Persuasive Essay Writing & Expository Writing Units with PPT Lessons, Rubrics

Teach students to write outstanding persuasive and expository essays with this lesson bundle.

The bundle includes the following two units:

Persuasive/Argument Writing Unit

Expository/Informative/Explanatory Writing Unit

⭐️ Persuasive/Argument Writing Unit ⭐️

Teach students the elements of Persuasive Writing (Argument Writing): write opening and closing paragraphs; address audience; opposing views; take a position; make an outline and put it all together while addressing the Common Core Standards!

Unit includes:

✅ Lesson Plan Sequence (~ 2-3 weeks) that includes Common Core Matrices for grades 4 - 8.

***NOTE: ALL Presentations & student handouts are editable!

• Presentations are in PPT and Google Slides(TM) format (both formats editable)
• Handouts are in PDF and Google Slides(TM) format (Google Slides format editable)

The number indicates how many content slides per lesson:

- Audience (24)

- Pros and Cons for Opposing Views (30)

- Take a Position and (15)

- Make an Outline (30)

- Drafting Body Paragraphs from Outlines (39)

- How to Write an Opening Paragraph, Part I (22)

- How to Write an Opening Paragraph, Part II (12)

- How to Write a Closing Paragraph, Part I (20)

- How to Write a Closing Paragraph, Part II (24)

✅ Handouts and worksheets to accompany each lesson, 18 total

- For a detailed breakdown, download the free preview. The handouts basically follow the PowerPoint and give additional practice for each skill. Note: At this time, the handouts are NOT editable for the persuasive lessons.

✅ Persuasive Essay Checklist

✅ 11+ Prompt Ideas

✅ Free downloadable preview shows:

Persuasive/Argument & Explanatory/Informative Handouts

⭐️ Informative/Explanatory Unit ⭐️

Call it what you will - Expository, Informative, or Explanatory Writing - this bundle includes 12 lessons in planning and drafting writing process steps. Your students will be writing well-organized essays in two-to-three weeks! (Within the unit, the students will see Common Core terminology of Informative/Explanatory Writing as opposed to Expository.)

✅ ***NOTE: ALL Presentations & student handouts are editable!

• Presentations are in PPT and Google Slides(TM) format (both formats editable)
• Handouts are in PDF and Google Slides(TM) format (Google Slides format editable)

✅ PLANNING LESSONS

Lesson 1: Brainstorm and Categorize

• Presentation – Planning: Brainstorm & Categorize
• 34 Lesson Content and 5 CCSS slides
• Handouts: Group categorizing activity handouts and Notes and Practice w/answer key

✅ Lesson 2: Make an Outline, Prompt 1

• Presentation – Planning: Make an Outline, Prompt 1
• 57 Lesson Content slides and 5 CCSS slides
• Handouts: Audience and Purpose Notes and Practice w/answer key and Make an Outline, Prompt 1

✅ Lesson 3: Make an Outline, Prompt 2

• Presentation – Planning: Make an Outline, Prompt 2
• 30 Lesson Content slides and 5 CCSS slides
• Handouts: Make an Outline, Prompt 2

✅ Lesson 4: Make an Outline, Prompt 3

• Presentation – Planning: Make an Outline, Prompt 3
• 29 Lesson Content slides and 5 CCSS slides)
• Handouts: Make an Outline, Prompt 3

✅ Lesson 5: Evaluating Outlines

• PowerPoint Presentation – Planning: Evaluating Outlines
• 17 Lesson Content slides (plus 6-slide bonus practice deck) and 5 CCSS slides]
• Handouts: Evaluating Outlines Forms and Practice with answer keys

✅ Lesson 6: Group Application

Student groups practice brainstorming, categorizing, and outlining the same prompt for different audiences. Similarities/differences of completed outlines are presented.

✅ Planning Extras:

• General Topics List
• Seven writing prompts
• Four categorizing practice worksheets
• Peer review, Evaluating Outlines Feedback Form
• Second version of Categorizing Group Activity

✅ DRAFTING LESSONS

✅ Lesson 1: Outlines to Paragraphs

Presentation (60 Lesson Content and 5 CCSS slides)

Handouts (2): Notes and Practice w/answer key

✅ Lesson 2: Relevant Facts

PowerPoint Presentation (30 Lesson Content slides and 5 CCSS slides)

Handouts (2): Notes and Practice w/answer key

✅ Lesson 3: Credible Sources

Presentation (54 Lesson Content slides and 5 CCSS slides)

Handouts (4): Notes (1) and Practice (3) w/answer key

✅ Lesson 4: Paraphrasing and Quoting

Presentation (65 Lesson Content slides and 5 CCSS slides)

Handouts (5): Notes (3) and Practice (2)

✅ Lesson 5: Opening Paragraphs

Presentation, Part I (Intro & Thesis Statements) 28 slides

Presentation, Part II (Hook) 30 slides

Presentation, Part III (Transition to Thesis) 15 slides

Handouts (4): Notes & Practice

✅ Lesson 6: Closing Paragraphs

Presentation, Part I (Intro & Connect to Hook) 20 slides

Presentation, Part II (Restate Thesis & Concluding Statement) 20 slides

Handouts (6): Notes & Practice

✅ Drafting Extras:

Quoting Resource Page: Verbs list

Quoting Resource Page: Prepositional phrase list and Citation website suggestions

A note on expectations:

As the 4th – 8th grade standards suggest, skillful writing is iterative. The beauty of teaching writing is that the basics are the same with levels of sophistication added in each year. I have never found all my students arrive on grade level for any subject – but this is especially true of writing. I have had fifth graders who were far better writers than seventh graders, for example.

Unfortunately, I frequently discover even students who excel in other areas of English Language Arts come to me with writing skills below grade level in writing.

For this reason, my approach every year is to start with the basics and build in layers of sophistication either in varying writing prompts or expectations of the final products. (Some of this will be addressed in an upcoming revising unit.) This is why you find 4th – 8th grade lessons combined. My approach is the same; my expectations of students’ level of sophistication in ideas, vocabulary, and connections drawn between ideas varies, but the approach the writing process does not.

Please let me know if you have any questions that are not answered in the product description and free downloadable previews.

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