Learning intention

Students will know that one common structure for a persuasive text is Opinion, Reason, Explanation,
Opinion.

Teaching Strategies/Learning Activity:

Part 1 (Modelling/deconstruction)

• Print off letters from the ‘The Day The Crayons Quit’. Ask students to read one and think about
how it is structured. What comes first? What comes second? How does it end? make
• Read the first letter in ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ together. Discuss what the opinion of Red
Crayon is. How does Red Crayon persuade you that he is working too hard?
 • Direct students’ attention back to the structure of the letter. Discuss what is said first (the
opinion). Then discuss what is written next in the text (the reasons/ arguments and
explanation). And finally, show that the letter finishes by highlighting Red Crayon’s opinion
again.
• Look at the second letter (by Purple Crayon) using the same process.
• Show the OREO poster (Opinion, Reason, Explanation, Opinion) as an example of how
persuasive texts are structured.
•
Part 2 (Joint construction)

Discuss a topic, think of a list of reasons for and against and as a class complete the persuasive text
planner for a simple persuasive text.

• Modal verbs Year 1

poster
3 Wednesday – Lesson 7 (Modal verbs) (Modelling/deconstruction) • Modal verbs Understand that the purposes texts
worksheet serve shape their structure in
Learning Intention
• PowerPoint with predictable ways (ACELA1447)
Students will be able to write their opinion using modal verbs. example texts for
finding language
Success Criteria features Identify language that can be used for
• Exploring appreciating texts and the qualities of
Students will complete modal verbs opinions worksheet.
persuasive texts people and things (ACELA1462)
Teaching Strategy/Activity PowerPoint from
Teachstarter - Elaboration: exploring how
• Show students some examples of persuasive sentences with modal verbs. Ask them which • ‘It’s Time to language is used to express
words make it persuasive. Change the Date feelings including learning
• Show the students some modal words. Ask the students if anyone can think of a sentence using of Australia Day’ vocabulary to express a gradation
one of the modal verbs. persuasive text of feeling, for example ‘happy’,
• Modal verbs worksheet. Explain that for each of the topics students need to decide whether • Language features ‘joyful’, ‘pleased’, ‘contented’.
they are for or against and write their opinion. Tell them to remember to use the modal verbs worksheet with
to write their opinion rather than just saying “I agree” or “I disagree”. opinion, language
of sequence, and
Thursday – Lesson 8 (Language features) language of cause
 Learning Intention and effect Year 2
sections.
Students will be able to identify language that conveys opinion, connects parts of the text and implies • Understand that different types of
cause and effect. texts have identifiable text structures
and language features that help
Teaching Strategy/Activity
the text serve its purpose (ACELA1463)
• Discuss language features such as opinion, language of sequence, language of cause and effect
and show examples of each on PowerPoint slide.
• Look at ‘It’s Time to Change the Date of Australia Day’ persuasive text example, Ask students
which examples of opinion, language of sequence, and language of cause and effect they
noticed. Explore different ways of expressing
• Place students into groups of two. Give them a copy of the text and ask them to write at least emotions, including verbal, visual, body
one sentence they found from the text that fits into in each section: Opinion, Language of language and facial expressions
Sequence, and Language of Cause and Effect. (ACELA1787)

- Elaboration: extending students’

vocabularies for the expression of
feelings and emotions.
Year 1

4 Wednesday – Lesson 9 (Write persuasive text using planner) (Joint construction) • Laminated cards Understand that the purposes texts
with sections of a serve shape their structure in
Learning Intention persuasive text to predictable ways (ACELA1447)
unjumble
Students will be able to jointly construct a short persuasive text in pairs.
• Scaffolded
Success Criteria persuasive text
Year 2
planners
Students will write a short persuasive text with a partner. • RAFT activities Understand that different types of
• Target audience texts have identifiable text structures
Teaching Strategy/Activity
worksheet and language features that help
• To recap persuasive structure: Look at a collection of paragraphs that came from a persuasive • Printed persuasive the text serve its purpose (ACELA1463)
text (Dogs make the best pets). Think, Pair, Share: Students have a think about the order that expositions that
the paragraphs should be in. As a class unjumble the persuasive text so that each paragraph is students can make
in an order that makes sense. notes on and
• Introduce a topic to the class. As a class brainstorm and write a list of arguments for and against highlight
the topic.
 • Students work in pairs to complete the persuasive text planner to create a persuasive text on
the topic.

Thursday – Lesson 10 (Target audience)

Learning Intention

Students will understand that different reasons work for different people due to their differing points
of view.

Success Criteria

Identify arguments that would convince a teacher and arguments that would convince a friend.
Complete one RAFT (role, audience, format, topic) activity.

Teaching Strategies/Activities

• Discuss one topic and ask students to give some reasons for one point of view.
• Ask if students think that those reasons would convince their parents, friends, teacher, siblings
etc.
• Students complete worksheet where they identify which of the reasons on the worksheet
would convince a friend, which would convince their teacher and which would convince both.
• Students choose from three Role, Audience, Format, Topic options to complete during the
lesson.
• Share students work at the end of the lesson.

Friday – Lesson 11 (Comparing persuasive texts)

Learning Intention

Students will be able to identify some features that are used in a persuasive text.

Teaching Strategy/Learning activity

• Discuss as a class the types of features that you would find in a good persuasive text. Have a
checklist ready to make sure all the key features are discussed and added to the class list.
• Introduce the persuasive checklist that has already been made.
 • Read two short persuasive texts on the same topic.
• Give students a persuasive checklist and ask them to tick the features that each text includes on
the checklist using a different colour for each text.
• Discuss what students noticed.

