Reading for Writer’s Purpose to Persuade, Inform and Convince for JSS 2

Class: JSS 2
Term: First Term
Week: 2
Age: 13 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Reading Comprehension
Previous Lesson: Short Stories and Novelettes on Climate Change
Topic: Reading
Subject Matter: Understanding the writer’s purpose to persuade, inform, convince

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Define what is meant by a writer’s purpose.
• Identify the three main purposes of a writer: to persuade, inform, and convince.
• Distinguish between passages written to persuade, inform, or convince.
• Identify keywords and techniques writers use to persuade.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of understanding a writer’s purpose for critical reading.
• Develop an interest in analyzing different types of texts.

Psychomotor Domain

• Read selected passages and identify the writer’s purpose.
• Point out specific words or phrases that indicate the writer’s intention.
• Present their findings on the writer’s purpose in a given passage.

Social Domain

• Collaborate effectively in groups to analyze passages.
• Engage in constructive discussions about different interpretations of a writer’s purpose.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable English Language textbook for JSS 2
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Selected passages from textbooks, stories, newspaper cuttings, magazines, poems, advertisements, and public announcements.
• Whiteboard and markers or chalkboard and chalk.
• Charts displaying examples of persuasive, informative, and convincing statements.

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding a writer’s purpose is a fundamental skill for effective reading and critical thinking. This lesson helps students move beyond simply reading words to comprehending the author’s underlying intentions. It equips them to evaluate information, recognize bias, and become more discerning consumers of written content, which is essential for academic success and everyday life.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students have basic reading comprehension skills and can understand the literal meaning of simple texts.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Reading: Understanding the Writer’s Purpose to Persuade, Inform, Convince

What is a Writer’s Purpose?

A writer’s purpose is the main reason why an author writes a particular piece of text. It is what the writer wants the reader to do, think, or feel after reading the text.

Types of Writer’s Purpose

Writers generally have three main purposes when they write:

1. To Persuade: The writer aims to convince the reader to agree with their opinion, take a specific action, or believe in a certain idea.
2. To Inform: The writer aims to provide facts, details, and explanations about a topic, event, or concept without expressing personal opinions.
3. To Convince: The writer aims to make the reader believe in the truth or validity of a statement or argument, often by presenting evidence and logical reasoning.

Focus on Purpose to Persuade

When a writer’s purpose is to persuade, they want to influence the reader’s thoughts or actions. They often try to get the reader to:

1. Agree with their point of view.
2. Buy a product or service.
3. Support a cause or idea.
4. Change their mind about something.

Characteristics of Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing often includes:

1. Opinions: The writer’s personal beliefs and feelings.
2. Emotional language: Words chosen to evoke feelings in the reader (e.g., “amazing,” “terrible,” “urgent”).
3. Rhetorical questions: Questions asked to make a point, not to get an answer.
4. Repetition: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.
5. Exaggeration: Making things seem better or worse than they are.
6. Calls to action: Direct instructions for the reader to do something (e.g., “Vote now!”, “Buy today!”).

Keywords and Phrases for Persuasion

Look out for words and phrases such as:

1. “You should,” “You must,” “It is essential that…”
2. “Clearly,” “Undoubtedly,” “Without a doubt…”
3. “Best,” “Worst,” “Amazing,” “Terrible,” “Incredible…”
4. “Join us,” “Support this cause,” “Act now!”
5. Words that appeal to emotions like “fear,” “hope,” “love,” “anger.”

Purpose to Inform

Informative writing presents facts, statistics, and objective details. It answers questions like “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how.” Examples include news articles, textbooks, and encyclopedias.

Purpose to Convince

Convincing writing uses logic, evidence, and reasoning to establish the truth of a claim. It aims to build belief based on facts and sound arguments. While similar to persuasion, convincing focuses more on intellectual assent rather than emotional appeal or action.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Guided Practice, Group Work, Individual Practice.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks students why people read different types of texts (e.g., news, stories, advertisements). The teacher then explains that just as readers have reasons for reading, writers also have reasons for writing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and share their reasons for reading.

