Writing for Justice • Persuasion from the Inside Out is an article by elementary school teacher Mark Hansen. It appears in this month’s issue of Rethinking Schools.

He lays-out in detail a process he used to help his students write a persuasive essay. I’m not sure how many teachers would do everything he did, but he shares a lot of good ideas. Even though it describes them in the context of an elementary school classroom, I think several of his ideas could be adapted in other settings.

I will be using a simple “I Wish We Could Change” organizer organizer he created. When I teach my persuasive essay unit, it’s always a bit tricky to guide students towards a topic that holds their interest and would make the world a better place. This simple sheet would help that along nicely, I think.

I’m adding it to The Best Online Resources For Helping Students Learn To Write Persuasive Essays.