Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

It's lovely to see you today.

My name's Dr.

Clayton, and I'm here to guide you through learn journey today.

Today's lesson called considering and evaluating persuasive letters.

We're going to read through two model answers, think about how effective they are at persuading the reader to agree with them.

So if you're ready, grab your pen, laptop, whatever you use for this lesson, and let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to consider the effectiveness of modal verbs, personification, active voice in persuasive letters.

So the five words there we're gonna be using as our keywords.

They'll be identified in bold throughout the learning material, and I've tried to point 'em out as well, so you see them being used in context.

So first is persuade, which means to convince someone to do something through reasoning argument.

We're going to be thinking about how effective the two model answers are of convincing someone to believe the argument put forward.

Our second keyword is modal verb, which means verbs that indicate likelihood, ability, permission, or obligation.

We're going to be thinking how you might use modal verbs with different levels of modality to imply the tone and persuasiveness of your argument.

Our third keyword is active voice, which where the subject of the sentence performs the action onto the object.

We're going to be thinking about how active voice can be effective with persuasive writing.

Our fourth keyword is direct, which moving toward a place or object without changing direction or without stopping.

In terms of your writing, being direct means that you get straight to the point without deviating.

Our fifth keyword is obligation, which means an act or course of action to which a person's morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.

We're going to be thinking about how effective persuasive writing creates an obligation in the reader and makes them feel as if they have a moral duty to act.

So I'll just give you a moment to write down those keywords and their definitions.

So pause the video.

Write them down now.

Fantastic, let's get started with the lesson.

So we have two learning cycles in our lesson today.

For our first learning cycle, we're going to read through Aisha's model answer and think about how to use modal verbs, personification, active voice in order to write an effective persuasive letter.

For our second learning cycle, we're going to read through Sofia's model answer, and again think about the use of modal verbs, personification, active voice, and about how effective they are at persuading the reader.

Now, before we start looking at the model answers, let's take a moment to remind ourselves about persuasive writing and what makes effective persuasive writing.

So persuasive writing is a form of non-fiction writing that's written to persuade a reader of a belief, opinion, or idea.

Now, persuasive's one of our keywords, means to convince someone to do something through reasoning or argument.

So persuasive writing is writing designed to convince someone of something through reasoning or argument.

So, what I'd like you to think about is, what do you think makes a successful persuasive letter? So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

Let's talk through some of the things you might have said.

So you might have thought about the use of the correct formal letter form.

By using the correct form, it shows you're taking care of your work, means the reader can focus on your work.

You might also have thought about the use of effective rhetorical devices.

So for example, personification.

Now there are many rhetorical devices you could use.

We're going to focus on personification in this letter, which is where you give human emotions or characteristics to non-human objects.

By personifying the subject, you create an emotional connection between the reader and the subject of your argument, and that therefore makes them more likely to understand your argument.

You also might have thought by the use of appropriate tone.

So for example, you might use modal verbs and active or passive voice.

We're going to look at how using words with different modality and active or passive voice affects the tone of your writing and now that might impact the persuasiveness.

Finally, you also thought about the fact it should make the reader feel a sense of obligation, so it makes the reader feel a sense of moral duty to help.

So, now let's take a look at our first model answer.

So Aisha's asked to write a persuasive letter to her teacher to persuade them to encourage more diverse voice in the curriculum.

Now there's a copy of Aisha's letter in the additional materials.

What I'd like you to do is read the letter.

Now I'm gonna read through the letter and you can follow along with me, or you can pause the video and read it for yourself.

So pause the video now if you're reading the letter for yourself.

So let's go through Aisha's model answer.

"Dear Ms Featherington, I'm writing to you "in regards to the texts that we study in school.

"For decades, we have studied the same texts, "the same writers, the same themes.

"Though these works are undoubtedly works "of great literature, that's no longer enough.

"It's vitally important you consider updating the curriculum "to reflect the diversity of the world we live in today.

"The books that student read have a profound impact "on how they see themselves "and how they see their place in the world.