Learning Point: Reasons for reading and writing

Step 2: Explanation of Writer’s Purpose

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher defines writer’s purpose and introduces the three main purposes: to persuade, to inform, and to convince, giving a brief example for each. The teacher writes these on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, ask clarifying questions, and note down the definitions and types.

Learning Point: Definition and types of purpose

Step 3: Focus on Purpose to Persuade

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Detailed Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher elaborates on the purpose to persuade, explaining what a writer aims to achieve when persuading. The teacher provides examples of persuasive texts (e.g., advertisements, political speeches) and discusses the characteristics of persuasive writing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, contribute examples, and identify characteristics of persuasive writing from the teacher’s examples.

Learning Point: Characteristics of persuasion

Step 4: Identifying Persuasive Techniques

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Identification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses common keywords and techniques (e.g., emotional language, rhetorical questions, calls to action) writers use to persuade. The teacher shows short example sentences and asks students to identify the persuasive elements.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify keywords and techniques in example sentences and explain how they contribute to persuasion.

Learning Point: Persuasive techniques and keywords

Step 5: Guided Reading and Identification

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents a selected short passage (e.g., an advertisement or an opinion piece). The teacher reads it aloud and then guides students through questions and prompting to identify the writer’s purpose and the keywords that reveal it.

Pupils’ Activity: Students read the passage, answer questions, and point out specific words or phrases that indicate the writer’s persuasive intention.

Learning Point: Identifying persuasive purpose

Step 6: Group Activity

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Collaborative Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides students into small groups and gives each group a different short passage (some persuasive, some informative, some convincing). Students are to read their passage, identify the writer’s purpose, and highlight keywords. One member from each group will present their findings.

Pupils’ Activity: Students work in groups, read their assigned passages, identify the purpose, and prepare for a short presentation.

Learning Point: Group analysis and presentation

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is the main reason a writer writes?
2. Mention three purposes a writer might have.
3. How can you tell if a writer’s purpose is to persuade?
4. Give an example of a text whose purpose is to persuade.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding writer’s purpose

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on writer’s purpose and persuasion into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson information

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds students that understanding a writer’s purpose helps them read more critically and understand messages better. The teacher encourages them to always think about “why” a writer wrote something.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and reflect on the importance of the lesson.

Learning Point: Critical reading reinforcement

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Read the following passages and identify the writer’s purpose (to persuade, inform, or convince). Write down at least two keywords or phrases from each passage that helped you determine the purpose.

1. A short newspaper report about a local event.
2. An advertisement for a new brand of soft drink.
3. A paragraph from a science textbook explaining photosynthesis.
4. A short opinion piece arguing for the importance of recycling.
5. A statement from a lawyer presenting evidence to prove a client’s innocence.

Lesson Keywords

• Purpose – The reason for which something is done or created.
• Persuade – To cause someone to do something through reasoning or argument.
• Inform – To give facts or information.
• Convince – To cause someone to believe firmly in the truth of something.
• Opinion – A belief or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
• Facts – Information that is true or demonstrable.
• Argument – A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

Differentiation

For students who struggle, provide simpler, shorter passages with very obvious persuasive elements and guide them directly to keywords. For advanced learners, challenge them with more complex passages that blend purposes or require deeper analysis of subtle persuasive techniques, asking them to explain the effectiveness of the techniques used.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for: writer’s purpose persuade inform convince JSS2

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, select a variety of short, appropriate passages that clearly demonstrate the different writer’s purposes, with a strong emphasis on persuasion. Ensure these passages are suitable for JSS 2 reading levels. During the lesson, actively engage students by asking open-ended questions and encouraging them to explain their reasoning for identifying a particular purpose. Pay close attention during group activities to ensure all students are participating and understanding. When students are copying notes in Step 8, circulate to check their work and address any immediate misconceptions. Emphasize that understanding purpose is a skill that improves with practice, and encourage students to apply it to their everyday reading.