Curated OER
Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam A Study of the Vietnam Era
Students examine letters that US service people wrote to their family and friends while they served in Vietnam. They examine the daily hardships and the role of medical personnel and helicopters. They write letters in response to those...
Curated OER
Focus on Writing a Persuasive Letter
In this persuasive writing worksheet, students combine sentences to help them write a persuasive letter. Students complete three activities for sentence combining.
NASA
Einstein and His Times
Scholars research and present on the historical happenings of 1919. After sharing their findings, pupils debate about how Congress dealt with the moral issues of the time. The evaluation asks learners to write a persuasive...
Curated OER
Writing a Political Leader
Eighth graders write to a political leader. In this citizenship lesson, 8th graders discuss leaders of our government and how to voice opinions. Students draft a letter in preparation for revisions. The lesson is part of a unit.
Curated OER
Writing A Short Story with a Persuasive Letter
High schoolers write short stories. In this story creation activity, students write their own story and include their previously written persuasive letters as a component of their new story.
Curated OER
The Gentle Art of Persuasion: Techniques for Persuading Different Audiences
Students examine the use of persuasive arguments to varying audiences. They define persuasion, read and discuss an article on whether P.E. should be optional, summarize the pros and cons of P.E., and write a letter or a speech.
Curated OER
Romeo and Juliet
Students read Romeo and Juliet and then write an essay from the point of either Lord Capulet or Friar Lawrence persuading someone to adopt their views concerning marriage.
Library of Congress
Thomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library
The United States Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. But such was not always the case. The library was destroyed during the War of 1812. In a persuasive letter to Samuel H. Smith, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his...
Curated OER
Persuasive Letter Writing
Middle schoolers write a persuasive letter.  In this persuasive letter writing lesson, students review the standard business form letter and the elements included.  Middle schoolers discuss ways to persuade in writing and write...
Curated OER
Amelia Bedelia (Persuasive Writing)
Students read and discuss the book "Amelia Bedelia". They brainstorm all of the options certain characters in the book could have done instead of what they chose to do. They decide if the decision was a good or bad. They write a...
Curated OER
Letter Writing from a Different Perspective
Third graders write a letter from one character to another in a story they are reading. In this writing lesson plan, 3rd graders demonstrate their understanding of perspective.
Curated OER
Writing Letters for Human Rights
Students draft and edit a letter regarding human rights. They work in groups to select a cause, follow basic letter writing guidelines and draft a persuasive letter expressing their concerns. Students can also send the letters to a...
Curated OER
Writing a Political Leader
Pupils peer edit a letter.  In this editing lesson, students peer edit a letter written to a political figure by another student. Pupils discuss edits and revisions needed for improvement. This is a continuation lesson that is part...
Curated OER
Writing a Political Leader
Students write a letter to a political leader. In this letter writing lesson, students also demonstrate their understanding of current political issues.
Curated OER
The Art of Persuasion-Analysis of Argument
Analyze advertising techniques in order to pinpoint persuasive strategies that writers use. These same techniques are then examined in persuasive speeches. You will have to find your own advertisements, but speeches are included. Finish...
Curated OER
Identify and Discuss the Author's Purpose
Examine author's purpose in a persuasive text using this scaffolded plan. You essentially have a verbatim script here, but it can definitely be used as an outline instead. Review questions that readers should ask themselves when...
Curated OER
The Early Suffragists
Students research early suffragists in an effort to find the most influential leader of the movement. They give presentations and the class chooses a winner. They write letters to the postmaster suggesting they be placed on a stamp.
Judicial Branch of California
Articles of Confederation…Well, They Were Trying!
Different currencies, multiple armies, unreliable protection from thieves: class members experience these challenges playing a game that demonstrates life under the Articles of Confederation. After playing the game—which takes them on a...
Curated OER
Women’s Suffrage Movement
Though the movement for Women's Suffrage stretched over several decades and across two centuries, the final few years were the most difficult hurdle in many ways. Use a document-based question writing exercise to make inferences about...
Curated OER
Persuasive Letter - And Then There Were None
Students read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and write a persuasive letter based on the novel. In this novel analysis and letter writing lesson, students read the story and write a persuasive letter inviting someone to their...
Curated OER
Polar Explorers-Sir Ernest Shackleton
Students discuss Sir Ernest Shackleton and his participation in the Discovery expedition in 1901 to the South Pole. Students write a persuasive letter of application to an ad Shackleton placed in a London newspaper looking for recruits...
Curated OER
Double V Campaign: Victory at Home and Victory Abroad
Students write a persuasive essay as if they were an African American in World War II and decide if they would contribute war bonds or not. In this World War II lesson plan, students study the segregation of World War II and the unity...
Museum of Tolerance
Immigration Journeys
Through the journey of four stories of immigration, scholars complete graphic organizers and apply knowledge to create a visual representation of their findings on a large poster. Third and fourth readers write a letter to their...
Virginia Department of Education 
Deciding the Mode
Are your young writers having difficulty distinguishing between expository and persuasive writing? Discuss the difference between the two, and how some prompts can be responded to in either fashion. Included here is a simple lesson plan...