"If we teach texts from diverse range of writers, "we're allowing more people to see themselves "and their voices represented.

"The words on the page speak to us.

"They can whisper words of affirmation, "of comfort, of belonging.

"They can create a home for us.

"Don't you want every student "to have words that speak to them like that? "Hopefully you can understand how integral this issue is.

"We need to include voices "that every student can hear and understand.

"In doing so, we're showing students they belong, "that their voice is important.

"You must see how vital this is.

"Yours sincerely, Aisha Jenkins." Welcome back, everyone.

Now before we talk through the effectiveness of the letter, I'd like to first think about how you respond to the letter.

How'd it make you feel? Pause video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great discussions there.

Now we're gonna spend the rest of the learning cycle talking through how Aisha's crafted the letter in order to make it persuasive.

So, let's begin by thinking about how Aisha used modal verbs and the idea of modality.

So just a reminder, the modal verbs are verbs that indicate likelihood, ability, permission, obligation.

So, let's take a look at the following conditions from Aisha's letter.

"Vitally important that you consider," "Books that students read have a profound effect," "Hopefully you can understand how integral this issue is," and, "We need to include voices." Now, all these quotations include modal verbs.

What I'd like you to think about, is what degree of certainty and obligation do they have? Do they have a low, medium, or high certainty? Pause video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as Lucas says, "Words such as vitally have a need, "have a higher degree of certainty and obligation, "while hopefully has a medium degree." So, now let's think about the effect of using those modal verbs.

So what I'd like you to think about now is, what effect does inclusion of modal verbs with high and medium degrees of certainty and obligation have? Pause video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

As Lucas says, "They make Aisha's argument more persuasive "since they emphasise her confidence in her argument, "as well as conveying a sense of duty onto the reader." They make the reader feel as that they have to do something to help the situation.

So now for a quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that modal verbs with high or medium modality are effective in persuasive writing? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now the correct answer is true.

They are effective.

Now I'd like to tell me why they're effective.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

They might have said that modal verbs with high or medium modality convey a sense of certainty and obligation, which adds the persuasive nature of your writing.

So very well done if you've got those right.

So now let's think about the personification Aisha's answer.

Remember that personification's where human emotions or characteristics are given to non-human things or objects.

Now, within Aisha's letter, she personifies books and words on the page.

So she says, "They can whisper," "They can create a home for us." Now, what I'd like to think about is, what effect does personification have? How does it enhance the persuasive nature of Aisha's argument? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I love the personification here.

I think it's the most effective persuasive device in the letter.

As Izzy says, "By making the book seem alive, "Aisha highlights how they might have effect on students "and how important that emotional connection is to them.

"Furthermore, home is a particularly positive connotation "that might resonate with the reader." I love the image of books being home because I think it resonates with so many people.

Books can make us feel as if we belong.

They can create space for us in the world we feel safe and comfortable, and ultimately it's something we all desire.

So, now let's think about Aisha's voice in the model answer.

I'd like you to see the following quotations from Aisha's letter, "We have studied the same texts," "They can create a home for us." What I'd like you to tell me is whether they're written in active or passive voice.

Why is that? Now remember the active voice is where the subjects performing the action onto the object.

And passive voice is the objects act upon by the subject.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as Lucas says, "In both sentences, "the subject, we and they, "are performing the action, studying and create.

"Therefore, the centres are in active voice." So, now let's think about the effect of using active voice.

Let's think about how the tone be altered if Aisha had written in passive voice instead.

So let's see the example of, "We have studied the same texts." The moment, it's written active voice, but we could change it to passive voice by writing, "The same texts have been studied by us." So, what I'd like to think about is, how is the effect different? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as Izzy says, "In active voice, "the focus is on the students, "whereas in passive voice, focus is on the texts.

"Focusing on the students is more persuasive "as it compels the reader to focus "on the student's experience and their feelings." So now for another quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false, Aisha use of passive voice makes her letter more persuasive? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

The correct answer is false.

