Should the Art of Persuasion Be Taught to Middle School Students

Every writing unit should starting time with mentor texts. Students need many examples of the type of writing we expect them to do. In this commodity, I've compiled my favorite middle schoolhouse mentor texts. Each mentor text includes grade levels, a summary of the text and skills you could teach.

Annotation: This commodity doesn't cover how to teach using mentor texts. Read how to apply mentor texts here.

Help make this commodity a more powerful resource for teachers by sharing your favorite mentor texts in the comments at the end.

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Personal Narrative

Personal narratives are short stories about one important event in a person's life. When I teach personal narrative, students often complain that their lives are ho-hum, that cypher substantial or worth writing about has ever happened to them. I remind these students that narrative is just another discussion for story and requite them permission to embellish and make parts upward. Students exhale a sigh of relief when I tell them this. Mentor texts can also help students become ideas.

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11past Sandra Cisneros
Best for 6th Form

It'southward Rachel'due south eleventh birthday but she doesn't feel eleven. On this day she feels more than like 1. Her insensitive teacher wants to detect the possessor of a red sweater that's been sitting in the coatroom for a very, very long time. No one in Rachel's course wants to merits it. When Rachel is accused she doesn't speak up for herself. The following writing skills are beautifully done in this short story:

• Descriptive Language
• Figurative Language
• Inner Thinking
• Repetition

Everything Will be Okayby James Howe
Appropriate for Grades 6-viii (very sad though)

James finds a sick kitten in the woods and tells the kitten everything will be okay. He takes it home hoping his his family will aid. His mother says, "we'll see…". His brother Paul, who works for Dr. Milk, comes home and knows what to exercise. They drive the sickly kitten over to the vet's part and the scenes that follow are heart wrenching. This story flows back and along between the events of this twenty-four hours and memories involving James's family. These components of narrative writing stand out about in the story:

• Building Tension
• Graphic symbol Development
• Past and Nowadays Transitions
• Theme

First French Kiss by Adam Bagdasarian
All-time for 8th Class

Will is in sixth course and invited to Maggie's party. He and Maggie take been exchanging notes in class. She confessed she liked him ameliorate than two other boys. Will gets set up for the party and has high hopes for the night. He and Maggie slow dance and afterward Will gets pressure from his friends to french buss Maggie. When I read this story out loud to my students they are anything but disengaged. This story is related in so many ways. The following writing skills could easily be taught using this mentor text:

• Conflict
• Dialogue
• Inner Thinking
• Past and Present Transitions

Out of Bounds past Amanda Werner
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

My married man and I lived in Table salt Lake City, Utah for five years and bought flavour ski passes every year nosotros were in that location. Nosotros spent well-nigh weekends in the Wasatch mountains skiing the greatest snowfall on World. As fantastic equally this sounds, things went very wrong 1 twenty-four hour period. Erik, my husband wanted to ski out of bounds. Nosotros'd washed so before and nothing had gone wrong but every fourth dimension we did it I struggled with a decision, follow my husband out of bounds or stick to the groomers. On this solar day, I chose to follow and things went seriously incorrect. The following writing skills could be taught using this curt story:

• Character Development
• Dialogue
• Flashback
• Inner Thinking

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Memoir

What's the divergence between memoir and personal narrative? Memoirs are commonly centered on a time menses in a person's life, or a theme, whereas personal narratives are about one important event. The memoirs below are powerful stories about facing both modest issues and huge. Your students will find connections and ideas from reading these:

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Fish Cheekspast Amy Tan
All-time for 8th Course

Amy Tan is in dearest at the age of 14 with a boy named Robert. He doesn't know it. To her horror, his family is invited over to dinner for Thanksgiving. Amy is mortified by her family and their traditional Chinese ways. This story is so short but is packed with wonderful writing lessons about the following topics:

• Hook/Pb
• Character Evolution
• Setting Clarification
• Reflective Ending

The Jacket by Gary Soto
Advisable for Grades six-8

Gary needs a new coat. He describes a super absurd biker jacket to his mom and is excited by the potential this new piece of wearable could accept on his identity. The side by side day he finds a guacamole colored, too big coat hanging from is bedpost. His mom says it's for him. He wears the ugly matter for years and describes in sad item the negative affect it had on his life and his eventual credence of the matter and his situation.

