Today, we are going to continue our work on persuasive writing. Our topic today is going to be ‘Screen time should be limited to one hour per day’. I’ve chosen this because, at this point especially, I feel that you will have strong views on this which will help you to write a clear, structured argument.
Remember that your work should follow this advice –
- Your work must have a clear title which grabs your reader’s interest
- Start off with an introduction which states what your writing will be about and what your own opinion is
- Each of your reasons should be in a separate paragraph.
- If you know of a clear counter argument, you should include it and say why you believe it is incorrect.
- Use emotive language (language which causes you to feel an emotion)
- Write in the first person (I, he, she and so on)
- Write in the present tense (It is clear that…)
- End your writing with a conclusion and perhaps a rhetorical question
Firstly, briefly write down what your opinion is about ‘Screen time should be limited to one hour per day’.
Make a list of ideas/evidence about your own opinion. If you can think of ideas against your ideas, note them down too because they may come in handy later!
Task 2b – writing
Use one of the templates included with the app or in files to make your plan. I have included two examples to help you – the second one may be more useful if you have lots of different details to include. If you can’t print them, don’t worry, you can make your own version in your jotter or on paper. The plans will give you a clear structure which you must stick to if your writing is going to be effective.
Task 2c – writing
Once you are happy with your plan, start your piece of writing. This can be typed on Word or in your ePortfolio or handwritten in your jotter or on paper. I would love to hear all about your opinions on this topic – use your writing skills to persuade me!
Assessment – as I said last week, one of the most effective ways of assessing persuasive writing is to ask someone else to read it and see if they found your writing convincing. You may, however, also want to self assess by giving two stars and a wish.