PERSUASIVE WRITING Letter to the School Principal

WHY DO PEOPLE WRITE LETTERS?

sharing one's opinion attempt to influence others' opinions encouraging community change

PERSON OF INFLUENCE TO INFLUENCE! You will have the opportunity to write

letters to the most influential person in your immediate community, the principal, about a school issue that you believe needs to be addressed.

ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE WRITING

Position: Attention to Audience: Factual Support: Effective Word Choice: Ethos:

POSITION

Clearly state your opinion if you want to convince that a change needs to be made.

ATTENTION TO AUDIENCE

Adjust writing style based on reader. Principal- formal writing tone. Friend- casual tone.

EFFECTIVE WORD CHOICE

Persuasive language is strong but appropriate. Descriptive Specific

ETHOS

Ethos- credibility to write. Credible people based on topic:

a doctor on health issues, a teacher on education, a government official on local political issues

What gives YOU credibility to write about school issues?

PERSUASIVE EXAMPLES

As you read this article or listen to the podcast, look for the ways that the author uses the elements of effective persuasive writing.

Position: Attention to Audience: Effective Word Choice: Factual Support: Ethos:

HOW CAN WE CHANGE OUR SCHOOL?

Brainstorming Ideas:

NARROWING DOWN IDEAS

Audience: Appropriate? Ability to change? More likely to address?

Factual Support: Topic with strong, convincing factual

support? Ethos:

Your credibility or authority?

PERSUASION MAP

Write down your topic with a short description.

Brainstorm and record reasons for your position.

Draw from your own personal experiences and observations as reasons for your position.

BEFORE YOU WRITE…

Consider which reasons recorded on your Persuasion Map are the most specific and convincing.

Circle the three strongest reasons. Now start writing your letters to the

principal using the map as a guide!

QUESTIONS AFTER WRITING

a. How do you think that the principal will respond to your letter? Why?

b. What makes your letter persuasive?c. If you were the principal, what would you

do upon reading your letter?d. In what other situations could you use

persuasive letter writing? Why would this be an effective method for dealing with these particular issues or problems?