Teaching Persuasive Writing in High School

Teaching Persuasive Writing in High SchoolThose who teach persuasive writing in high school, or who have taught it before, know that the most important parts of teaching persuasive writing are verbal communications and body language. Teachers usually use words like 'seductive,' 'hypnotic,' and 'bluffing' when describing persuasive writing. But many students do not always understand how persuasive writing is different from normal writing, or how persuasive communication differs from verbal communication.One way to teach persuasive writing in high school is to focus on how the written communication is perceived by the students. Consider a situation where a student writes about an exam that they failed in an essay. Even if the student uses bolding, italics, and quotes to describe their poor performance, the student is still perceived as dishonest by the other students in the class. So the teacher will want to explain to the students why the student is perceived this way, and what the st udent can do to change the perception so that he or she is seen differently.There are many ways to go about teaching persuasive communication. In some cases, the teacher may want to read students a paragraph or two, or ask them to describe a specific situation, and explain how the language they use, how they state their argument, and their body language could be interpreted in a different way. The first lesson in effective persuasion is about how to become aware of your own body language and voice when you are talking to other people. This can help students to write persuasively even if they are not very good at verbal communication.One way to teach persuasive writing in high school is to start with simple scenarios. Describe how the student's arguments were received, and how it affected the class. Then ask students to try their own arguments and scenarios. Then let the students see how the other students are responding to different persuasive messages, and then ask them to respond in the same manner.Students will most likely feel overwhelmed by this concept, but it will be easier to teach persuasive writing in high school if students realize how this is different from all other forms of writing. To illustrate, explain to the students that sentences are like shots of liquor in a bar. If the shots of liquor are in shot glasses, the student who has the shot of liquor is more likely to drink it.Also, explain to the students that when a person drinks the shot of liquor, he or she will feel lighter and less tired, will seem more energetic, and may notice that he or she is more productive after taking the shot of liquor. Students should be encouraged to take shots of liquor, to write persuasive essays, and to study persuasive communication. Students who feel more inspired by persuasive messages and have a clearer picture of how persuasive writing is different from regular writing, will be better able to persuade the class.Another way to teach persuasive communicatio ns in high school is to encourage students to practice their skill at persuasive writing. Encourage students to write persuasive essays, especially if they are less confident in their own abilities. Encourage students to create persuasive essays based on stereotypes, or to use psychological factors as a basis for their arguments. Ask the students to focus on what the other students perceive as the reason why they are perceived this way and how to change the perception to the teacher's advantage.Writing persuasive communications is an important part of being a leader, and it is one of the easiest things to teach students in a school setting. Whether it is in a freshman seminar or in a junior seminar, persuasive communication is part of the academic curriculum for most schools.