Now I'd like you to tell me why it's false.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said that Aisha's use of active voice makes the writing more persuasive as it compels the reader to focus on the students and how the choice of texts is affecting them.

So very well done if you've got those right.

Now as we said at the beginning, using the correct formal letter form is part of creating an effective persuasive letter.

So in a formal letter, the sender's address should go in the top right hand corner of the letter with the date underneath, and the recipients address should go on the left with the salutation or greeting underneath.

And then you have the main body of the letter and the sign off.

Now, Aisha's letter meets the requirements of a formal letter.

So what I'd like you to do is think about why that's important to follow the formal letter structure.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as Izzy says, "I think it's important "because it shows you've taken care "and attention over how you've presented your argument.

"By meeting the formal requirements, "it sets the correct tone for your argument." It creates a sense you're serious about your argument because you've taken the care to present it properly.

So now for a quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is fill in the gaps to complete the formal letter template.

So what goes underneath the sender's address? Whose address goes on the left hand side, and what goes at the end of the letter? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider and fill in the gaps.

Welcome back, everyone.

The correct answers are the date goes underneath the sender's address, the recipient's address go on the left hand side, and the sign off is at the end of the letter.

So very well done if you've got those right.

Fantastic work, everyone with the first task of the lesson.

What I'd like you to do is write a paragraph to explain how Aisha's constructed an effective persuasive letter.

And you might consider how Aisha's words are medium and high modality, how Aisha's personified the books and their words, how Aisha's used active voice, and how Aisha has conformed the formal letter structure? So pause the video.

Write your paragraph now.

Welcome back, everyone, some fantastic work there.

What I'd like you to do is read back through your answer and consider the following questions.

So did you think about how issues of medium and high modality words convey sense of confidence and obligation onto her argument? Did you consider how Aisha's use of personification demonstrates the emotional impact that books can have on pupils, as well as evoking positive reaction in the reader? Did you think about how the use of active voice focuses the reader onto the students themselves and how they feel? And did you consider how Aisha's adherence to the formal letter form conveys respect and care? So pause the video.

Consider the questions now.

Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to see people making edits and additions to their paragraph if it was necessary.

Now gonna take everything we've said about Aisha's letter and see if we can approve Sofia's letter in our second learning cycle.

Amazing work so far, everyone.

The second learning cycle, we're going to read through Sofia's model answer and think about how effective it is as a persuasive letter.

So, let's start by reading Sofia's letter.

Now Sofia was asked to write a persuasive letter to her teacher to persuade them to remove Shakespeare from the curriculum.

Now there's a copy of Sofia's letter in the additional materials.

Now, I'm gonna read through the letter as I did with Aisha's, and you can follow along with me, or you can pause the video and read it for yourself.

So if you're reading for yourself, pause the video now.

So now let's read through Sofia's letter.

"Dear Ms. Gateshill, I'm writing to you today "because I'm absolutely appalled you continue "to torture us with play after play after play "by insufferable playwright William Shakespeare.

"I cannot believe we still have to read the words "of that tedious, boring man.

"It's not even one play! "Do you know how many plays I've had "to read since I started school? "Five.

"All of them are worse than the last.

"No students have to ever suffer through any more of this.

"You need to change it.

"It feels that the words are talking to me, "'To be or not to be,' 'Romeo, Romeo, "'wherefore art thou Romeo?' "'We are such stuff as dreams are made on.

' "Are they from the same play, a different play? "Who can even tell? "You absolutely need to take this awful writing "off the curriculum.

"Let us study something new and exciting.

"You must take action now.

"Yours sincerely, Sofia Townsend." Welcome back, everyone.

Now as with Aisha's letter, I'd like to start off by thinking about how you'd respond to Sofia's answer.

How does it make you feel? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

Now we're gonna spend the rest of the learning cycle thinking about how effective Sofia's answer is.

So, let's think about the tone to begin with.

what I'd like you to do is consider the following quotation for Sofia's letter, "You absolutely need to take this awful writing "off the curriculum and let us study "something new and exciting.

