I was in the checkout line at Target the other day, and this gift guide was staring me in the face. The wheels in my head started turning and I thought… this could be the perfect way to introduce my students to persuasive writing examples!
My niece and nephew LOVE to look through these things. They spend a fair amount of time perusing and circling their favorite items with a Sharpie.
I figured this would be a highly motivational activity for the classroom, so I grabbed the booklet and made some freebies for you!
You can grab these gift guides in store for free, or they might magically appear in your mailbox. I get sent one from Amazon each year. I try to have 1 gift guide for every 2 students. (Or ask parents to bring some in).
Day 1
On the first day of this lesson, I give the students time to look through the catalog and choose their four favorite items. In the picture below you will see that I have cut out the toys and pasted them on the sheet. You can easily just have them draw the item. (I honestly cut and paste the toys because my drawings would be unrecognizable : )
This exercise helps students with the following skills:
- Locating information
- Retaining letters in their memory
- Copying words correctly
- Understanding the cost of an item
Day 2
On the second day, I have students narrow down their gifts and choose their absolute favorite. They draw a picture of their desired toy at the top of the page and then list 3 reasons why they should get it.
We do a lot of whole-class practice ahead of time so that the students have some ideas in their heads of practical reasons they could use. This is the perfect time to talk about facts vs opinion! (Check out this awesome book to help you teach about fact vs opinion: Fact vs. Opinions vs. Robots) It’s nice that you think the pony is cute, but you’re not winning any arguments with that reasoning! : )
Again, the world’s worst artist over here! I literally wrote My Little Pony so I didn’t have to draw a horse! LOL
Day 3 (and possibly 4)
Depending on the writing level of your students, this next part might take 1 or 2 days. I have the students use their reasoning page to write a letter. The letter can be addressed to Santa, mom & dad, or anyone else they think might be getting them a present.
As a class, we write a sample letter together so that they can see an example of the wording and how to utilize the reasons they used the day before.
Holiday gift guides are so motivating for students! They will love this writing project and feel super proud of their work when they are done! Fill out the information below to grab the freebie:
Persuasive writing can be a tricky subject to teach, especially in kindergarten. This persuasive writing gift guide resource will make students extremely motivated to improve their writing skills! Also, check out my Christmas book exchange post for more holiday ideas!
