Persuasive Writing Activity - Persuasive Techniques and Appeals Business Pitch

In this real-world-inspired persuasive writing activity, students become entrepreneurs competing to secure one million dollars in funding for a unique new invention! Before developing their pitches, the included presentation teaches students how to write for a specific audience, create strong hooks and claims, use persuasive language and reasoning, apply ethos, pathos, and logos, address potential objections, and end with a strong call to action. Then, it’s time to pitch! Each team receives one of six creative and funny products, such as an Automatic Pet Translator, Edible Notebook Paper, or a Dream Recorder, and works collaboratively to plan and write a convincing business pitch. Teams use their persuasive writing skills and rehearse their pitches before presenting them to the class and making their case for why their invention deserves the million-dollar investment.

This is included in a full-year program:
→ The ELA Games Program

Included in This Persuasive Writing Activity and Lesson:

➡️ Persuasive Writing Activity Teacher Instructions: A detailed teacher guide provides everything you need to successfully run the activity in your classroom. It includes clear step-by-step instructions, an overview of how the activity works, guidance for leading students through each stage of the challenge, and details for completing the lesson from start to finish.

➡️ Persuasive Writing Activity Presentation Slides: Use the 27-slide PowerPoint presentation to guide your lesson on persuasive writing and prepare students to create a convincing business pitch. The presentation introduces audience, hooks, claims and reasoning, persuasive language, ethos, pathos, logos, addressing objections, and strong conclusions. Also included are examples, a real-world pitch video, challenge instructions, planning guidance, and prompts for assessing the final pitches.

➡️ 6 Invention Cards: Each team receives one of six colorful invention cards featuring creative inventions like an Automatic Pet Translator, Edible Notebook Paper, Self-Completing Chores, Remote-Controlled Sibling, Speedy Sneakers, or Dream Recorder. These unusual products give students a starting point for developing an original argument about why their invention deserves the million-dollar investment.

➡️ Business Pitch Plan Organizer: Students use the included organizer to develop their invention and plan a convincing argument. Teams brainstorm the problem their product solves, how it works, its benefits, why investors should support it, possible concerns, and a strong call to action before turning their ideas into a complete persuasive pitch.

➡️ Persuasive Pitch Good Copy Writing Templates: After planning their ideas, students use the included writing page templates to create their final business pitch. Teams write with their audience of investors in mind, using an engaging hook, a clear claim, strong reasons, persuasive language, and a memorable conclusion before rehearsing and presenting their pitch to the class.

If you like this persuasive writing activity, you’ll love this resource:
→ A Year of English Bell Ringers

© Presto Plans

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