Courseversity

Lesson

Persuasive speaking

Primary EducationGrade 5English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G05-ELA-U01-L0745–60 min

You will learn

  • State a clear claim.
  • Use strong reasons.
  • Use persuasive language.
  • Use voice and gesture.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Open with your claim.
  2. Give two strong reasons.
  3. Address the audience.
  4. End with a call to action.

Words to know

persuade
to convince someone to agree or act
claim
the main point you want accepted
call to action
a request that tells listeners what to do
tone
the feeling in the way you speak

1. Discover: Save the school pond

Biola speaks to the class: “Our school pond must be saved. First, it is home to frogs and fish we study in science. Second, it keeps the playground cooler. Imagine our playground without it, hot and silent. Please sign the petition today.” She speaks clearly, pauses before the key line and looks at her audience.

Think: What persuasive techniques did Biola use?

2. Understand: Speaking to convince

Idea 1: Claim and reasons

Begin with a clear claim. Give two or three strong reasons and avoid exaggeration.

Idea 2: Language and tone

Use words that appeal to listeners, such as imagine and we. Choose a confident, friendly tone.

Idea 3: Call to action

End with a call to action: what you want listeners to do next. Good speakers persuade with a clear request.

Remember: Persuasive speakers state a claim, give reasons, use fair appealing language and tone, and end with a call to action.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Claim

What is Biola’s claim?

  1. Must be saved.

Answer: the school pond must be saved

Example 2 (We do it together): Reason

Give one of her reasons.

  1. First.

Answer: it is home to frogs and fish we study in science

Example 3 (You try): Action

What is her call to action?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Please sign.

Answer: sign the petition today

Did you know?

Great speakers pause before their most important line so that the audience pays attention.

Why this matters

Persuasive speaking helps you speak up for ideas that matter, fairly and clearly.

4. Explore: Speak up

Practise a short persuasive speech.

  1. Choose a cause.
  2. State your claim.
  3. Give two reasons.
  4. End with a call to action.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can speak persuasively.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • I believe that ___.
  • There are two reasons: ___.
  • Imagine ___.
  • Please ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. To convince someone is to ___.

persuade

Question 2. The main point you want accepted is the ___.

claim

Question 3. A request telling listeners what to do is a call to ___.

action

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. To convince someone is to ___.
  2. The main point you want accepted is the ___.
  3. A request telling listeners what to do is a call to ___.
  4. The feeling in the way you speak is your ___.
  5. Biola wants to save the school ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Who spoke about the pond?
  2. What lives in the pond?
  3. What did she ask listeners to do?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Should you state a clear claim?
  2. Should you exaggerate?
  3. Should you end with a call to action?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Give a one-minute persuasive speech with a claim, two reasons and a call to action.

Show a sample answer

a speech

Another one. Persuade a family member about something kind, using a claim and two reasons.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can state a clear claim.
  • I can use strong reasons.
  • I can use persuasive language.
  • I can use voice and gesture.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. To persuade is to ___ someone.

2. A claim is the ___ point you want accepted.

3. A call to action tells listeners what to ___.

4. Tone is the ___ in the way you speak.

5. What is Biola’s claim?

6. What is one of her reasons?

7. What did she ask for?

8. Which word invites the audience to picture something?

9. Which is fair persuasion?

10. What helps persuasive speaking?

11. Why pause before a key line?

12. Which is the best call to action?

Challenge 1. Which is more persuasive?

Challenge 2. Which is a fair persuasive line?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Open with your claim.
  • Give two strong reasons.
  • Address the audience.
  • End with a call to action.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Formal and informal communication. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What does persuade mean? [1 mark]
  2. What is a call to action? [1 mark]
  3. Name Biola’s call to action. [1 mark]
  4. Give two persuasive speaking techniques. [2 marks]
  5. Explain how to persuade an audience fairly. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. to convince someone to agree or act [1]
  2. a request that tells listeners what to do [1]
  3. sign the petition today [1]
  4. a clear claim with reasons [1]; appealing language, tone or a pause [1]
  5. state a clear claim [1]; give true reasons and use appealing language [1]; end with a call to action [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. To convince someone is to ___.
  2. The main point you want accepted is the ___.
  3. A request telling listeners what to do is a call to ___.
  4. The feeling in the way you speak is your ___.
  5. Biola wants to save the school ___.
  6. Who spoke about the pond?
  7. What lives in the pond?
  8. What did she ask listeners to do?
  9. Should you state a clear claim?
  10. Should you exaggerate?

Homework

Persuade a family member about something kind, using a claim and two reasons.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. To convince someone is to ___. persuade 1
2. The main point you want accepted is the ___. claim 1
3. A request telling listeners what to do is a call to ___. action 1
4. The feeling in the way you speak is your ___. tone 1
5. Biola wants to save the school ___. pond 1
6. Who spoke about the pond? Biola 1
7. What lives in the pond? frogs and fish 1
8. What did she ask listeners to do? sign the petition 1
9. Should you state a clear claim? yes 1
10. Should you exaggerate? no 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 persuade; 2 claim; 3 action; 4 tone; 5 pond. Level 2: 1 Biola; 2 frogs and fish; 3 sign the petition. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 no; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 State a clear claim Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Use strong reasons Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Use persuasive language Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use voice and gesture Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: state a clear claim; use strong reasons; use persuasive language; use voice and gesture.

Prerequisite knowledge. Supporting opinions with evidence.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 5 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.5.4 and SL.5.6 (adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks); Cambridge Primary English Stage 5 (persuasive talk). These sources informed the lesson.

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