About This Lesson
Change My Mind — Writing Persuasion That Actually Persuades
Topic: Persuasive essay writing, taught backwards: students first get persuaded by a real text, dissect WHY it worked (hook, evidence, counterargument, call to action), then steal those moves for their own draft on a topic they care about (phone policy at school).
Target learning outcomes — by the end, students can:
- Name the four moves of a persuasive text and point to them in a model essay
- Draft a paragraph that states a claim, backs it with evidence, and answers one counterargument
- Tell the difference between an opinion and an argument
Audience: Grades 6–8 (ages 11–13), 30 students, mixed ability. Several reluctant writers who freeze at a blank page — scaffolds matter.
School context: Ordinary classroom, whiteboard, printed model texts possible. No laptops. Constraints: One 60-minute in-person lesson. Every student must leave with at least one written paragraph, not just plans.
