Persuasive Essay: 4th Grade


 

Objective:  Write an organized and logical 130 word persuasive essay to explain your view and opinion on a given topic.

 

Process:

1) Choose one of the topics below to write about.  

2) Start a Microsoft Word document.  Save it as yourname.room#.persuasive essay.

3) Choose a title for your essay.

4) Follow all rules for Word Processing when typing your document.

5) Use the rubric below to make sure you are completing the essay correctly.

 

Rubric


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Focus

8 pts

 

Essay has a focus throughout. Essay mostly has a focus throughout. Essay sometimes loses focus. Essay does not have a focus.

Organization

 

8 pts

Essay has a clear introduction, body and conclusion. Essay has an introduction, body and conclusion, though not always clear. Essay is missing an introduction, body or conclusion. Essay is missing two of the following: an introduction, a body or conclusion.

Grammar

4 pts

Essay has no grammatical mistakes. Essay has 1-2 grammatical mistakes. Essay has 3-4 grammatical mistakes. Essay has more than 4 grammatical mistakes.

Effectiveness

 

4 pts

Essay makes an effective argument. Essay makes a mostly effective argument. Essay does not make an effective argument. Essay does not make an argument.

Length

 

4 pts

Essay has more than 130 words. Essay has 128-130 words. Essay has 120-127 words. Essay has fewer than 120 words.

Completes Assignment Requirements

 

4 pts

Essay has more than two reasons to support the position. Essay has two reasons to support the position. Essay has fewer than two reasons to support the position. Essay has no reasons to support the position.

 

Essay topics

 

1.) Improve Your School:  The local school committee is looking for ways to improve your school.  The ideas will be discussed during meetings with students, teachers, parents, administrators and other interested parties.  The changes proposed by students will be seriously considered since the students are the reason for the school's existence.  Choose one change that might improve your school for all students.  Write a persuasive essay explaining why your suggested change is an improvement. Give at least two reasons to support your suggestion.

 

2.) School Uniforms:  Write a persuasive essay stating whether or not the students at your school should be required to wear uniforms to school.  Give at least two reasons to support your position.  Remember, you must argue in such a convincing way that others will agree with you.

 

3.)  Censorship:  Write a persuasive essay stating whether certain television programs that are considered to be unsuitable should be censored for children under 16 in your community.  Give at least two reasons to support your position.

 

4.) Field Trips:  In order to save money, your principal is thinking about canceling all field trips for the remainder of the year!  Write a letter to your principal persuading him or her to allow students to continue attending field trips.  Give at least two reasons to support your position.

 

5.) Litter:  A litter problem has developed on your school's campus.  Students are throwing trash on the ground, leaving empty soda cans and bottles outside, and dropping napkins or other trash on the floor in the cafeteria rather than carrying them to the trash can.  Your principal has asked students to take more care, but the litter problem still persists.  The principal has reacted by cancelling all after school activites and pizza parties.  What is your position on this issue?  Write a letter to your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with two convincing reasons.

 

 

Example of a Persuasive Essay

 

Put the Essay in Order