"You must take action now!" So, what I'd like to think about first is how is Sofia's use of modal verbs and active voice different to Aisha's use? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as Lucas says, "Sofia uses words "with high modality all the way through, "and accompanies the use of active voice "with numerous exclamation marks." So Sofia only used words with a high degree of certainty and obligation throughout.

What I'd like to think about now is what is the effect of Sofia and Aisha's different approach to modal verbs and active voice? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now again, as Lucas says, "By only using words with high modality "and using continual exclamation marks, "the tone of Sofia's letter becomes very direct.

"It's almost aggressive." So, what I'd like to think about now is why might we want to avoid a very direct, almost aggressive tone in persuasive writing? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, this is part of the balancing act that comes in writing effective persuasive writing.

As Izzy says, "While we want our writing "to convey confidence, "being too direct can be off putting to the reader.

"It can have the opposite effect.

"A tone that's too direct and bordering on aggressive "can make the reader feel defensive "rather than open to your argument." If you're constantly being told you have to do something, you may find yourself wanting to do the opposite because you're feeling defensive, and that's not what you want the reader to feel.

You want the reader to focus on your argument.

You want it to come across confident, but you don't want it appear as if you're trying to force the reader to help.

So now for a quick check for understanding, which of the following might be an effect of Sofia's exclusive use of words with high modality? Is it a, conveys a sense of uncertainty, b, it creates a very direct tone, or c, it shows a lack of confidence? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now words with high modality create a high sense of certainty and obligation.

So they create a very straightforward, very direct tone.

So very well done if you got that right.

So, we've talked about the tone.

Now let's think about the personification.

Now Sofia does use personification within her letter.

She says, "It feels that the words are talking to me." What I'd like you to think about is, why might this not be the most effective use of personification? What emotional response do you think it creates? Pause a video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as Lucas says, "While it suggest the words are alive, "talking doesn't convey a particular emotional response.

"It doesn't invite the reader "to feel positively or negatively "and therefore doesn't add to the persuasiveness." We need to be more specific in order for it to be persuasive.

Are the books whispering, shouting? What's their tone that would help the reader understand how they're meant to feel? So now for a quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement's true or false.

Is it true or false that any use of personification is effective in persuasive writing? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now the correct answer is false.

Now I'd like you to tell me why it's false.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, in order to be persuasive, personification should evoke an emotional response in the reader, and that emotion has to match your argument and how you want the reader to feel.

So very well done if you've got those right.

Fantastic work, everyone, with the final task of the lesson, so what I'd like you to do is reread the second paragraph of Sofia's answer.

So that is, "It feels as the words are talking to me.

"'To be or not to be,' 'Romeo, Romeo, "'wherefore art thou Romeo?' "'We are such stuff as dreams are made on.

' "Are they from the same play or a different play? "Who can even tell? "You absolutely need to take this awful writing "off the curriculum.

"Let us study something new and exciting.

"You must take action now!." Then I'm gonna rewrite the second paragraph of Sofia's letter to improve it.

Should consider the following points, adding in some words of medium modality, so should, hopefully, often, would soften the tone and make it less direct.

Using personification that evokes an emotional response would be more persuasive.

So pause the video.

Rewrite the paragraph now.

Welcome back, everyone, some fantastic work there.

Now for the final part of the lesson, what I'd like you to do is share your work with a peer and peer assess their work using the following questions.

So does the tone for less direct with the addition of some words with medium modality? Does the personification now evoke an emotional response? Do you find the rewritten paragraph persuasive? Why or why not? So pause the video.

Peer assess each other's work now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I know it can feel intimidating to share your work with someone else, but it's such an important part of your writing.

You're writing to create an effect on someone else and therefore getting feedback is such a useful exercise and a great habit to get into.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

Using words of medium and high modality can convey a sense of confidence and obligation onto your writing.

However, only using words with high modality can make a tone seem too direct.

Using personification can create an emotional connection between the reader and the subject.

And using active voice can ensure the reader's focus is on the subject.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.