Crafting Your Persuasive Letter

Knowing how to write an effective persuasive letter is a powerful tool. Students will learn how to advocate for their ideas by planning and drafting a well-supported persuasive letter on an issue of their choice.

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Learning Objectives

Students will select an issue that they care about and craft a persuasive letter around that topic.

Introduction

(10 minutes)

Ask students to discuss issues about their classroom, school, or community that are troublesome. Give them five minutes to work in groups and generate a list of at least three ideas.
Have each group share one of their ideas.
Instruct students to think about who is in charge (leader) of each policy or issue -- the teacher (you)? The principal? The mayor? The governor? The president? Write that person next to the issue.
Tell students that one way to have agency (or power) in an issue is to voice your opinion. Good leaders listen to the people they are leading. They are now going to learn how to voice a concern in a well-written formal letter.

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