Grade 4 - Writing to Make a Difference

This term, our Grade 4 students have been diving into the art of persuasive writing. They’ve explored how rhetorical questions, emotive language and high modality words can be powerful tools in influencing others. They put these skills into action by examining the critical issue of deforestation, a theme closely connected to our novel study of Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

A thought-provoking excerpt from Kensuke’s Kingdom challenged students to imagine what life would be like without the forest. How would the main characters have survived without coconuts, fruit and palm leaves? Without the trees, where would the gibbons and orangutans live? The book highlighted the devastating reality that forests around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate — a fact that deeply resonated with our young writers.

Inspired by this prompt, students explored how deforestation is affecting our world. They learned that cutting down forests for farming, roads and wood is destroying animal habitats and harming nature in many parts of the world. They discovered that orangutans face the risk of extinction within the next decade if forest destruction continues.

To strengthen their arguments, students used rhetorical questions like "Would you still support deforestation if it meant the extinction of endangered animals?" and "What if we lived in a world without trees?" These thought-provoking questions encouraged readers to reflect on the consequences of human actions.

Emotive language also played a vital role in their writing, helping them express their concerns passionately. Sentences such as “Every single day, animals’ lives, their families and their homes get ripped out, leading to them dying a dreadful death." and "While you are in your home, animals are losing theirs." created a sense of urgency. By incorporating high modality words like "must", "definitely" and "undoubtedly", students conveyed their strong belief in the necessity of protecting forests.

This learning experience has not only developed their writing skills but also deepened their understanding of environmental issues. It has empowered our students to use their voices for good, recognising that words have the power to spark change.

We are incredibly proud of their thoughtful and persuasive work.