Persuasion Revision Quest

Year 7 English • Persuasion Speech • Week 5 • 20-25 minutes • Teams of three or four

Retrieve the unit's key knowledge and apply it to a final persuasive challenge.

Success criteria

I can explain audience, purpose, and persuasive technique.
I can build a claim with evidence and reasoning.
I can explain how structure and delivery affect an audience.

Setup

Five stages, three questions each.
Teams answer one stage at a time. Do not reveal the answer key until the stage is complete.
Each correct answer is worth 10 points.
A correct answer with a clear reason earns a bonus 5 points.
The final challenge is worth 20 points.

Stage 1 - Audience and Purpose

What is the audience of a persuasive speech?
What is the purpose of a persuasive speech?
Why should you identify the audience before choosing your techniques?

Stage 2 - Persuasive Techniques

Name three persuasive techniques.
What is a rhetorical question?
What is the rule of three?

Stage 3 - Argument and Evidence

What is a claim?
What is the difference between evidence and reasoning?
What is a counter-argument?

Stage 4 - Speech Structure

Name four parts of a persuasive speech.
What is a signpost?
Why should a speech end with a call to action?

Stage 5 - Delivery and Evaluation

Why pause after a key point?
How can eye contact make a speech more persuasive?
What makes a source reliable?

Final challenge

Choose one challenge:

Write a hook and thesis for a speech about a school issue.
Turn a weak claim into a claim with evidence and reasoning.
Write a counter-argument and rebuttal for a speech about phones at school.

Answer key

#	Answer	Explanation
1	The people the speech is trying to persuade.	Audience shapes tone, evidence, and call to action.
2	To persuade the audience to accept a position or take an action.	Persuasion is about change, not just information.
3	Different audiences care about different values, evidence, and outcomes.	A speech to students differs from a speech to school leadership.
4	Any three: rhetorical question, rule of three, direct address, emotional appeal, repetition, anecdote, expert opinion, statistics, call to action.	Techniques are tools; they must serve the argument.
5	A question asked for effect, not for an answer.	It makes the audience think and draws them in.
6	A group of three linked words, phrases, or ideas.	It is memorable and creates rhythm.
7	A statement that something is true or should be done.	A claim needs support.
8	Evidence supports the claim; reasoning explains why the evidence matters.	Without reasoning, the evidence may not connect to the claim.
9	An opposing argument or objection.	A strong speech acknowledges it and responds.
10	Any four: hook, thesis, signpost, main points, counter-argument, call to action.	Structure helps the audience follow the argument.
11	A phrase that tells the audience what is coming next.	Signposts make a spoken argument easier to follow.
12	It tells the audience what to do and makes the purpose concrete.	A speech without action can fade after it ends.
13	It gives the audience time to absorb the point and creates emphasis.	Pause is a persuasive tool, not dead air.
14	It creates connection and shows confidence; the audience feels directly addressed.	Eye contact should be spread across the audience, not fixed on one person.
15	It is relevant, accurate, current, and from a credible author or organisation.	Check who made it, when, and why.

Teacher notes

Keep the pace brisk: 30-45 seconds per question, then reveal.

Do not award the bonus for a correct guess. Ask what makes that answer work?

If a team is stuck, give an example rather than the answer.

Use the final challenge to diagnose one writing or delivery move for the assessment lesson.

Accept accurate alternatives if the reasoning is sound.