persuasive articles grade 5

3 Insightful 5th Grade Persuasive Writing Prompts

by Studentreasures | Aug. 24, 2020 | Writing Prompts

As kids progress in their academic and professional careers, they will need to learn how to present opinions to their peers in a mindful and grounded way. Persuasive writing sharpens this skill because it requires the writer to back up their statements with solid evidence to convince the listener or reader of why they should consider their opinion.

Elements of Good Persuasive Writing for 5th Graders

A well-constructed persuasive piece should include a strong introduction, body paragraphs with supporting research and counter-arguments and a conclusion to summarize the author’s viewpoint. Here is a quick list of other things young students should include in their persuasive writing pieces:

Great Persuasive Writing Starts with Solid Research

No persuasive piece is complete without thorough research. It is important that everyone - not just students - use research to support their viewpoint. The internet is an amazing resource for locating statistics, facts, and interesting information that can be used to back up an argument. However, it’s also riddled with false information and misleading articles.

Use persuasive writing lessons and activities as an opportunity to educate kids on simple practices in finding the best facts to back their claims.

Give them this checklist to ensure that they find the right facts to support their argument:

Another important part of persuasive writing is keeping everything organized. Download our free opinion-writing graphic organizer for 4th and 5th graders. This organizer can be printed and makes it much easier to create awesome persuasive writing pieces!

Persuasive writing skills play a significant role in everyday life, whether it’s requesting what a kid wants for lunch or explaining why one presidential candidate is a better choice than another.

Now, sometimes persuasive writing gets a bad rap because kids find it boring, but let’s change that mentality! Use these fun and insightful 5th grade persuasive writing prompts to help build their writing skills and give them an increased appreciation for persuasive writing.

Persuasive Prompt #1: You are running for president. What laws do you want to put in place? Use these laws to convince people to vote for you by making a campaign speech.

This prompt is perfect for your 5th graders, because by now they should understand the primary responsibilities of the president of the United States and have a baseline understanding of how the United States government works.

It also tests their ability to think about big-picture decisions. It’s always interesting to hear a young person’s perspective on public policy and see how their peers react to it.

Kickstart this prompt by having a quick discussion about specific issues in today’s society that your students feel should be addressed. For example, ask them how they feel about the nationwide issues and how those are being handled.

Do they feel that there are enough safety precautions? Do they think that people should be required to wear masks while they are out in public? Do they feel that the federal government should put its foot down and make safety precautions a requirement?

Have them write down their thoughts and ask them what they would do if they were the president of the United States in this situation. This exercise will help get the creative juices flowing for any students who are feeling a little stuck.

After they gather ideas for new laws, they can then brainstorm and research potential solutions to the issues they want to address in their campaign speeches. Have them create three columns on a piece of notebook paper with one labeled “Problems,” another labeled “Solutions,” and a third labeled “Notes.” This helps them organize their thoughts and will be a huge help when they start to craft their speeches.

PROJECT IDEA

Click to view flipbook

Before they start writing, give them a little inspiration by screening a great presidential speech, like John F. Kennedy’s famous “We Choose to Go to the Moon” or Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Then, have your students write their speeches using the idea organizer they made using an active voice and persuasive language.

After your students complete their speeches, have them visualize themselves giving the speech to thousands of people and draw a picture of what they visualized. Then, combine the speeches and illustrations into an awesome classbook . After your classbooks are published, celebrate in presidential style by having your students read their speeches for the class.

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Persuasive prompt #2: your parents have a rule that you don’t agree with. give three reasons why they should change that rule..

We have yet to meet a kid who has to follow a rule at home that they don’t find annoying or flat-out unnecessary. It could be short screen-time, a specific bedtime or the classic make-your-bed-every-morning rule.

No matter what rule they choose to try and have changed, they are absolutely going to love this activity.

First, have the kids come up with a list of rules that they have in their household and rank them from “most annoying” to “least annoying” by using a number system. This will help them figure out which rule they really want to change and help them avoid switching their choice halfway through the activity.

Next, have them think of several reasons why they shouldn’t have to follow that rule anymore and write those reasons down. If they think of more than three reasons, encourage them to choose the ones that will make for the most solid argument - if they really want this rule to change, they will definitely take note of this.

