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Writing a persuasive speech about supporting Victorian children

Lesson details

Learning outcome

I can identify how language and structural devices have been used to make a speech powerful.

Key learning points

  1. Emotive language requires you to select the sensitivity of your words to elicit specific emotions from the audience.
  2. Excellent rhetorical questions use emotive language to enhance the complexity of the question.
  3. Great rhetorical questions should use direct address subtly, avoiding overuse of ‘you’.
  4. Anaphora is a useful tool is structuring persuasive writing.

Keywords

  • Corrupt - one meaning of corrupt is to make changes or alterations to something.

  • Drudgery - drudgery means boring, menial work.

  • Guileless - if you are an innocent person, you can be described as being guileless.

  • Unscrupulous - an unscrupulous person has no morals or principles.

  • Humanity - to act with humanity means to be humane and kind.

Common misconception

"You" is the only form of direct address when addressing a reader/audience.

When teaching the over reliance on direct address, rapidly fire questions to one pupil, addressing them as 'you'. Ask them how this feels.

Teacher tip

Have a list of terms you use to address the room, that don't include the word 'you.' Be prepared to share these to illustrate how direct address can be used without isolating the audience.

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
(Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is a synonym for happy?

Correct answer: Ecstatic
Cross
Nervous

Q2.
Which of the following is a synonym for angry?

Satisfied
Correct answer: Furious
Concerned

Q3.
Which of the following is a synonym for nervous?

Delighted
Irritable
Correct answer: Anxious

Q4.
Which of the following is a rhetorical question?

What is the capital of Cuba?
How many students are there in the class?
Correct answer: Do you really think that this behaviour is appropriate?

Q5.
language is a rhetorical device which means selecting stronger language choices to gain a specific emotional response from an audience.

Correct Answer: Emotive, emotive

Q6.
Which are the two correct definitions of humanity?

Correct answer: It is a noun that collectively describes the human race.
It is an adjective that means to behave nicely towards each other.
Correct answer: It is a noun that describes the qualities that make us human, like compassion.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which answer can be selected to replace the word in bold, to create the greatest sense of urgency: Oskar ran home as fast as he could.

Jogged
Correct answer: Sprinted
Rushed

Q2.
Which word is the most emotive replacement for the word in bold: Samia smiled at the news.

Smirked
Grinned
Correct answer: Beamed

Q3.
Which word describes a person with no morals or principles?

Drudgery
Guileless
Correct answer: Unscrupulous

Q4.
The structural device which refers to the repetition of the same word or phrase at the start of a number of clauses is called ?

Correct Answer: anaphora, Anaphora

Q5.
Which of the following rhetorical questions uses direct address in the least subtle way?

Correct answer: Would you let this to happen to your child?
Should we let this happen to our children?
As leaders of this great nation, should we let this happen to our children?

Q6.
Which of the following avoids using pronouns when using direct address, to create a subtle rhetorical question?

Do you think this is acceptable?
Should we find this acceptable?
Correct answer: Should our great nation find this acceptable?

To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Writing a persuasive speech about supporting Victorian children, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...