Learning Intention: We are following the writing process to write persuasive letters to our whānau and community seeking support for our mahinga kai.

Success Criteria: I can use the writing process to complete a persuasive piece of writing.

🌟 HOOK IDEAS for Persuasive Letter Introductions

These are short, attention-grabbing openers to help draw the reader in.

• Ask a question:
  ➤ Did you know our school is building a mahinga kai to help feed our community?
  
  

• Use a strong statement:
  ➤ Our school garden can grow more than vegetables — it can grow knowledge, health, and care for the land.
  
  

• Show urgency or need:
  ➤ Right now, our garden needs help to survive the winter.
  
  

• Use a whakataukī (Māori proverb):
  ➤ “He kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiātea.” – I am a seed, born of greatness.
  
  

✍️ SENTENCE STARTERS 

These help build confidence and keep structure clear:

💬 Greeting & Purpose:

• Kia ora. My name is __ and I am in Room __ at __ School.
  
  

• I am writing to ask for your support with our school vegetable garden (mahinga kai).
  
  

• We are working on a project that helps us learn to grow healthy food and care for Papatūānuku.
  
  

💬 Opinion/Hook:

• Our garden is important to us because...
  
  

• We need your help to make our mahinga kai even better.
  
  

• We want to grow food for our school and our whānau.
  
  

💬 Leading into reasons:

• One reason we are writing to you is...
  
  

• We would love some help with...
  
  

• Here are some things we need...
  
  

Learning Intention: We are learning what persuasive writing is and why we use it.

Success Criteria: I can explain the purpose of persuasive writing and share something I want to change or support. 

Learning Intention: We are learning the features of a persuasive letter.
Success Criteria: I can identify the key parts of a persuasive letter and describe their purpose. 

Imagine you are a diver exploring a deep, mysterious shipwreck off the coast. 

As you descend into the water, you can see the outline of the sunken ship emerging from the shadows below. 

The water around you is cool and calm, and the only sound is the rhythmic pulse of your breathing. As you swim closer to the wreck, you notice something strange.

A glimmer of light coming from within the ship 's dark hull. 

Write a story about your dive into the shipwreck. 

• What do you find inside? 

• What mysteries do you uncover? 

• Do you feel a sense of adventure, danger, or wonder as you explore the shipwreck? 

We are learning to write a descriptive poem about our favourite holiday memory.

This means we will:

• Use descriptive words to help our reader imagine the memory.

• Include three interesting details about our holiday.

• Follow the structure and punctuation of a poem.

• Check our writing to make sure it makes sense and flows well.

First, we will read the poem together as a class discussing vocabulary as we go. 

Then in pairs you will look closely at how the poem is organised, thinking about the structure and punctuation of the poem.  As a class we will share our noticings.

Think about your favourite holiday memory and share it with your partner.  Remember to add interesting details and use descriptive vocabulary!

In your writing book make a quick plan for your poem by writing down your memory and adding three interesting details.