They’ll need facts to back these reasons up, so give them time to do research online. For example, if a later bedtime is the issue in question, they can research how much sleep someone their age needs and use that to support their argument.

After your students come up with their argument and do some research to back it up, have them work with a friend or partner virtually or socially distanced in-person and discuss what they found - this type of discussion may help them come away with a fresh perspective or new points to make in their writing.

After this peer discussion, have them start writing their arguments for the rule change using the persuasive writing skills that they have learned. They can then add an illustration depicting each of the reasons why the rule should change. Then, publish their work into a classbook that they can show their parents and maybe even have the rule that they dislike changed!

If you are a parent home schooling during this time, you can use our online bookmaker Scripsi . Have your child make one section of the book their argument, another how they will feel after the rule change and finally state why the rule would be good to have long-term.

Persuasive Prompt #3: “Make up a new school club and write to persuade other students to join.”

How creative you want the kids to get with this persuasive writing prompt is entirely up to you. They can write solely about practical clubs, such as a photography meetup or a themed book club, or you could experiment with something slightly sillier and allow your students to come up with any kind of club they like, be it a magical gathering for young witches and wizards or a club for talking like pirates !

In either case, the goal for this persuasive prompt is the same—to convince other kids that their club is the best one to join.

In addition to inspiring kids to start exciting new clubs, this persuasive writing prompt also makes for a great publishing project. After writing and editing their work, ask the kids to draw logos or banners to represent their clubs.

Publish their work in a brochure-like classbook to show off each and every one of their great ideas. When the books arrive, you can host a simple and fun virtual publishing party themed as a club fair and have the kids decorate with the various club logos or banners. Ask each of the kids to read their contributions aloud, and discuss (or even vote on!) which clubs they would most like to join.

Practicing 5th Grade Persuasive Writing

Writing persuasively is a learned skill that will benefit your students for years to come. Giving them a set of practices for persuasive writing will follow them throughout the rest of their lives as they continue to create their own opinions and grow as people.

Whether they’re writing to convince friends or family, the more 5th graders practice their persuasive writing, the more effective their writing will become . Publishing their work is an act of persuasion, too.

It helps convince the kids that they are every bit as capable and amazing as you’ve known they were all along, and it demonstrates just how much they can accomplish when they’re truly motivated .

Create a classbook project today to bring your students education and interactivity to the next level!

To find even more creative writing prompts and activities with which to engage your 5th grade students’ imaginations, check out our online teacher’s lounge , and sign up for your free publishing kit today !

Image sources: Lead image via Shutterstock; Images 1 , 2 , 3 via OpenClipart.org

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Persuasive Writing

More writing strategies

Descriptive Writing

Why teach persuasive writing?

As children mature as writers, it's important to give them the opportunity to write using a variety of formats. Persuasive writing helps students formulate specific reasons for their opinions, and provides an opportunity to research facts related to their opinions. As students develop an understanding of how writing can influence or change another's thoughts or actions, they can begin to understand the persuasive nature of the marketing they are exposed to through television, the Internet, and other media.

How to teach persuasive writing

Here's a persuasive letter written by an elementary school student from Crozet, VA:

Watch: Bubble Gum Letters

Create an authentic writing opportunity that motivates students to write persuasive letters to a target audience. See the lesson plan .

This video is published with permission from the Balanced Literacy Diet . See related how-to videos with lesson plans in the Text Structures and Genres section as well as the Writing Processes and Strategies section.

Collect resources

Language arts.

This persuasive writing lesson from ReadWriteThink uses the Beverly Cleary book Emily's Runaway Imagination as the springboard for kids to write letters to a librarian urging the addition of certain titles to the library. A Persuasion Map Planning Sheet guides students through steps similar to what is described above.

This resource shows the lifecycle of writing a persuasive letter to a child's parents about where to vacation for the summer. The PDF begins with the brainstorming, moves through drafting, editing, and publishing of the final letter.