• Character Evolution
• Figurative Language
• Inner Thinking
• Symbolism

Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie
All-time for eighth Class

Alexie describes his beloved of reading from the age of 3 to adulthood. He knows this love of reading saved him from the poverty and struggles of life on an Indian Reservation. But he doesn't only want to relieve his ain life, he wants to relieve others' lives as well, through books and writing.

• Character Development
• Figurative Linguistic communication
• Repetition
• Setting Description

Two Kinds by Amy Tan
Best for eighth Form

Jing-mei's mom has big plans for her daughter. She wants her daughter to be a prodigy. But as time goes on and Jing-mei fails her mother's expectations over and over, Jing-mei begins to resent her mother and fail on purpose. She and her female parent eventually confront off and Jing-mei wins. Her female parent backs off, but eventually Jing-mei regrets what she did and the things she said to her mother that day.

• Character Development
• Dialogue
• Theme
• Transitions

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Fiction

I believe that most teachers neglect education fiction writing because information technology is a animal! Fiction includes many, many genres and trying to teach how to write all those genres seems daunting. Information technology is daunting! Here's what I suggest…let students choose the genre and teach cadre writing skills that apply to all of them. Those core skills might be: plot, graphic symbol development, setting, tone, mood, point of view, description, dialogue, theme, figurative language, transitions, organization and the writing process.

Simply what about mentor texts? You lot can do 1 of two things: use brusque excerpts from your favorite fictional books or use short stories. Below are some of my favorite fictional brusque stories. I think most English language teachers use these stories to teach reading analysis, but fictional writing skills can be taught with these stories too!

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All Summer in a Solar day by Ray Bradbury
Advisable for Grades half-dozen-8

Margot is from planet Earth and just moved to Venus. Most children in her grade take never seen the sunday, because on Venus it rains for seven years straight. On the day that the rain is finally supposed to stop the kids in Margot's class make a horrendously cruel decision. The following fictional writing skills are very obvious in this classic sci-fi story:

• Figurative Language
• Imagery
• Symbolism
• Theme

Thank you Ma'am by Langston Hughes
Appropriate for Grades 6-viii

Mrs. Jones is walking through the street at night when suddenly a young boy tries to accept her purse. She is a potent women and grabs a hold of the boy and doesn't allow go. Instead she brings him to her business firm, feeds him and talks to him. She learns his proper noun is Roger and presently they brainstorm to develop an understanding. This very brusk story is packed with writing lessons, hither are some of the more obvious ones:

• Grapheme Evolution
• Dialogue
• Inner Thinking
• Theme

The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
All-time for 8th Class (has mature content)

Jack or "Kan-kan", equally his mother likes to phone call him, has a magical, paper lion named Laohu. Jack's female parent fabricated it for him. She has an incredible talent for making origami creatures come to life. Jack loves all his "pets", just when another boy comes over with his Star Wars toys, Jack realizes he is different…and fifty-fifty more than so…his female parent is unlike. He begins to continue his altitude from his mother and wants her to exist more American by learning English. Jack stops speaking Chinese with her and equally time goes on he discovers the story behind his mother's past. This story is worth a read by you and your students! Hither are some writing skills y'all could teach using information technology:

• Dialogue & Inner Thinking
• Integrating Historical Time Periods & Events into Stories
• Formats/Letters as Part of Stories
• Transitions

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

George and Lydia Hadley just purchased the HappyLife Home. This business firm does absolutely everything you can call back of for them and their 2 children. It fifty-fifty has a playroom that can turn into the African savannah for their children'due south entertainment. Lack of subject area and besides much reliance on engineering science leads to a treacherous finish. There are so many awesome writing techniques used in this story:

• Action
• Dialogue
• Imagery
• Ending with a Twist

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Advisable for 8th Grade

Members of a small-scale village gather for many events throughout the year, square dances, teen club, the Halloween fair and other civic activities. And now all the members of this small boondocks, men, women and children gather for the annual lottery. This dark story has many writing techniques that students can emulate in their own fictional stories:

• Dialect
• Foreshadowing
• Setting Description
• Symbolism

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Information

It is fairly like shooting fish in a barrel to find information mentor texts, they are all over the internet in the form of blog posts and news articles. Tween Tribune and Dogo News are my favorite complimentary websites for informational writing mentor texts. They ever have articles that involvement students. Kelly Gallagher also has a comprehensive list of both data and belligerent articles all formatted to apply in your classroom: Manufactures of the Week. Gallagher uses these articles in his high School English language classes, so they are more avant-garde, even so, access to all of these articles in ane identify can be super helpful for an 8th grade instructor like myself and perhaps yous too.

