The Power of Words: Literacy and Expression · 2nd Class

Active learning ideas

Writing a Persuasive Letter

Active learning helps second class students grasp persuasive writing because it turns abstract concepts into hands-on practice. When students swap letters or brainstorm reasons together, they see firsthand how structure and evidence shape opinions.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Communicating
• NCCA: Primary - Exploring and Using

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• RAFT Writing
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Letter Swap and Respond

Pairs draft persuasive letters on a shared topic like more playground time. They swap letters, read as the recipient, and write a short response noting what convinced them. Discuss changes based on feedback.

Design a persuasive letter that clearly states a position and provides supporting reasons.

Facilitation Tip

During the Letter Swap and Respond activity, circulate with a clipboard to listen for students identifying the position statement and supporting reasons in each other's letters.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, incomplete persuasive letter. Ask them to write one sentence stating the letter's position, one sentence identifying a reason, and one sentence suggesting a piece of evidence that could be added to strengthen that reason.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• RAFT Writing
• 25 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Reason Brainstorm Relay

In small groups, students pick a position like 'ban homework.' One student writes the position, passes to next for a reason, then evidence, building a group letter. Groups share strongest letters with class.

Justify the inclusion of specific evidence to strengthen an argument in a formal letter.

Facilitation Tip

In the Reason Brainstorm Relay, model how to turn vague ideas into specific examples by asking guiding questions like, 'What could you show your reader to prove this point?'

What to look for

During writing time, circulate and ask students to point to their position statement and one supporting reason in their draft. Ask them: 'How does this reason help convince someone?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• RAFT Writing
• 35 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Model Letter Build

Project a blank letter template. Class votes on position, then contributes reasons and words via think-pair-share. Teacher scribes, then students copy and personalize for homework.

Predict how different word choices in a letter might influence the recipient's response.

Facilitation Tip

While building the Model Letter, think aloud to reveal your decision-making process, such as choosing vivid verbs or deciding where the call to action best fits the flow.

What to look for

Students swap drafts of their persuasive letters. Using a simple checklist (Does it have a position? Does it have at least one reason? Is there a call to action?), they mark 'yes' or 'no'. Then, they write one sentence suggesting how a friend could make their letter more convincing.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• RAFT Writing
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Word Choice Experiment

Students write two versions of the same letter opening, using strong vs weak words. They predict recipient reactions, then share predictions in a class gallery walk.

Design a persuasive letter that clearly states a position and provides supporting reasons.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, incomplete persuasive letter. Ask them to write one sentence stating the letter's position, one sentence identifying a reason, and one sentence suggesting a piece of evidence that could be added to strengthen that reason.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach persuasive writing by making the purpose clear: students write to change someone's mind, not just to fill a page. Avoid overemphasizing length or flowery language at the expense of logical structure. Research shows young writers learn best when they see their audience’s reactions in real time, so pair activities with immediate peer responses.

Successful learning looks like students confidently stating their position, backing it with clear reasons, and revising drafts based on peer feedback. They should use precise language and end with a strong call to action.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Letter Swap and Respond activity, students may believe that repeating the same demand louder makes their letter more persuasive.

  Use the Letter Swap and Respond activity to pause and ask partners, 'Does repeating the demand change your mind? What reasons or evidence would make a difference?' Have them revise their drafts to include stronger support.

• During the Reason Brainstorm Relay, students might think a letter can skip structure if the idea is clear to them.

  In the Reason Brainstorm Relay, provide sticky notes in three colors so students physically sort ideas into position, reasons, and evidence. If groups skip a step, ask them to place their notes under the correct color before moving on.

• During the Word Choice Experiment, students may assume any polite words will work as long as they sound nice.

  In the Word Choice Experiment, have pairs swap adjectives in a sentence and read them aloud. Ask, 'Which word makes you want to agree more? Why?' Students will see how specific language changes impact.

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Methods used in this brief

• RAFT Writing