Lesson video

Hi everyone, and welcome to today's lesson.

Today we're going to be planning and writing the conclusion of our persuasive letter.

In today's lesson, you will be able to plan and write the conclusion of a persuasive letter inspired by a text.

Here are some key words we are going to use.

Purpose.

Conclusion.

Summarise.

The purpose is the aim of the text.

The conclusion is the final paragraph of a nonfiction text.

To summarise is to sum up the main body of a text.

Today we're going to be planning and writing the conclusion of a letter, inspired by a text.

We're going to begin by planning the conclusion, and then we will move on to writing it.

Our persuasive letter can be structured like this.

We've got an introduction, our main body paragraph one was all about the physical health benefits brought by a communal playground.

Our main body paragraph two was all about the mental health benefits.

And finally, we have our conclusion.

The introduction is the first paragraph of the letter.

It states the letter's purpose, the main arguments or points.

The main body paragraphs explore key persuasive points in detail, backed up by evidence.

And finally, the conclusion paragraph summarises the key information of the letter, and it outlines next steps.

We've already written up an introduction, and main body paragraphs one and two.

Now we are going to move on to planning and writing our conclusion.

Order the parts of our persuasive letter.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that first we had our introduction, then main body paragraph one was all about the physical health benefits of the communal playground.

Main body paragraph two was all about the mental health benefits.

And the final paragraph is the conclusion.

The purpose is the aim of the text.

The purpose of the conclusion is to summarise the key information of the report, and give the reader some general information.

We've already seen this visual before.

When we were writing the introduction, we also kept the information we used there general.

At this point in our writing, we are not including any new specific facts or details.

Instead, we are summing up everything we have talked about so far in our writing, and keeping it all very general.

True or false.

The purpose of the conclusion is to summarise key information in the letter.

Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that this is true.

Now decide how to justify your answer, and pause the video again while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that the correct answer was B.

The conclusion should summarise the key information in the letter, and steer readers towards the future of the subject.

We can structure the conclusion paragraph like this.

Firstly, we begin with an introductory sentence.

Then we include some general information.

And finally, we end with our concluding sentence.

The introductory sentence introduces the paragraph and summarises the key information that we've discussed in our letter.

This is where we want to really sum up the main points of our main body paragraphs.

Our general information sentences briefly outline the letter's key arguments, again referring back to the key, main arguments in our letter.

And finally, our concluding sentence ends the letter.

We want to make sure that we leave our reader with a high impact, final concluding sentence, that really makes them think about how they can help us, because hopefully we want to really have persuaded them.

Now, match the parts of a conclusion paragraph to their functions.

On the left, we can see introductory sentence, general information, and concluding sentence.

On the right, we can see the function, such as ends the letter, introduces the paragraph, and summarises the key information, and briefly outlines the letter's key arguments.

Pause the video now while you complete this task.

Well done if you spotted that the introductory sentence introduces the paragraph and summarises the key information.

The general information sentences briefly outline the letter's key arguments, and the concluding sentence ends the letter.

When we plan, we use notes.

Notes are concise, and they capture subject-specific vocabulary and information.

The purpose of notes is to help the writer to organise information easily for future use.

We use bullet points when we take notes, and they look like this.

Here's the planning format we are going to use for our conclusion.

So it has three sections.

First, we've got our introductory sentence.

Remember, this introduces the paragraph, and summarises the key information.

The general information sentences briefly outline the key arguments that we've discussed earlier in our main body paragraphs.

And finally, our concluding sentence ends the letter, and this is where we want to leave the letter off with a high impact sentence that will really leave lasting impressions on our reader.

Before we begin planning, let's take a moment to read our full persuasive letter so far.

This will help us to ensure our conclusion is cohesive with the rest of the letter.

Let's read my example together first, and then you're going to go off and read your example on your own.

"First and foremost, may I extend my gratitude for your true dedication to our community's wellbeing.

Your tireless efforts in ensuring that our town flourishes are commendable.

I write today with a matter of great importance: the establishment of a new community playground.

Imagine a place in our local area where children can laugh, play, and create cherished memories.

I am certain that you will agree that such a playground would not only enrich the lives of our youth, but it would also foster a strong sense of unity and belonging within our community." That was my introduction.

Now let's move on to main body paragraph one.

"To begin, I am certain that you're already aware that the physical health of the young people in our community is vital.

Studies have shown that access to outdoor play facilities not only promotes physical health, but it also enhances cognitive development and social skills in children.

By investing in a community playground, we are investing in the future leaders, innovators, and problem solvers of our time.

In my discussions with local constituents, it has become clear that children's health is a key voting issue.

Surely you will agree that funding this community playground should therefore be top of your agenda if you wish to seek reelection?" Now for main body paragraph two.

"In addition to the physical health benefits, the playground would offer multiple positive outcomes for children's mental wellbeing.

According to Action for Children, increased use of social media has led to increased instances of cyberbullying.

I am sure you will agree that it is vital that local councils create opportunities for children to spend time off screens, and social media, building strong peer relationships in person instead.

Local constituents, who have noted the lack of outdoor play spaces nearby, have informed me that children's mental and physical health is an urgent issue.

Surely you cannot afford to ignore such a pressing matter ahead of upcoming elections?" Take a moment now to reread your writing, and check what you've written so far.

This will help us make sure that our writing is cohesive along with the rest of our letter.

Great work, everyone.

Here is the planning format that we're going to use today.

Now it's time for your task.

Plan, in note form and using bullet points, the conclusion of your persuasive letter.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Well done, everyone.

Here is my example.

Remember, my planning is going to be slightly different to yours, but if there's anything you'd like to magpie from my plan and add it to yours, you can do that now.

So for my introductory sentence, I've put down two potential openers.

