An important component of teaching students how to write a persuasive essay is to teach them the formula.
The Cracking the ABC Code Writing Persuasively and Introduction to Writing Persuasively books provide a systematic, structured strategy for teaching this formula.
As a part of this process, students (especially those with poor working memories) need lots of practise in remembering the formula. One of the strategies I use is to begin each lesson with a ‘crazy topic’ and together we work our way through the components of the formula the student has learned to date using the ‘crazy topic’ to apply each component of the formula.[divider]
List of Crazy Topics
Everyone should dye their hair green.
All books should be burned.
No tree should ever be cut down.
Houses should not have windows.
Children should be allowed to stay up all night.
Boys should wear dresses.
Children should have to do all the cooking and cleaning.
No-one should be allowed to wear shoes.
Houses should not be allowed to have electric lights.
We should sleep during the day and be awake at night.
Music and dancing should be banned.
Children should drink beer instead of milk.
Everyone should shave their head.
Everyone should have to wear the same clothes all the time.
Children should never be punished.
We should only sing not talk.
Giving presents should be banned.
It should be summer all year round.
Children should have a television in their bedroom.
Everyone should have to grow their own food.
Cats and dogs should have to wear clothes.
Every house should have a robot.
Children should not live with their parents.
Parents should be punished if their children are naughty.
All sport should be banned.
Sugar, chocolates and other sweet food should be banned.
We should never have holidays.
No-one should be allowed to have a friend.
You should never tell the truth.
Children should have lesson in how to lie.
Having three arms is better than having three legs.
**You could also use proverbs as your topic.