This persuasive writing resource will support you to teach persuasive vocabulary, emphatic sentences and hyperbole in KS3.

‘Would you rather’ KS3 persuasive writing activity

This simple activity asks students to use a fun, oral activity to engage with persuasive thinking and explore how to form a convincing opinion or debate.

Introduce students to persuasive vocabulary and hyperbole using the ‘Superlative adjectives/hyperbole word bank’. Next, challenge students to:

• Persuade their group/partner that their opinion on a general issue is the right or best opinion
• Persuade their group/partner that their opinion on an issue of local change is the right or best opinion
• Write a short, persuasive paragraph about their opinion on one of the local issues discussed
• Build on their new persuasive skills by entering the Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition.

Success criteria

• Use at least five persuasive adjectives, either from the worksheet or ones picked by the students themselves
• Use at least one emphatic phrase or sentence
• Create a persuasive argument, whether oral or written

This activity not only enriches persuasive vocabulary but also builds confidence in writing persuasively and forming a convincing debate or opinion.

This activity worksheet is part of a larger set of free classroom resources created to support the delivery of Wicked Writers: Be the Change, a persuasive writing competition inspired by the themes of Wicked the musical and delivered by the National Literacy Trust and Wicked Active Learning. For more resources head to Wicked Writers: Be the Change at the National Literacy Trust.

Download a full persuasive writing scheme with resources.

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