As you are waiting for the lesson to begin …

As you are waiting for the lesson to begin … Which of the above texts do you think is the odd one out? What reasons do you have for your answer? Could any others be the odd one out? Why?

Yr11 Skills Lesson Writing to argue, persuade and advise.

To start the lesson… Watch the following clip carefully. What are the makers of this clip trying to do? If you were responsible for writing a new slogan to accompany this clip, what would you write? NHS advert Now that you have seen the advert, how effective do you think it is at getting its point across?

A picture speaks a thousand words … It is easy to persuade people of our point of view when we have powerful images to accompany what we are saying. However, in your examination, you may choose to write persuasively and will need to skills to be as persuasive as the advert you have just seen.

Aims and Objectives of the lesson … • To remind ourselves of the key conventions of writing to persuade • To explore how we can make our writing more interesting and more unique • To be confident in the sort of questions the examiner might ask of us.

Aims and Objectives of the lesson … • By the end of this lesson in our own writing we: • MUST: Be able to use at least two persuasive techniques effectively • SHOULD: Be able to use persuasive technique to create a specific effects • COULD: Be able to comment on the effectiveness of persuasive techniques

What have examiners said about the writing aspect of the examination? (Part B) • The most successful pieces were organised and structured although many people – worryingly – chose not to write using paragraphs. • The best answers were shorter than they had been in previous years, and yet they were more succinct and effective. • Excellent answers were not awarded excellent grades because punctuation was poor and ineffective. • The most interesting answers were enthusiastic and original. • However, on occasions, responses were so enthusiastic that students forgot to think about the structure and clarity of their work.

What do we know about writing to persuade already? What skills do we use in this type of writing task? As we already know, when writing to persuade, we need to include the following devices … • Rhetorical questions • List of three or more • Emotive language • Personal anecdote • Personal pronouns • Repetition • Facts and figures / Quotations • Match the devices to the definitions and examples. • Extension: Can you think of your own examples...

What do we know about writing to persuade already? What skills do we use in this type of writing task? As we already know, when writing to persuade, we need to include the following devices … • Rhetorical questions – questions that are designed to make the reader think. • List of three or more– to increase the impact of what the writer is saying. • Emotive language– to provoke certain emotions in the reader. • Personal anecdote– to make writing seem more personal and meaningful. • Personal pronouns – to encourage the reader to identify with what the writer is saying. • Repetition – to remind the reader of certain key points. • Facts and figures / Quotations – to make the writer seem well informed and knowledgeable.

What is this speech about? The Lewinsky scandal is a political-sex scandal emerging from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a then 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment ( an attempt to remove his from the Presidential office ) of President Clinton in 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives and his subsequent acquittal on all charges (of perjury and obstruction of justice) in a 21-day trial. In 1995, Monica Lewinsky, was hired to work as an intern at the White House during Clinton's first term. It was here that she began the affair with the President. As Lewinsky's relationship with Clinton became more distant and after she had left the White House to work at the Pentagon, Lewinsky confided details of her feelings and Clinton's behaviour to her friend and Defence Department co-worker Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded their telephone conversations. When Tripp discovered in January 1998 that Lewinsky had signed an affidavit denying a relationship with Clinton, she delivered the tapes to Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel who was investigating Clinton on various other matters. This speech is what the President delivered to the people when the affair became public.

But what else can we do to separate our writing from the hundreds of others that the examiners will read? The following speech is a very famous – and controversial speech delivered by President Bill Clinton, just after the country found out he had been having an affair with a 22 year old assistant. As you are reading through the speech, try to spot some of the key devices. However, what else does Clinton do to make his speech sound persuasive and effective?

But what else can we do to separate our writing from the hundreds of others that the examiners will read? ‘And rather unusual for me, I actually tried to write it down. So if you will forgive me, I will do my best to say what it is I want to say to you - and I may have to take my glasses out to read my own writing.’ Although Clinton is the President of the most powerful country in the word, he make himself appear to be bumbling and a little foolish. How does this help to get his audience on side?

But what else can we do to separate our writing from the hundreds of others that the examiners will read? ‘…to the rock bottom truth of where I am and where we all are. I agree with those who have said that in my first statement after I testified I was not contrite enough. I don't think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned.’ This is a formal speech delivered in a formal situation and yet Clinton uses colloquialisms in the most honest and difficult parts of his speech. How does this help him to bond with his reader?

But what else can we do to separate our writing from the hundreds of others that the examiners will read? ‘…what my bible calls a ''broken spirit''; an understanding that I must have God's help to be the person that I want to be; a willingness to give the very forgiveness I seek… …God can change us and make us strong at the broken places.’ Throughout the speech, Clinton uses various religious references. How does this help to further his points? What is he hoping his audience will think of him?

But what else can we do to separate our writing from the hundreds of others that the examiners will read? ‘The children of this country can learn in a profound way that integrity is important and selfishness is wrong, but God can change us and make us strong at the broken places. I want to embody those lessons for the children of this country.’ This speech focuses on Clinton’s apology for having a affair with an employee … and yet he includes various references to children throughout. How does this make his speech more appealing?

What does a typical writing to persuade task look like? Write a letter to a TV company persuading them to that they should produce more interesting programmes for teenagers. You may write about: • What is wrong with the programmes at the moment • What would make programmes more interesting • How they would appeal to teenagers. Remember to: • Write a letter • Write to persuade • Use language suitable for writing to a company.

Task one In pairs, write a paragraph in response to the question you have been given. Remember to follow the bullet points carefully, to write using the devices discussed at the beginning of the lesson and to do something a little different to make your paragraph stand out. Extension task: Write a second paragraph (or even better a second and third etc) which introduces individual arguments...

Task two Now swap your paragraph with another pair. Read through your new paragraph carefully? Highlight or underline all the persuasive techniques that they have used... In the margin, make a note as to which technique they have used... Task three Now swap your paragraph with another pair. Read through your new paragraph carefully? How persuasive have they been? What devices have they used? How have they made their paragraph different and more interesting? What can they do to improve their writing?

What next? Write your fullresponse to the following writing to persuade question. • A group of students from your school or college want to go on an adventure trip abroad. Write the text of a speech to local business people persuading them to sponsor the group. • You may write about: • Why it is a good idea for the students to go on the trip • Why it would be a good idea to sponsor it • What sort of sponsorship is needed. • Remember to: • Write using language suitable for business people • Write to persuade • Write the text for a speech.

Reflections: You have been completing writing to persuade tasks in English for many years. However, based on what you have learned this lesson, how does your writing need to change to achieve well at GCSE? What three things do you need further practice in? Why do you think they will make your writing more interesting? What three things did you already know and use when writing to persuade? What three new things have you learned this lesson? How will you incorporate this into your writing?

Aims and Objectives of the lesson … • To remind ourselves of the key conventions of writing to persuade • To explore how we can make our writing more interesting and more unique • To be confident in the sort of questions the examiner might ask of us.

Aims and Objectives of the lesson … • By the end of this lesson in our own writing we: • MUST: Be able to use at least two persuasive techniques effectively • SHOULD: Be able to use persuasive technique to create a specific effects • COULD: Be able to comment on the effectiveness of persuasive techniques

As you are waiting for the lesson to begin …