• Scaffolded Year 1
persuasive texts
5 Wednesday – Lesson 12 (Planning persuasive text) planners Understand that the purposes texts
• Planning template serve shape their structure in
Lesson learning intention
predictable ways (ACELA1447)
Students will be able to independently or with minimal guidance identify their point of view and
brainstorm arguments for a topic.
Write using unjoined lower case and
Success Criteria
upper case letters (ACELY1663)
Create a plan for a short persuasive text.

Teaching Strategy/Learning Activity:

• Students will be given a choice of a few topics. To link back to prior knowledge: Ask students Year 2
what the common structure of a persuasive text is. Ask what some persuasive words and tools
are. Understand that different types of
• Students will then do some planning for their independent writing by writing their opinion on texts have identifiable text structures
the topic and listing reasons to support their opinion. and language features that help
the text serve its purpose (ACELA1463)
Thursday – Lesson 13 (Draft persuasive text)

Learning Intention Create short imaginative, informative

Students will be able to write a short persuasive text. and persuasive texts using growing
knowledge of text structures
Success Criteria and language features for familiar and
some less familiar audiences, selecting
Students will write a short persuasive text.
print and multimodal elements
Teaching strategies/activities appropriate to the audience and
purpose (ACELY1671)
 Students will be given a year level appropriate checklist related to discussions of what a persuasive text
needs to include. They will use an appropriate persuasive text template to write a draft persuasive text.

Friday – Lesson 14 (Summative persuasive text)

Learning Intention

Students will be able to edit their work as a way to improve their writing.

Success Criteria

Students will make changes to their draft persuasive text.

Teaching Strategy/Activity

Explain to students how to edit their work. Students continue working on their persuasive text including
editing their work to complete a good copy.

Formative or summative assessment strategies:

Formative Assessment:

Class discussions and observations

Class discussions will take place regularly throughout the unit. Questioning will be scaffolded and planned in advance so that all students will be able to participate in
stimulating discussion. Written notes on observations from during the discussion will be written on a formative assessment recording sheet. They nature of what will be
observed includes:

• The extent to which students are comprehending the text and understanding the point of view being presented
• The extent to which students can express reasoning abilities
 • The extent to which students can express their opinions and arguments in an effective manner
• To what extent does the student display the ability to actively listen and respond.

Thumbs up, down, or to the side student self-assessment

Over the unit one method of checking how comfortable students are with the content will be by checking in and asking them to show a thumbs up, down or to the side.

Writing samples and completed activity sheets

Throughout the unit the students will complete brainstorming activities and short pieces of writing. These will be collected and used as formative assessments. The
types of things that will be assessed in these formative assessments include:

• To what extent does the work show an understanding of point of view?

• To what extent does the work show effective reasoning skills
• Has the text been structured effectively?
• Have the sentences been structured correctly?
• To what extent words are spelled correctly or phonetically?
• How well are language features used?
• Have capital letters, full stops, and spaces been included and used correctly?
•
Summative Assessment:

Years 1’s brainstorming of reasons and persuasive sentences will be used as a summative assessment.

Years 1’s who are ready to be extended will write a full persuasive text in the form of an exposition but will be marked against the year 1 achievement standards.

Year 2’s write an exposition using the OREO structure.

See rubrics in Appendices.

Feedback:

You could improve your reasoning by giving an example that relates to you personally.

You could improve your reasoning by making your argument concise. Perhaps you could use alliteration to emphasise this point.

You could improve your reasoning by explaining it more. Can you tell me why this reason supports your argument?

Thanks for sharing your argument, do you think that your parent would also agree that this is a valid reason? Can you think of a reason that might
persuade your parent? What about one that might persuade your friend?

You could improve your writing by leaving a space the size of your finger between each word. That helps me to see where each word ends and a new word
begins.

You could improve your writing by adding a full stop at the end of your sentence.

Can you think of another more interesting word to replace this descriptive word?

You could make your writing clearer by writing each new argument in a new paragraph.

How could you improve your work?

How could you deepen your understanding?

How do you know?

How could you make your writing clearer?

Any special considerations:

Some students will require extra guidance and scaffolding with their writing. In some cases this will be in the form of extra guidance from the teacher, in
other instances it will be through varied ability grouping. Scaffolding will also be provided by varied format of worksheet with different levels of scaffolding.
Scaffolding to support students to work at the optimal level of challenge is important for student achievement and engagement (Duchesne, 2019).
 One of the students has been diagnosed with ASD and can take longer to understand the requirements of a task. Clear instructions will be given, and the
teacher will check in with this student to ensure they are on track. Grouping will be strategic so that they can also get support from peers. It is important to
be aware of students needs when it comes to taking in instructions and understanding the task as students can have significant differences in working
memory capacity (Duchesne, 2019).

Some of the students are ahead of others in reading and writing, so they will be given less structure in templates for writing.

References:

Duchesne, S., McMaugh, A. (2019). Educational Psychology: for Learning and Teaching (6th ed.). Cengage Learning
Appendices:

Appendix A - Rubric from Mrs Amy123 for Year 2 Summative

Appendix B - Rubric for Year 1 Summative – writing checklist

Student is beginning to meet the following aims with support:

To use their own ideas to write short, simplistic sentences.
To use simple sentence structures.
To use capital letters for names, places, the days of the week and the personal pronoun “I”.
To use finger spaces.
To use capital letters to start sentences and full stops to end sentences.
To spell some words correctly or phonetically.
To write lower case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place.
To write reasons for their point of view.
To write their point of view on the topic.