Sixth Graders Writing Persuasive Essays
by Jana Young
April 28, 2008
Sixth graders are currently writing persuasive essays in their English classes. This assignment addresses a sixth grade writing objective: students will write a persuasive paragraph with a strong, controlling idea; supporting sentences; relevant details, facts, and examples; and a concluding sentence. We began this unit by addressing the issue: Should students in our school be required to wear uniforms? After assuring the students that this was NOT a real issue for our school, the classes were divided into sides. One side had to list the pros of the issues, while the other side listed the cons. We then used the best arguments for and against to write a persuasive essay as a class. This class essay has become the model for students to refer to when working on their own essays. The students were presented with several issues to consider when choosing their topics. After choosing an issue, they had to decide which side of the fence they were on. Then they were given a day to research facts to help support their side of the issue. The students use a graphic organizer called a "4-Square" in which to record their information. This organizer makes it easy for students to convert information into paragraph form. We're now ready to begin the actual writing process. I'll be sharing some of these essays on the web site beginning next week. Maybe we'll convince you of something!