Health/Science

From Writing Fix, here's a speech writing lesson that uses the mentor text Otto Runs for President in conjunction with the RAFT strategy. In this lesson, students assume to the role of a talking fruit or vegetable. Pretending that there's a "Fruit/Vegetable of the Year" election, the students will create a campaign speech that explains why their fruit/veggie is the best candidate for the job.

Differentiated instruction

For second language learners, students of varying reading skill, students with learning disabilities, and younger learners.

See the research that supports this strategy

Wollman-Bonilla, J. (2000). Family message journals: Teaching writing through family involvement . Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Children's books to use with this strategy

Emily's Runaway Imagination

Emily Bartlett lives in an old farmhouse in Pitchfork, Oregon at a time when automobiles are brand-new inventions and libraries are a rare luxury. Can Emily use her lively mind to help bring a library to Pitchfork? ReadWriteThink offers a persuasive writing lesson plan featuring this book.

Otto Runs for President

When Otto runs for school presidency, he must defeat some underhanded techniques used by his opponents. What might convince the students that Otto is the best candidate for the job?

How Oliver Olsen Changed the World

Oliver Olsen learns how to change his own world as the engaging third grader works on a school science project. The telling (third person) is natural and the situations plausible. The story can be retold using transition words to emphasize or identify individuals' favorite (or most memorable) parts.

The Storyteller's Candle

This is the story of librarian Pura Belpré, told through the eyes of two young children who are introduced to the library and its treasures just before Christmas. Lulu Delacre's lovely illustrations evoke New York City at the time of the Great Depression, as well as the close-knit and vibrant Puerto Rican community that was thriving in El Barrio during this time. Bilingual Spanish-English text.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Farmer Brown has his hands full when the cows on his farm get a typewriter. Duck, however, negotiates successfully for all parties in this very funny farm story of very clever animals. Be prepared to talk about typewriters or take a trip to a museum to see one!

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. grew up fascinated by big words. He would later go on to use these words to inspire a nation and call people to action. In this award-winning book, powerful portraits of King show how he used words, not weapons, to fight injustice.

I would also the Duck series (Duck for President) and the Pigeon Series (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus) as books to use!

Thanks for this, it really helped!

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Persuasive Writing Examples and Prompts for Kids

A child enjoying persuasive writing with easy examples.

Is your student stepping into the world of persuasive writing?

As a parent, it’s fun to watch your child learn the art of forming and supporting an argument.

(Plus, it’s a significant step toward critical thinking.)

If they need extra help, here are a few persuasive writing examples for kids along with 20 writing prompts to make it fun!

Why Persuasive Writing Is Important for Elementary Writers

Teaching persuasive writing is important because it’s a fundamental step in helping your child think critically.

By arguing a topic, your student will need to examine both sides, which is an essential component of critical thinking. Persuasive writing also inspires formation of opinion and sharing that opinion effectively.

Students as young as elementary-school age can learn to write persuasively. In fact, we’ll share some quick examples of persuasive essays for kids below.

First, let’s discuss the structure of a “mini” persuasive essay.

(If you have an older student, read our step-by-step guide to writing a persuasive essay .)

A Simplified Structure for Persuasive Writing

Of course, expectations and writing guidelines become more involved for older students, but elementary-aged students should keep it simple.

The basic features of persuasive writing can be broken down into 5 steps:

A topic sentence introduces the argument and clearly expresses the writer’s viewpoint. For a younger child, this is simply a straightforward statement that clearly expresses “this is my opinion.”

The next three steps list “pros” that support their topic statement. Each argument should be distinctly stated.

Again, for an elementary-aged student, arguments can be brief and can simply be a list of reasons.

The concluding statement wraps up by summarizing the arguments and restating the opinion.

If this method of persuasive writing sounds complicated at first, rest assured, it’s not.

Let’s look at how you can easily reinforce this structure for your students, along with some examples.

Homeschool Mom Tip: Use a “Persuasive Text Structure” Poster

One effective method of teaching and reinforcing the persuasive writing model is by using a “persuasive structure” chart or poster.

A visual representation of the steps involved in persuasive writing is important for a few reasons:

One other tip I recommend is breaking up essay-style writing with creative writing assignments. ( Try these one-sentence writing prompts! ).

