Lesson Plan
Lesson 5: Strong Words Make Strong Opinions
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore how word choice can be used to strengthen an opinion.
This lesson plan includes the following resources:
Lesson Plan
Tuning In
- Display and discuss the scenario presented on slide 29 of the Exploring Persuasive Texts PowerPoint. Ask the students:
- Do you think the girl sounds very persuasive? Why or why not?
- Do you think the boy will be convinced not to litter in the playground? Why or why not?
- What might help the girl to persuade the boy to agree with her point of view?
Teacher Instruction
- Display and discuss slide 28. Compare the building of a piece of text to the building of a house. Explain that, to build a strong house, you need to use strong materials. The same principle applies when writing a persuasive text: to build a strong opinion, you need to use strong words.
- Revisit the example from the tuning in activity. Display slide 30 and discuss the alternate words that the girl could have used to express her opinion. Encourage the students to suggest any additional words.
- Demonstrate how strong words can transform sentences, as outlined on slide 31. As a class, use strong words to transform weak sentences into strong sentences for each of the examples on slides 32-34.
Guided/Independent Learning
- Display the transforming sentences activity on slide 35. In their workbooks, ask the students to use strong words to write a strong opinion sentence for each topic. Encourage confident students to share their persuasive language sentences with the class.
Wrapping Up
- Ask each student to write a simple, ‘weak’ adjective on a post-it note e.g. fun, good, nice. Put all of the post-it notes into a bag or hat. Draw out a post-it note and read it to the class. Challenge the class to come up with a collection of stronger words that could be used. Repeat the process as time permits.
Differentiation
Extending Students
- Encourage more confident students to write more than one opinion sentence for each topic during the independent activity.
Supporting Students
- Allow students with lower literacy levels to dictate their sentences to a scribe (such as a teacher, teacher aide or peer tutor) during the independent activity.
Assessment Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
- used strategic whole class or individual questioning
- observed student participation during learning activities
- recorded student progress on a checklist
- annotated student work samples
- collected and reviewed student work samples
- facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
- encouraged student self-reflection
- administered formal assessment tasks.
NSW Curriculum alignment
- EN1-9B
Uses basic grammatical features, punctuation conventions and vocabulary appropriate to the type of text when responding to and composing texts
Victorian Curriculum alignment
- VCELA176
Understand that the purposes texts serve shape their structure in predictable ways
- VCELA212
Understand that different types of texts have identifiable text structures and language features that help the text serve its purpose
- VCELA237
Understand the use of vocabulary about familiar and new topics and experiment with and begin to make conscious choices of vocabulary to suit audience and purpose
Australian Curriculum alignment
- ACELA1447
Understand that the purposes texts serve shape their structure in predictable waysElaborationsdiscussing and comparing the purposes of familiar texts drawn from local contexts and interests (Skills: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking)becoming f...
- ACELA1463
Understand that different types of texts have identifiable text structures and language features that help the text serve its purposeElaborationsidentifying the topic and type of a text through its visual presentation, for example cover design, packa...
- ACELA1470
Understand the use of vocabulary about familiar and new topics and experiment with and begin to make conscious choices of vocabulary to suit audience and purposeElaborationsinterpreting new terminology drawing on prior knowledge, analogies and connec...
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