9 Opinion & Persuasive Paragraph Prompts - Full Year of Argumentative Writing

Looking for a full year of opinion and persuasive prompts? Nine argumentative writing projects include lesson plans, graphic organizers, editing checklists, rubrics, and more. Imagine how well your third and fourth grade students will write when they've practiced every month!

Open the previews to get a better look at all resources.

Activities focus on proven argumentative writing strategies:

• Use a strong organizational structure that lists reasons; support reasons with relevant facts and details.
• Open with a good beginning. End a persuasive piece with a call to action and an opinion composition by restating the opinion in different words.
• Write persuasive paragraphs in second person (you) and opinion in first person (I, me).
• Link ideas with a variety of transition terms.
• Use specific nouns and active verbs.
• Vary sentence beginnings and types.

Each project was designed to scaffold learning. Therefore, you can differentiate using different pages. Additionally, you can add skills and criteria as the year progresses.

For each prompt, third and fourth grade kids tackle a different paragraph:

• September: You Should Try It! – Persuade your peers to try an activity you enjoy.
• October/Halloween – Convince the teacher to wear a costume.
• November/Veteran's Day - National Anthem – Compose an opinion piece that tells which song should be the anthem.
• December/Christmas - Hire Me, Santa – Apply for a job as an elf.
• January/Winter - Snow Day – Talk the principal into giving you a snow day.
• February/Groundhog Day – Convince Punxsutawney Phil to see (or not see) his shadow.
• March/St. Patrick’s Day – Talk a leprechaun into giving you the gold at the end of the rainbow.
• April/School Library Month – Persuade others to vote for a book character for president.
• May - Home or School? – Argue whether it’s better to learn in the classroom or virtually.

You will also receive a video and a bonus file:

• A circus-themed video explains strategies for strengthening writing. Anchor charts and organizers are also included.
• A bonus file provides helpful links, as well as generic lesson plans, organizers, checklists, and rubrics to complete your writing unit.

Your students will love these writing projects, and so will you!

• Engaging, relevant, and seasonal prompts motivate kids to write.
• Activities address the intent of your standards (and sub-standards). For example, if you teach CCSS W.3.1 or W.4.1, TEKS LA.3.12.C or LA.4.12.C, or Virginia SOL.3.8.a or 4.7a, you can rest assured that students will practice not only argumentative writing, but also prewriting, organization, opinion-based topic sentences and fact-based detail sentences, elaboration, word choice, transitions, sentence variety, and revision.
• Through proven strategies, scaffolded activities, and plenty of practice, your students' writing will shine (and so will your test scores).

Each prompt is included as a printable PDF and shareable Easel Activities. Some are also included as editable Google Slides.

If your class is like mine, some students are ready to write longer compositions. To address their needs, check out the parallel five-paragraph bundle.

Enjoy teaching argumentative writing!

Brenda Kovich