Kid-Friendly Persuasive Writing Examples

Along with tools like a poster, providing simple examples of persuasive writing is another helpful way to teach this new concept.

Here are a few examples of elementary-level persuasive paragraph examples that will give both you and your student an idea of what to expect.

Example 1: A Persuasive Argument About Cats

Cats are the best pets. They can be left alone all day without getting mad. Cats don’t bark, so they are not noisy like dogs. You don’t have to let cats go outside to use the bathroom. As you can see, cats are less work and easier to take care of than dogs.

Example 2: A Persuasive Argument About Meal Choices

French fries should be served with every meal. First, French fries are delicious. Second, French fries are made of potatoes, which are vegetables, and they can air-fried without oil. Also, French fries don’t cost a lot of money. Because they are tasty, cheap, and can be cooked in a healthy way, French fries a perfect side dish to every meal.

Example 3: A Persuasive Argument Against Littering

You should never litter because it is wrong. Littering pollutes the Earth. Littering is throwing trash around outside, which looks ugly. Littering can also make you sick if it has germs on it. Littering is wrong because it makes the world a dirty, unsanitary place to live.

20 Persuasive Writing Prompts for Kids

When you provide a step-by-step structure and supply examples of what is expected, you set your student up for writing success.

The final step in teaching persuasive writing to kids effectively is to present them with an antidote to the dreaded blank page.

To assist you with that, we’ve come up with 20 persuasive writing topics for your students to make it easier for them to get them started on their persuasive essays.

If they can’t come up with their own topics, one of these prompts should spark their interest.

These ideas for persuasive essays cover a wide variety of topics, so there should be something for everyone.

Plus, since persuasive writing is closely related to debate, you can also use these prompts as persuasive debate topics for kids :

I hope these persuasive texts and prompts for kids are helpful to you!

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to provide a few persuasive paragraph examples for your students to gain inspiration (and eliminate overwhelm).

If your student is entering 6th grade or above , we have a complete course that teaches students to write skillfully, think critically, and speak clearly as they explore the history of ideas! As a bonus in these dark days, Philosophy Adventure also teaches students to discern truth from error:

will your children recognize truth?

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Insightful 5th Grade Persuasive Writing Prompts ...
Practicing 5th Grade Persuasive Writing Writing persuasively is a learned skill that will benefit your students for years to come. Giving them a set of practices for persuasive writing will follow them throughout the rest of their lives as they continue to create their own opinions and grow as people.
Results for 5th grade persuasive text reading passages
by. Chicken Noodle Teacher. 5.0. (33) $3.00. PDF. This resource features a hilarious persuasive letter about a man who wants to wear a butter costume on a Greyhound bus. The passage is followed by ten STAAR-formatted questions aligned to the STAAR fifth grade reading test. After the questions, there is a fun, optional activity related to the ...
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Persuasive Writing | Classroom Strategies | Reading Rockets
Persuasive Writing. Persuasive writing is a form of nonfiction writing that encourages careful word choice, the development of logical arguments, and a cohesive summary. Young children can be guided through a series of simple steps in an effort to develop their persuasive writing skills.
Browse Printable 5th Grade Persuasive Writing Worksheets ...
Students compose a persuasive paragraph stating their opinion, including an introduction, three supporting arguments, and a conclusion, with the help of this worksheet template. 5th grade Reading & Writing
Browse Printable 5th Grade Persuasive Essay Structure ...
5th grade Persuasive Essay Structure Sort by Argument Writing: Parts of an Argument Worksheet Argument Writing: Match the Evidence Worksheet Argument Writing: Counter-Arguments Worksheet Persuasive Writing: Soda Worksheet Journal Writing Task Cards #1 Worksheet Opinion Essay: Mixed Up Essay Worksheet Argument Writing: Parts of an Argument #2
20 Persuasive Writing Examples for Kids - Homeschool Adventure
The basic features of persuasive writing can be broken down into 5 steps: Topic sentence Opening argument 1 Argument 2 Argument 3 Concluding statement A topic sentence introduces the argument and clearly expresses the writer’s viewpoint. For a younger child, this is simply a straightforward statement that clearly expresses “this is my opinion.”
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