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Teens and adults say they experience tethered to their phones from Tween Tribune
Advisable for Grades 6-viii

Parents are depicted equally a bit hypocritical in this article (students volition love it). They say they desire their children to apply their devices less. All the same, parents seem to exist on their devices merely as much, if non more than their children!

• Captions
• Citing Studies
• Quoting Sources
• Statistics

How Online Gaming Platform Roblox is Helping Teenagers Go Millionaires from Dogo News
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Kids can become developers for games like Roblox. The visitor pays xxx% in royalties and this has fabricated some millionaires! Students will love reading about how to make money through what they are virtually passionate nearly…video games!

• Captions
• Citing Data
• Organization
• Quoting Sources

Homework and Tests Stressing Yous Out? Consider Moving to Sweden from Dogo News
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

A schoolhouse in Sweden decided to do an experiment…no homework or tests for a whole month. If stress is reduced in these students' lives they may never take to do homework again! Other countries are experimenting with this thought too. Students volition beloved learning about the negative impacts of homework in this article. Here are some of the features of this article students could emulate in their ain advisory writing:

• Bar Graphs
• Bias (this article is a bit ane-sided)
• Summarizing Studies
• Embedding Video

Giant blast hopes to corral Pacific Ocean's plastic trash from Tween Tribune
Advisable for Grades half dozen-viii

Between Hawaii and California at that place floats a patch of trash twice the size of Texas! It is disgusting. Boyan Slat, a 23 yr quondam, has taken information technology upon himself to find a solution. This commodity talks nearly his invention and how he is working toward a solution to this very large and concerning problem. Hither are some writing skills students can glean from reading this informative article:

• Embedding Quotes from Interviews
• Providing Differing Viewpoints
• Providing Statistics
• Apply of Commas to Add Detail

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Literary Assay

Ever wonder why it is so hard to find mentor texts to teach literary essays? It'south considering people don't write literary essays in the real world! The just fourth dimension this type of writing is done is in school. This worries me a scrap considering I believe students should be writing what people in the real world write. Then, I came beyond this article chosen, Thinking About Mentor Texts for Literary Analysis, and was convinced that aye we should definitely still teach literary essays. Not because information technology is what we've always done in English language classes, our reason should be to help students develop their analysis skills then that they can think critically about world events, business organisation, politics, books and even their own lives! The mentor texts below are about a wide range of topics just can still be used to teach literary essay writing skills.

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Flick Books Tell Children the Harsh Story of Refugee Picture Books by Monica Edingar
Appropriate for 8th Grade (advanced writing)

Edingar starts off arguing how important information technology is that we talk about the experiences of migrants and refugees, especially to our children. She then goes on to beautifully summarize and analyze six children's books virtually people from places ranging from Chile to Hellenic republic to United mexican states. Students could larn these writing techniques from reading all or part of this commodity:

• Dashes
• Quoting Individuals
• Summarizing
• Transitions

YA Thrillers to Give You Chills This Summertime by Elisabeth Egan
Appropriate for 8th Grade

Iii thriller YA novels are discussed in this well written article. Not only will students learn the writing techniques listed below, they'll as well learn about some high interest YA novels too.

• Comparing Literature
• Making Connections
• Narrative Hook
• Providing Details in Parentheses

10 Benefits of Reading Everyday by Lana Winter-Hebert
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

This commodity discusses some excellent reasons why nosotros should be reading everyday. Many important points are brought up such as how reading helps y'all become a ameliorate writer and develop analytical skills! The following writing techniques could exist taught using this article:

• Footnotes
• Hooking Reader with Questions about Their Life
• Organization
• Providing Photo Credit

Moving picture theaters fight streaming by assaulting the senses
Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Movie theaters are struggling to compete with the streaming television services Netflix and Amazon Prime. So, they are adding many creative features to continue movie goers coming dorsum.  Reclining seats, food service and even augmented reality! At that place are many things to learn from this article:

• Summarizing
• Using Dashes to Add Actress Detail
• Quoting Individuals
• Discussion Choice

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Argument

Finding age appropriate belligerent writing samples that are at the middle schoolhouse level is tricky. I rely heavily on newspaper editorials. This is existent life argumentative writing at its finest. However, newspapers are oft written higher up our students' reading levels. Because of this fact I read these articles out loud with students commencement read and then I accept them reread and comment. Information technology is more likely students will retain the information and the writing skills you teach when y'all read it out loud starting time.

