Identifying features of a persuasive letter written to Sherlock Holmes
I can identify the structure and persuasive techniques in a letter written to Sherlock Holmes.
Identifying features of a persuasive letter written to Sherlock Holmes
I can identify the structure and persuasive techniques in a letter written to Sherlock Holmes.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- We can imagine Sherlock Holmes receiving lots of letters from potential clients asking him to help.
- We can imagine Holmes would only take on interesting cases, perhaps from people in desperate need.
- A letter to Holmes would have been formal in tone, given his position in society.
- A persuasive letter contains elements of both persuasion and explanation.
- The explanation must be coherent and a range of persuasive devices can be used.
Keywords
Persuasive writing - writing where we are trying to convince someone to do something or to change their mind or behaviour
Explanation - the detailed steps that led to something happening
Persuasive techniques - language structures or devices used in writing to try to change someone’s mind or behaviour
Formal tone - the effect created by using serious, factual language
Common misconception
Pupils may confuse rhetorical questions and standard questions.
Most questions demand an answer; in a rhetorical question, the question itself contains the implied, expected answer.
To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Identifying features of a persuasive letter written to Sherlock Holmes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Identifying features of a persuasive letter written to Sherlock Holmes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 english lessons from the 'Sherlock Holmes': descriptive and letter writing unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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