Select persuasive texts to use as mentor or model texts or create exemplar texts to share with the students. When working with each text, discuss with students the purpose and intended audience of the text.
See an
example of a simple teacher created persuasive text about orangutans. It is used to focus on the structural and linguistic features of the target genre.
Focus on the structure of the argument
Share the argument with students and have labels ready for each of the sections of the text. Examine each section of the argument and identify the purpose of each section.
Provide students with a copy of the persuasive text, which has some key words removed. You might choose to delete a certain group of words, for example, technical vocabulary, connectives or verb groups. Students work with a partner to complete a cloze activity.
Cut up the persuasive texts into paragraphs. Ask students to sequence paragraphs in the correct order, explaining their choices and the function of each paragraph.
Select one paragraph for closer reading. Introduce TEEL structure as a way of organising paragraphs:
- T = topic sentence
- E = elaborate or provide more explanation of idea in topic sentence
- E= give some evidence to support the topic presented in the paragraph
- L= linking sentence making connections between paragraph and main argument of the text.
Use highlighter pens to highlight each part of TEEL paragraph.
See:
example of a simple teacher created persuasive text about orangutans.
Unjumble sentences from one paragraph and ask students reorder these to fit TEEL structure.
Focus on the language features of the argument
To meet the purpose of the argument, the writer can make certain language choices. These choices can be made explicit to the students. Some of the key linguistic features of persuasive writing are highlighted in the
mentor text example.
- Consider the connectives at the start of some of the paragraphs which help to make the text cohesive and provide links between the paragraphs in the text - furthermore, in addition. Discuss their function in the text. Explain to the students that these connectives signal to the reader that a new argument is being introduced in the text. Record these connectives on a display chart and add to these when reading other persuasive texts. The other connective used here is lastly – here, the connective is used to sequence the arguments in the text. Other connectives used to sequence ideas include: firstly, in conclusion, to sum up.
- Look at how modality can be expressed through the verb group, for example, must work closely with… should respect… High modality is used to convince someone to do or believe something. Different levels of modality – low, medium or high – can be used in the verb group “depending on how we want to relate to the reader and how we want to portray our own level of commitment to an action or idea” (Derewianka, 2011, p. 66). Ask students to sort modal verbs into groups or along a continuum of modality from low to high – may, might, could, would, will, should, can, need to, must, ought to, shall, has to.
- Present students with an array of persuasive texts that have been read throughout the unit. Using three charts headed ‘Always’, ‘Usually’ and ‘Never’ discuss and list structural and linguistic features that are common and different across the texts, for example, a good persuasive text always provides evidence for arguments.
- Students help to devise a checklist to act as success criteria for an argument text, which can be used by individuals for self-assessment or by partners for partner feedback when writing in later stages.