"To conclude" or "in conclusion." "It is evident or apparent that the playground poses a range of physical and mental health benefits." Here I've summed up my key takeaways from the letter.

In my general information sentences, I have summarised the key arguments that I'm mentioned earlier in my letter.

So, "time outdoors creates opportunities for physical activity and socialisation, and it is vital for wellbeing and cognitive development." And for my concluding sentence, I have used some presumption.

"I am certain you will share my views that this must be addressed immediately.

I look forward to hearing from you, and I thank you in advance for your support." I wanted to almost assume or presume, in my final sentence, that my recipient has already agreed to help me, because then it'll make it harder for them to tell me no.

Take a moment now to reread your planning and check that you are happy with everything you've got on there.

Great work, everyone.

Well done, everyone! Now that we've planned our conclusion, we're going to move on to writing it.

When we write, we always try to do these things.

We plan and say each sentence before we write it.

We use punctuation where we know the rules.

We showcase each sentence type we know.

We write our letters neatly, on the line, and in joined handwriting.

We use spelling strategies to spell words accurately.

And we check and improve our writing when we think we've finished.

Here's the success criteria we're going to use today.

Let's read them through together.

I have used appropriate persuasive techniques.

So here we want to be selective with which persuasive devices we use.

I have summarised the key information in the letter.

I have included general information for my reader.

So remember, we're not introducing any new or specific details at this point.

And finally, I have included a sentence that steers the reader to the future.

We're going to be incorporating all of these success criteria into the writing of our conclusion today.

Today we're going to make sure that we use our plans to write the conclusion paragraph of our persuasive letters.

We can build on our ideas from our plan when we write today.

Make sure you've got your plan with you, ready for writing.

If you need to go and get it, pause the video while you do that now.

Well done, everyone.

Now let's take a moment to review our planning for the conclusion.

Here's my plan.

Let's read mine first, and then you can read through yours.

So for my plan today, I have got "to conclude" or "in conclusion", "it is evident or apparent that the playground poses a range of physical and mental health benefits.

Time outdoors creates opportunities for physical activity and socialisation.

This is vital for wellbeing and cognitive development.

I am certain you will share my views that this must be addressed immediately.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance for your support." Take a moment now to reread your planning, and check whether you need to add anything or make any edits.

Well done, everyone.

Now let's take a moment to read a model that I've written.

Let's see how it's met the success criteria.

So I've got my success criteria down the right hand side of my screen, and here is my model.

Let's read it through together.

"In conclusion, it is evident that the playground offers a wide range of potential benefits to children's mental and physical health.

As outlined previously in this letter, research has shown a clear correlation between time spent outdoors and improved physical and mental health outcomes.

I am certain that a leader of your calibre can easily understand how vital this playground is to the cognitive development and wellbeing of our young people.

I look forward to reading your response, and working with you to bring this asset to our local community to reality.

Yours faithfully, Gemma Mullins." Now that we've read it through as a whole, let's take a moment to check whether I've met my success criteria.

So, "In conclusion, it is evident that the playground offers a wide range of potential benefits to children's mental and physical health." Here I've summarised the key information of my letter with my introductory sentence.

"As outlined previously in this letter, research has shown a clear correlation between time spent outdoors and improved physical and mental health outcomes.

I am certain that a leader of your calibre can easily understand how vital this playground is to the cognitive development and wellbeing of our young people." Here, I've included general information.

So I've referred back in a very general way to the key arguments from my main body paragraphs.

And finally, I have included a sentence that steers my reader to the future.

Here, where I've used my presumption, to assume that the recipient is going to write back to me and help me.

"I look forward to reading your response and working with you to bring this asset to our local community to reality." So here I can say I've met this success criteria.

Now in terms of my appropriate persuasive techniques, I've got "research has shown", showing that I'm using evidence.

"I am certain that" is an example of presumption.

"A leader of your calibre" is an example of flattery.

"I look forward to reading your response." So I'm presuming that they're going to, that the reader is going to actually write back.

And "working with you to bring this asset to the local community." I'm also presuming that they're going to agree to help me.

So, I have used appropriate persuasive techniques here.

Now it's time for you to use your plan and your success criteria to write the conclusion of your persuasive letter.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Brilliant work, everyone.

Take a moment to read your paragraph back, and check that it meets the success criteria.

Here's another example of a writing outcome.

Remember, this is going to not be the exact same as yours, but you might see some elements that you would like to magpie for your own writing.

Let's read it through together.

"In conclusion, the establishment of a community playground is not just a luxury, but it is a necessity for the growth of our community.

Let us take this opportunity to invest in our children's future.

Without proper funding, this dream may just remain just that, a dream.

It is imperative that we take action now to secure the resources to bring this vision to life.

Consequently, I implore you to consider the following proposal.

Allocate a portion of the council's budget towards the construction of a community playground.

By doing so, we demonstrate our genuine commitment to improving our town and life for its residents.

Yours faithfully, Gemma Mullins." So let's check it meets the success criteria.

I've used a range of appropriate persuasive devices.

I've summarised the key information in the letter.

I've included general information for my reader.

And I've included a sentence that steers my reader to the future.

Take a final moment now to double check that your writing has met all of the success criteria.

Great work, everyone.

Well done, everyone.

That now brings us to the end of our lesson, where today we've been planning and writing the conclusion of a persuasive letter, inspired by a text.

The conclusion is the final paragraph of a persuasive letter.

The purpose of the conclusion is to summarise the key information of the letter, and provide the recipient with general information.

A range of different cohesive devices ensures that writing flows, and the reader remains engaged.

Success criteria can be used when writing, to help make writing successful.

Well done for all of your hard work.

That is now our final writing outcome of this unit.

I hope you're feeling so proud of the persuasive letter that you've produced.

Well done, and great work.