Archives, October - November 2000

The Impossible Job Application

For the last 2 years certain individuals have been applying for the job of United States President and this nation has been conducting perhaps the longest job interview in history. Now that it is almost over perhaps we can use this election as a model for the kind of persuasive writing we all do in real life: The Job Application. Here are some ideas for teaching persuasive detail.

K-2 How Santa Got His Job

Read the book How Santa Got his Job by Stephen Krensky Simon and Schuster

The book shows all the experiences in the past that lead to Santa’s present day perfect job. For example, Krensky shows us Santa a Postal worker stuck in traffic who decides it best to deliver packages after midnight. That job didn’t last long.

One writing assignment would be to make up other past job experiences for Santa and create a resume. Show students your resume and explain it to them.

Another spinoff would be to ask your students brainstorm a list of jobs they might like to do someday and come up with experiences they have had that might quality them. Write your own resume as a picture book with an experience for each page.

Why I should be President? (Opinion and Fact)

Talk to your students about the presidential debates and recent election. What were the issues expressed by the candidates and how did they express them so that you would vote for them. If you were running for president what would be your issues. How would you express them?

Write a speech that is all opinion and share it with students. For example:

I should be president because I am very smart and kind and most people like me. I also will work well with many types of people and bring about world peace etc…

Ask your students about what they think of this speech in terms of persuasive ability. Talk about adding facts to back of the opinions. For example. "For years I got straight A’s in school and there was once a kid who nobody liked at school and I made friends with him and introduced him to other kids and today everyone likes him."

Ask students to write their own campaign speeches and revise them by getting in pairs and reading them to each other and finding places to add fact and cut opinion.

9-12

A Chicken In Every Pot--- Audience and Persuasive Detail

During the great depression Franklin Delano Rooseveldt , arguably the most popular president in American history, said he would "put a chicken in every pot". He knew he was talking to hungry people and his words have lived on till this day. Politicians, more than any other group of writers must know their audience. Here is a fun writing activity to pass this on to your students.

You are running for president and like most candidates you are visiting many places each day and delivering speeches. You are going to give speeches that speak directly to the group you are visiting.
Brainstorm a list with your class of all the groups you will be visiting.

Senior citizens children, parents, labor unions, business leaders, teachers etc

3) Now pick 2 very different groups and write speeches tailored for each group. Encourage your students to have fun and even exaggerate a bit. For example, To kids : If I were elected we would all eat candy for breakfast whenever we wanted and if our tummies feel a bit shaky well, that’s our own problem. To Parents: If I were elected all children would eat only the most nutritious foods like liver and spinach. This country was founded on good nutrition. It was Thomas Jefferson who said, " All men our created equal as long as they eat right!"

Perform the speeches.