Students need to learn how to write persuasive essays. This skill is critical because it is often tested. Writing a research paper may be more difficult, but students can’t be expected write one in an hour. Therefore, since writing a persuasive essay doesn’t require any research, students will continue to be tested on their ability to write them for some time.
The good news is that learning to write a decent persuasive essay is pretty easy. Much of it is just structuring your ideas and arguments in a sensible way. Beyond that, there are a few more tricks that one can use to enhance one’s skills quickly. These persuasive essay worksheets and activities will help students master these tricks.
Creating Persuasive Attention Catchers Activity – Students practice creating persuasive leads that immediately push the reader toward their side of the argument.
Creating Persuasive Attention Catchers | RTF
Creating Persuasive Attention Catchers | PDF
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Persuasive Introductory Paragraphs Review Worksheet – Students read five introductory paragraphs and determine what the body paragraphs of each essay will be about by identifying the preview points. This activity should give students a better understanding of the relation of introductory paragraphs to the body.
Persuasive Introductory Paragraphs Review Worksheet | RTF
Persuasive Introductory Paragraphs Review Worksheet | PDF
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Arguing Both Sides Worksheet – Students get emotional about essays sometimes. This can lead them into picking positions that are harder to support. In this activity students learn that you can argue BOTH sides of a topic, not just the one side with which you personally agree. Students practice arguing both sides of a four different topics.
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet | RTF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet | PDF
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Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 2 – Here’s another persuasive essay worksheet to help students practice approaching writing prompts logically. In this double-sided worksheet students practice arguing both sides of a selection of topics. This helps students learn to be strategic when approaching a topic, instead of responding emotionally.
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 2 | RTF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 2 | PDF
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Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 3 – Here is yet another double-sided worksheet where students practice brainstorming arguments on both sides of controversial persuasive essay topics. These activities help them learn to brainstorm points quickly and to choose the side of an argument that is easier for them to support when writing a persuasive essay.
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 3 | RTF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 3 | PDF
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Boxes and Bullets Persuasive Essay Outline – A lot of students really hate the term outline. These same students generally like to hear the phrase boxes and bullets. So I made this boxes and bullets worksheet. Sure, it’s just an outline for a persuasive essay, but boxes and bullets sounds way cooler. This activity is great to do before actually writing the essay. It allows others to see that the structure of an essay before it is fully developed. This activity sheet also includes a comment area for peer review.
Boxes and Bullets Persuasive Essay Outline | RTF
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Persuasive Essay Examples – Sometimes it’s easier to spot other’s mistakes than one’s own mistakes. This persuasive essay worksheet tests that idea. Students read two persuasive essay examples and identify problems with each. Then, they answer a serious of questions to help them evaluate and improve each essay.
Persuasive Essay Examples | RTF
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Persuasive Essay Rubric– Here’s a rubric that I’ve used to grade my students’ five-paragraph persuasive essays. This also includes a handout on the structural order of a cookie-cutter persuasive essay.
Persuasive Essay Rubric | RTF
Persuasive Essay Rubric | PDF
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Typed Persuasive Essay Rubric – Here’s yet another rubric I’ve used to grade my students’ five-paragraph persuasive essays. This one is set up for a typed assignment and includes formatting fields designed to prepare students for MLA format.
Typed Persuasive Essay Rubric | RTF
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