WRITING PROMPT FOR AUDIENCE, PERSUASION, AND POINT OF VIEW

Submitted by

David Sell
San Elizario H.S.
San Elizario, TX.
email dsell@san-elizario.k12.tx.us
or dsell@tenet.edu

Subject: English/writing Can be adapted to other subjects

Purpose: To develop an awareness of audience, methods of persuasion, and the proper tone or mood to achieve writer's goal as well as point of view. To practice letter writing.

Time: one class period of 50 minutes for small groups. Made need more time or homework for individuals, especially for the reading stage.

Audience: 9-12 Can be rewritten and adapted to other levels

Subject: English, can be adapted for social studies, et.al.

Type: Cooperative Learning, pairs, or individual. Modify the procedure as follows, pairs, each writes two letters; individual, writes all four letters. Cooperative learning is divided into groups of four(4). Each person writes one letter. Each person responsible for one fourth the final grade.

Procedure: (You may want to use the NOTE at bottom for warmup)

1. Hand-out the following prompt:
2. You are a young man that just purchased an engagement ring for your girlfriend. She said she wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth. Meanwhile, you have spent $1500.00 for the ring. You can't return it because company policy says "NO REFUNDS, NO EXCHANGES;" you can't pawn it because you will only get $150.00 for it; finally, you probably will not be able to sell it for the full amount. THE YOUNG MAN IS OUT $1500.00 AND ALL WANTS IS HIS MONEY BACK! Note: he still has the ring.
3. A serious of letters are written:
   • from the young man to the salesman
   • from the salesman to the young man
   • from the young man to his former girlfriend
   • from the former girlfriend to the young man
4. Have class number off from 1 to 4 or what ever number gives you equal groups of 4.
5. Have each group number from 1-4
6. All 1's do a, 2's b, 3's c, and 4'd.
7. Have the group chose a facilitator to keep everyone on task. A timekeeper to keep an eye on the clock. Optional: each person may read their own letter or choose a group reporter to read all three.
8. Each person is to write on letter. BUT, they are not to wait until the corresponding letter is written. This makes for the laughs when they are read aloud.
9. Read the letters aloud in pairs. You may skip around for the answering letter if people want to volunteer to share there answers.

Closure: Elicit the difficulties about Point of View, how anger or mood might effect letter writing, and ideas to develop good persuasion.

NOTE: You may want to discuss the problems of "no refunds, no exchanges" and ways you might get around it. Be creative, lie! Explain how the young man feels toward the girl,but how anger will not accomplish anything. Point out what may happen to the salesman if he violates the policy--try a little bribery. Should lead to a general discussion about persuading people in general.

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