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Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away by James Doubek
Appropriate for Grades 7-8 (article is a bit advanced)

Doubek argues that taking notes past hand is actually improve than taking notes on a laptop. When you take notes past hand you synthesize information into memorable chunks because you tin can't write absolutely everything down when a teacher is lecturing. When you take notes using a laptop you tend to blazon word for word what you hear, skipping the important synthesis and thinking process. Not but is this an important article for students to read, you can besides teach the beneath writing skills using the commodity too.

• Citing Studies
• Connecting to Audience in Hook
• Making Counterarguments
• Quoting Interviews

The Big Myth About Teenage Anxiety by Richard A. Friedman
Appropriate for 8th Course (term sexual practice is used)

Friedman is a psychiatrist and argues that screens are not causing a rise in psychological disorders like anxiety and depression. Studies washed about the bear on on screens to our mental wellness only show correlations and not causation. He argues that anxiety and stress are a normal part of everyday life and parents need to finish bold it is psychological trauma. This article has all sorts of argumentative writing techniques students tin learn from:

• Anecdotes
• Citing Studies
• Counterarguments
• Dashes to Include More Particular

An Open Letter Virtually Female person Coaches past Pau Gasol
Best for eighth Course (some locker room talk)

Pau Gasol is an NBA basketball histrion who has been coached past Becky Hammon, the get-go and only female to ever autobus in the NBA. Paul writes this letter to question societal norms and assumptions about women in positions that are dominated by men. It is an first-class read. Hither are some skills you lot could teach using this article:

• Anecdotes
• Counterarguments
• Setting Sentences off to Emphasize
• Transitions

Is it Actually Smart to Sit Still? by Hannah Amell

Hannah Amell is a 15 year old New York Times Learning Network essay finalist. Find out more virtually the contests here: Learning Network Contests. She wrote her editorial arguing against block schedules. She thinks schools demand to get-go incorporating more movement in their classrooms. Hither are some writing techniques she used:

• Connecting with Audience in Hook
• Incorporating Interviews
• Sentence Multifariousness
• Ending with a Question

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Speech

Thanks to TED Talks (and the transcripts that are provided right beneath them), there are tons and tons of examples of speeches available online for our students. I believe this is why and so many teachers are shifting from having students give speeches to having their own TED Talks! If you do this have students sentinel some talks, read the transcripts then begin planning their ain. Here are my favorite TED Talks to show students:

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Overcoming Obstacles [Transcript ] past Stephen Claunch
Appropriate for All Grades

Stephen Claunch was born with many wellness bug. But these issues take not stopped him from reaching his goals. Stephen explains that obstacles can be overcome with hard piece of work, non excuses. At that place are multiple heartwarming stories and lessons students need to learn in this talk!

• Narrative Claw
• Repetition
• Transitions
• Weaving Multiple Stories Together

How to First a Movement [Transcript] past Derek Sivers
Appropriate for All Grades

This humorous talk analyzes the process of creating a movement. Sivers points out that leaders are important merely followers might be more of import to making a move. Here are some spoken language writing topics y'all can comprehend with this talk:

• Summary of Lessons to End Speech communication
• Using Humor
• Video Analysis in a Voice communication

8 Secrets to Success [Transcript] by Richard St. John
Appropriate for Grade viii (the words damn and assholes are used)

This super concise and funny talk gives students advice for how to be successful in life. Here are some oral communication writing techniques you can teach with this talk:

• Acronyms to Teach
• Listing as a Way to Organize a Speech
• Narrative Claw
• Slideshow Graphics

How to Tie Your Shoes [Transcript] past Terry Moore
Advisable for All Grades

This brusk talk teaches united states that we've been tying our shoes wrong! It is eye-opening in the simplest way. Hither are a few speech writing techniques you tin teach with this talk:

• Connecting with the Audience
• Doing a Demonstration During a Speech
• Using a Quote to End a Oral communication

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Your Turn!

Type your favorite mentor texts in the comments below…

Related Manufactures:

How I Teach Reading and Writing Workshop in 54 Minutes

10 Best YouTube Channels for Writing Teachers

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Source: https://amandawritenow.com/mentor-texts-for-middle-school/

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