Sarah Hornsby & Julie Meisinger

English Language Arts & Reading

English 1
Lesson Title/Topic: Persuasive Writing
Target Concept: Audience & Tone
Standards/Rationale: 110.31.16.D
(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or
actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative
essay to the appropriate audience that includes:
(D) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context
Lesson Objectives:

Assessment:

The students will compose an introduction

paragraph to their persuasive letter
appropriate to the purpose, audience, and
context with 75% proficiency.

Completed paragraph

Materials: Three hats, slips of paper for focus, graphic organizer worksheet
The teacher will:
Focus/Mental Set: 5 minutes

Have each student draw three slips

of paper from each of the three hats.

The student will:

Draw three slips of paper.

Each student will read their short

text, keeping in mind the intended
audience (the first slip) and the tone
(the last slip).

o 1st Slip = the audience the

text is addressing
o 2nd Slip = short written text
o 3rd Slip = the tone in which
the text should be read

Explain the slips of paper.

Go around the room and have each
student read their short text, paying
attention the audience they should
be addressing and the tone in which
the text should be read.
Explain that in todays lesson we
will be beginning our persuasive
writing unit.

Teacher Input: 14 minutes

Facilitate a discussion, asking these

questions:

Participate in the discussion.

Work with a partner to create a TChart for the dos and donts of
informal and formal writing.

Discuss as a class the dos and

donts of informal and formal
writing.
Each group write one point on the
board from their T-Chart on either
the dos or the donts side.

o What is tone? The

perspective or attitude that
the author adopts with
regards to a specific
character, place or
development.
o Why is tone important in
writing? Why is tone
especially important in
persuasive writing?
Example: Tone is important
in an email because you
dont want to come off as
angry.
o Why do you need to pay
attention to the audience
when you write a persuasive
letter?
o What is the difference
between informal and
formal writing? Informal
writing is to friends or
family; formal writing is to
principal or president.

Have the students turn to a shoulder

buddy and create a T-Chart of the
dos and donts of writing for an
informal audience and the dos and
donts of writing for a formal
audience.
After 5 minutes, come back
together as a class and discuss the
dos and donts of informal and
formal writing.
Have students write on the board
one point from their T-Chart.

Guided Practice: 12 minutes

Break the students up into 4 groups.

Pass out the graphic organizer.
Explain to the students that each
group is to fill out the graphic
organizer, keeping in mind their
assigned audience.
o Group 1 = Principal
o Group 2 = Parent
o Group 3 = Coach
o Group 4 = Friend
Explain that each group should fill
out the graphic organizer pertaining
to their assigned audience.
The graphic organizer includes the
following to be filled out:
o Intended audience
o The tone
o Three supporting arguments
for persuasive letter
assignment (Persuade your
audience to donate money to
a charity of your choice)
o Language to be used when
writing this letter (informal
or formal)
Give the groups 8 minutes to fill out
the graphic organizer.
Walk around to each group to make
sure they are on task and
completely the graphic organizer
correctly.
After 8 minutes, have each group
present to the class their filled out
graphic organizer. Groups need to
present:
o Intended audience (assigned
to them)
o The tone that needs to be
used when writing to that
specific audience
o Examples of the type of
language that should be
used when addressing this
audience
o Students do NOT need to
present their three

Sit with their assigned group.

Listen to instructions for the group
activity.

Work with their group to fill out the

graphic organizer.

Present their work to the class.

supporting arguments for

the writing assignment.
Independent Practice: 12 minutes

Have students stay in their assigned

group and pull out a piece of paper.
Explain to the students that each
group will write an introduction to a
persuasive letter to their audience
(assigned earlier). The assignment
reads:
o Persuade your audience to
donate money to a charity of
your choice. Be sure to
keep in mind the audience
and tone. You must include
a thesis (thesis was taught
during yesterdays lesson)
and three supporting
arguments.
o Only write the introduction
to this persuasive letter in
class today.
Allow students 12 minutes to write
the introduction.

Continue to sit with their group and

pull out a piece of paper.
Listen to instructions for their
assignment.

Work with their group to write an

introduction for their persuasive
letter.

Discuss with the class the answer

to the posed question.

Turn in their introduction rough

draft on the way out of class.

Closure: 2 minutes

Ask the students Why is it

important to study audience and
tone when learning about
persuasive writing?
Collect each groups introduction
rough drafts to their persuasive
letter.

Options:
Enrichment:
Modifications/Correctives:

References:

Reteach: