Award-winning persuasive student writing samples

Every time we turn on our TV or scroll through our phones, we’re surrounded by examples of persuasive writing. Advertisements trying to sell us the latest gadgets, politicians debating the big issues or charities seeking donations. Understanding how persuasive writing techniques work and how to use them is an essential lifelong skill.

Persuasive student writing samples

One of the best ways to learn a new skill is to see examples. Use these persuasive student writing samples to model the Seven Steps techniques when introducing a new Step.

These amazing texts and many more have been published in our latest edition of the Persuasive Writing Manual.

Step 2: Sizzling Starts

Topic: Our school needs an upgrade

Sunnydale Primary School is a small school in Fullarton with the motto, ‘Rise and Shine’. Well Sunnydale, it’s time for you to rise and shine and improve the school-grounds for the students of our school. We have a grass patch for an oval, rusty old junk for a playground and absolutely not enough space for learning. If our school is expanded with better equipment there will be no need for longer lunches. Plus, girls and boys can deal with their differences. Our school, or should I say shoebox, has to be updated.

Step 5: Show, Don’t Tell
(One is powerful)

Topic: Deforestation

Dear humans, my name is Oaks Orangutan. I know your natural resources come from our trees, but we need our trees too. That is where we live. You careless humans only want money, but do you care about my home? No. Minute after minute, rainforests the size of football fields are demolished, destroying my beloved home. The Amazon, the Congo, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Madagascar are home to so many of my fellow orangutans as well as millions of other animals. When forests are cut down, we all lose our homes.

‘Rainforests Are Important’ is about my beloved rainforest home being destroyed and how and why you should help. I know I am an orangutan and I know you think I’m dumb, but this is a serious situation because our treetop homes are disappearing at a rapid rate. You need to stop and help, after all if everyone says ‘someone else can do it’, it’s never going to happen. So, recycle, reuse and reduce to save my home.

Step 5: Show, Don’t Tell
(Paint a word picture)

Topic: Deforestation

Imagine you are in a beautiful rainforest, surrounded by large trees filled with different coloured birds, butterflies fluttering their wings and many amazing flowers. Suddenly you hear a bulldozer and a chainsaw chops down trees one by one. The sound makes your ears hurt. The last tree falls. This is deforestation.

Putting It All Together

See how Anya and Thomas tackled the persuasive topic ‘Books are better than TV’.
These full pieces of persuasive writing showcase how to use all of the Seven Steps techniques to persuade and engage the reader. Check out these persuasive student writing samples:

To see the marks and comments on these full texts, check out the Putting It All Together chapter in the Persuasive Writing Manual.

Seven Steps Persuasive Writing Manual

Are you ready to transform your students into masters of persuasion?