Persuasive Writing: Zoo
Objectives
EYFS:
Listens and responds to ideas expressed by
others in conversation or discussion.
Links statements and sticks to a main theme
or intention.
Uses talk to organise, sequence and clarify
thinking, ideas, feelings.
Confident to speak to others about own
opinions.
Comments and asks questions about the
natural world.
Can talk about some of the things they have
observed Shows care and concern for living
things and the environment.
KS1:
Articulate and justify answers, arguments
and opinions
Give well structured explanations for
expressing feelings.
Maintain attention and participate in
collaborative conversations
Participate in discussions and debates.
Consider and evaluate different viewpoints,
building on contributions form others
KS2:
Identifying how language contributes to
meaning.
Discuss and record ideas.
Ask questions to improve understanding.
Explain and discuss their understanding in
debates.
Provide reasoned justifications for their
views.
Use paragraphs to structure writing.
Starter
EYFS/KS1: Put up picture from
a zoo (below). TTYP -Where do
you think it is? Who’s been
there? What animals might
you find there? Tell me what
you know about zoos
LKS2: What is persuasive
language? How do we use
persuasive language to argue
for or against something?
What do we mean by for and
against? (below)
OR
List techniques and ask
children to talk to partner
about what they mean
UKS2: Match technique to
description and example OR
List techniques and ask
children to talk to partner
about what they mean
Adaptable for Rec-Y6
Teaching
Explain that we will be looking at
whether zoo’s are right or wrong in
terms of animal welfare. Show
children Anthony Browne’s book
Zoo. (PPT in separate attachment)
What do you notice about it? What
argument do you think the author is
trying to portray?
• Elephant stood in the corner
• Tiger walking along the edge and
back
• Polar bear walking up and down
• Baboons fighting
• Orangutan crouched in corner
Activities
EYFS:
Using picture, discuss what makes a
good zoo and bad zoo-link to needs of
an animal (below)
Plenary
Rec/KS1: Are
you for or
against zoos?
Why?
KS1:
LA: Discussion, why are zoo’s good?
Why are they bad? Pictures to prompt.
M/HA: Give children simple statements
with for and against arguments.
Children to discuss with partner to
decide if for or against. Write three
points for/against in table (below).
KS2: Share a
couple of
examples of
writing-peer
assess
LKS2:
Children to debate with partner their
side of the argument. One is for, one
against. Children to then write
paragraph arguing their point of view
about zoos. Are they for or against? If
unsure, can they argue both sides?
Writing frame for LA (separate
attachment).
UKS2:
Children to write structured argument
to persuade others of their point of
view-for or against
Persuasive Writing: Zoo
Starters:
Adaptable for Rec-Y6
Persuasive Writing: Zoo
EYFS and KS1 (LA)
Adaptable for Rec-Y6
Persuasive Writing: Zoo
Adaptable for Rec-Y6
Persuasive Writing: Zoo
Adaptable for Rec-Y6
LSK2
Zoos are a good place for animals to live. They are well fed and cared for if they become ill and are given shelter and
bedding.
Wild animals belong in the wild, not behind bars. They are often fed food they would never normally eat. In fact,
their whole life is sad and unnatural.
Zoos are a great way to learn about wild animals. You can see them in the flesh, read about them, and sometimes even
touch and help feed them.
Zoos do not teach us much about animals. Zoos allow us to see animals outside of their natural groups and homelands.
It is not the same as seeing animals where they belong.
Zoos have “captive breeding programmes” so that endangered species do not become extinct. This work is vital for
conservation.
Persuasive Writing: Zoo
Adaptable for Rec-Y6
The vast majority of animals kept in zoos are not endangered. Conservation sounds important, but few captive-bred
animals are ever released back into the wild.
Many scientists come to zoos to learn more about animals. This makes zoos an important tool for scientific research.
In zoos, scientists study captive animals, not freeliving animals. Captive animals suffer many more diseases than their
wild brothers and sisters because the way they are kept is stressful and unnatural.
Zoos are a great day out. Zoos attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and most people have a great
time. There’s nothing wrong with going to the zoo just for fun.
People might have fun at zoos, but animals don’t. They are kept behind bars as if they are in prison, but they have
done nothing wrong. Wild animals need their freedom.
Animals are safer in zoos. No one can shoot them, a vet is on call if they ever get sick, and there is no risk of dying of
hunger or thirst.
Persuasive Writing: Zoo
Adaptable for Rec-Y6
If an animal in a zoo has babies, the babies might be taken away and shipped to faraway zoos, or they might be killed.
Many other animals in zoos die from stress. Animals are not safe in zoos.
Animals in zoos are perfectly happy. If they were miserable, they wouldn’t eat so well or breed or play.
If you look closely at animals kept in zoos, you might see signs that they are unhappy. Animals who are unhappy often
lick the cage bars, pace back and forth, twist their necks, roll their heads and stand on one leg and then the other.