EAL Resource: Teaching Notes

PERSUASIVE WRITING PART 2

KEY STAGE(S): 3-4 SUBJECT/CURRICULUM AREA(S): English

TOPIC: Persuasive writing LANGUAGE LEVEL: Early acquisition - Fluent

RESOURCE CONTENTS

• Powerpoint presentation;
• Supplementary materials - highlighting activity;
• Word list for pre teaching / translating.

CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES

• To recognise persuasive arguments in writing;

• To construct sentences to make a short persuasive text.

Language functions Useful Language

Justifying I think X because… Y is wrong because….

Expressing opinions I think, in my opinion, from my point of view

Comparing and contrasting In fact, however, but, whereas

Choose an item. Sample useful language

Vocabulary

See word list in supplementary materials

PREPARATION

• Use the first four slides to recap on the previous unit.

• Allow students using EAL to do the highlighting exercise in pairs or groups.

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EAL Resource: Teaching Notes

IDEAS FOR USING THIS RESOURCE

Modelling

• Use slides 7 and 8 to provide models of rebuttal language.

• Encourage learners with EAL to find translations for the key words
• Elicit examples from confident students. These can provide good models for
less confident students and EAL learners.
• Then use slide 9 to provide individual practice in using these conjunctions.

Individual thinking and note making

• Model brainstorming by using a spidergram or similar on the board.

• Tell students they have 6 minutes to consider their opinions and make notes.
• Encourage EAL learners to use dictionaries/translators and write notes in their
first language if they wish.

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EAL Resource: Teaching Notes

Group/ paired discussion

• If possible, pre teach useful phrases for expressing opinion to earlier stage EAL
learners before the lesson
• Remind groups about polite listening and valuing others’ contributions.
• For slides 16 and 18, make sure EAL learners are grouped with confident users
of English and/ or consider encouraging discussion in students’ first
language(s).

Individual writing

• Provide the substitution tables from the supplementary materials pack to

learners who you feel might struggle with the task on slide 17.
• Provide the gap fill activity from the supplementary materials for Band A
and B students.

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EAL Resource: Teaching Notes

DIFFERENTIATION FOR SUPPORT AND CHALLENGE

Support
• Group EAL learners with confident speakers of English.
• Allow use of students’ home languages where appropriate.
• Use the substitution table and/ or gap fill from supplementary materials

Challenge
• Challenge confident learners to produce their own examples of arguments and
rebuttals on slide 12.
• Challenge confident learners to do the homework task without the supporting
scaffolding (slide 20) and mark their answers according to the exam criteria.

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 The Bell Foundation: EAL Resource

Persuasive language: writing: part 2

Supplementary resources

Subject(s): English

Key Stage: KS3 and KS4

Topic: Persuasive language - writing

The Bell Foundation – Teaching Resources and Guidance bell-foundation.org.uk

Highlighting activity

You will need 4 different colours.

Read the text.

Highlight/ underline the words in each text which:

Name and position the opponent.

Weaken the opponent’s argument.
Indicate a rebuttal is coming.
Present the writer’s own argument.

Text
Dog- lovers would have you believe that dogs should have the same rights as humans. According to them, dogs are
our best friends and deserve gold star treatment. Apparently, dogs protect and defend us from danger, comfort us in
times of sadness or stress and are loyal until death. However, this rose-tinted view of our canine companions does
not always reflect the reality. Just ask a postman, or the child who was attacked and badly bitten in her local park.
What do you think?
Make some sentences to express your own opinion on this statement. Look up words you don’t know.

“Students have no freedom to study anything that isn’t in the exam. Schools are a form of prison, that limit students’
learning and education.”

School haters will tell you that school is wonderful.

School lovers often argue how terrible school is.

Opponents of school would have you believe that school imprisons students.

Lovers of tradition claim that school empowers students.

However, many students enjoy school.

In reality schools are miserable at school.

The truth is are places of learning and friendship.

In fact, restrict students’ freedom.

Is school a kind of prison?

= ?
People who ……………. school often …………. that it is like a ………………… for children.

They ……………. that it limits our …………………… and makes us ………………………. .

However, this is …………… true. Schools are places which ……………… children to become more …………… and

make ………………. .

unhappy knowledgeable hate freedom claim suggest prison friends not help
Words for pre teaching / translation

English Part of speech Translation

prison / prisoner noun /

imprisoned adjective

limit verb/ noun

freedom noun

support verb

oppose verb

suggest verb

claim verb
 English Part of speech Translation

skateboard noun

skateboarder noun

anti (e.g., anti-hunting) adjective

pro (e.g., pro-government) adjective

dangerous adjective

inconsiderate adjective

aggressive adjective

ban verb
rebut verb