Activity Introduction
Quick summary: In this lesson, students will learn about the paper recycling loop and the impact that choosing recycled products can have. Students will complete a persuasive writing task based on factual stimulus material. It focuses specifically on persuasive writing structure while also providing the opportunity to practise broader writing skills. This lesson is designed to provide valuable practise for NAPLAN, the national literacy and numeracy test held in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9*.
This lesson has been developed as part of Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week, which aims to raise awareness around the benefits of using recycled products, including paper. Take part in the Schools Recycling Right Challenge for Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week. Register your lesson or other activities today!
Learning intentions:
- Students understand how and why to close the paper recycling loop.
- Students use suitable structure to create an effective persuasive writing piece.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 3 English:
- Understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of written texts (ACELA1479)
- Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose (ACELY1682)
Year 4 English:
- Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features (ACELY1694)
Syllabus outcomes: EN2-9B, EN2-2A.
General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.3.
Relevant parts of Year 3 achievement standards: Students understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas. They understand how language can be used to express feelings and opinions on topics. Their texts include writing and images to express and develop, in some detail, experiences, events, information, ideas and characters. Students create a range of texts for familiar and unfamiliar audiences. They demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing.
Relevant parts of Year 4 achievement standards: Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context.
Topic: Persuasive Writing
Unit of work: National Recycling Week – Primary
Time required: 120 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – students who have difficulty with writing tasks set for Year 3 and 4 standard will require support for this task.
Resources required: Student worksheets – one per student (printed). Projector with sound to view video. If possible, use recycled paper to print worksheets on and save any discarded paper to re-use in other classroom activities.
Keywords: Planet Ark, recycling, recycling loop, persuasive, text structure, paragraphs, opinion.
*This lesson plan is not an officially endorsed publication of NAPLAN’s creators and administrators – the ACARA body – but is designed to provide practise for the Australian Curriculum’s compulsory NAPLAN testing scheme.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
