Persuasive Text - Stage 4 Comp - Persuasive Letter - Comprehension Pack.pdf

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Persuasive Texts Text focus: Letter Persuasive Letter Dear Mr Drummond, We, the children of year 4, are writing to request a class pet. We believe that this...

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Persuasive Texts Text focus: Letter Persuasive Letter Dear Mr Drummond, We, the children of year 4, are writing to request a class pet. We believe that this would help us learn and would also encourage us to take more responsibility. In addition, it would make us calmer and happier in school. We know you have some concerns, but as you will see, with a little bit of thought and planning, there is really nothing to worry about. Our first argument is that having a class pet gives us lots of new opportunities to learn. We will need to find out all about our animal to make sure we look after them properly. We will have to read all about pets and that will help us practise our reading. We will need to research pet care and find out all the things our animal needs to grow and thrive. Isn’t that a pretty good way of developing our scientific knowledge? We could find out about where they come from and learn about a new part of the world. That would give us a chance to study geography. We will need to weigh the food carefully to make sure they get the right amount which will help us practice our maths. Finally, we might feel inspired to write stories, articles or leaflets about our pet and we all know how you love to get us writing more! In addition to these educational lessons, we will learn another very important lesson: how to take responsibility and care for another living thing. Our class pet will be dependent on us to feed it and make sure it has enough water. We will need to clean its cage and make sure it has enough bedding. I know you are worried that you will end up doing it all yourself, but we have already made a rota. We will take turns doing different jobs. You won’t have to lift a finger! We will do it all and it will mean we will be developing reliability, commitment and consistency. Our final point is that a class pet could help us feel happier at school. Did you know that stroking an animal can make people feel more calm and peaceful? Even watching a fish swim around a tank can be soothing. all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com Sometimes, we feel a bit stressed or worried and a pet would be a great way for us to overcome this. Having an animal will also be comforting if we feel sad or lonely or if we’ve had an argument with our friends or are not feeling well. It could even help you, Mr Drummond, when you are feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all that marking! To sum up, a class pet would help us all educationally and emotionally. We hope you will give careful thought to our arguments and agree to our request. Yours Sincerely, Year 4 EXPLANATION FOCUS 1. Find the formal synonyms which have been used for the following informal words: ask for worries chances 2. Find and copy an example of more informal language. 3. Find and copy a rhetorical question. 4. What phrases have been used to organise the arguments? 5. Which argument do you think Mr Drummond will find most persuasive. Why? VIPERS QUESTIONS R What do the class think will be a good activity to practise their maths? V What does thrive mean? S Using the text, summarise the different jobs which will need to go on the class rota? V ‘Having an animal will also be comforting’ Can you find a different word in the same paragraph which is close in meaning to comforting? I Which word suggests Mr Drummond doesn’t enjoy marking? all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com