Learning the skill of writing a persuasive letter or essay, with text evidence and research, is a critical skill for many reasons including getting your point across in a peaceful written or verbal structure in order to bring about needed change or an outcome in a situation. All aspects of the course include pre-planning of the topic, learning the 5 Persuasive Techniques ( 1.  Establish trust and credibility with your audience, 2. Understanding the reader's purpose, 3. Paying attention to word choices, 4. Considering your written tone, 5. Use of repetition and evidence to get your point across), researching to support your point of view, writing the body of the essay and learning how to effectively write a closing paragraph with a hook to sway your audience in your direction.
We will learn writing in active voice and use of transition words. Using Persuasive letters and essays, some from books by Kelly Yang, as exemplars the learners will study what makes an effective persuasive piece.  
Class 1: Students will share the pdf as a class stating important goals and features while also choosing their topic.  While I have many topics for learners to choose from, if you have one of your own that is near to your heart please let me know the topic prior to the first class for approval.  We will learn about effective choices during research and what it means to be an empathetic, emotional writer using rhetorical questions, specific details , and repetition
Class time 1  (and completion for HW)- We will be sharing goals, highlighting important concepts and directions from the pdf that will be emailed to all participants, reading examples and picking topics.  The goal will be to complete first paragraph following all directions in pdf for the second class.  All work will be done through a word processing program on computer so we can share screens.

Class 2:  We will go over all goals and expectations and include mini-lessons on expectations, quality and specific skills of persuasive writing as identified in the pdf of materials.. Learners will share opening paragraph , either with the class or me- personal choice. We will share more examples and then all directions for the body paragraphs and what parts exactly to complete prior to class 3 .  Work time  in class #2 will include to research, write and follow goals for body paragraphs.

Class 3:  Discussion of all class goals and objectives. Are you using the art of persuasion?, studying directions for conclusion and sharing examples We will also restate and go over all directions for the body paragraphs and the goals of the persuasive writing style. Learners will have saved a powerful hook/ example that reconnects to the opening paragraph and overall theme and will use it as a powerful closer to make the persuasive point that is the topic. 
Completing  the closing paragraph and the practice of editing and revising, following a checklist will be the HW for class 4.
CLASS 4:  Each learner will be given a 30 minute individual class  with the instructor to edit and revise together as the final step so while a final class time is listed, depending on how many learners are in the class, two learners will have that class individually during the scheduled time and others will pick additional times to work with the instructor.-  This part of the program always in a favorite!!
All of this occurs in an atmosphere where learners will receive large amounts of feedback from the instructor every step of the way while accomplishing one chunk of the goals at a time.Mini-lessons are constantly given.  My goal is for each learner to feel much success throughout the process.  My classes are always safe, positive  and all are treated with honor and respect and along the way we actually have much fun.
Finally, please note changes in the directions, HW  and the pdf are sometimes needed depending on the flow of the lessons, objectives I want to fine-tune, and size of class so steps may not be followed exactly as written.





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