Persuasive Letter Topics to Engage Young Writers

Are you looking for an extensive list of persuasive letter topics to spark critical thinking in your upper primary students? Look no further than this set of 24 task cards, designed to inspire your students to write strong and convincing persuasive letters.

This set of persuasive writing essay topics will support your students in developing their persuasive writing skills by encouraging them to take a stance on engaging, age-appropriate topics. Each card presents a real-world scenario, prompting students to construct well-reasoned arguments and justify their opinions in letter format. 

Some of the persuasive letter topics included in this set include:

• Write a letter to persuade your principal to extend recess by 10 minutes each day.
• Write a letter to persuade your parents to let you have a later bedtime on weekends.
• Write a letter to persuade your neighbor to stop playing loud music after 8 pm.
• Write a letter to persuade the mayor to add more parks and playgrounds in your town.
• Write a letter to persuade the local zoo to create more programs to help endangered animals.

This resource downloads as a quick-print PDF or editable Google Slides file

By using these task cards, students will fine-tune their persuasive writing skills while developing confidence in their ability to express their viewpoints effectively.

Persuasive Letter Topics to Spark Meaningful Discussions

While these ideas for persuasive essays have been designed for letter writing, they can be used for other purposes during your persuasive writing unit. Here are some ideas you might like to consider in your planning:

1. Warm-Up Activities – Use a quick persuasive prompt at the start of a lesson to engage students and spark discussion. Have students pick a side of the argument, then brainstorm as many arguments as possible to support that viewpoint.
2. Peer Discussions – Pair students up, then provide each pair with one of the persuasion prompts. Have the pairs discuss all the potential viewpoints as a means of helping them plan ideas for a letter.
3. Whole-Class Debates – Select one of the persuasive writing essay topics and have students select a side. Conduct an informal class debate, allowing students to share their arguments and then have others rebut them.

Download These Great Persuasive Writing Topics

Use the Download button above to select your chosen file format.

To increase the durability of the resource, we recommend printing the cards on cardstock. Place the cards together in a large envelope or ziplock bag for safekeeping.

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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