Y05W37WR Should Our School Have a Weekly Cooking Class?

Part 1

How to Write

Persuasive – Submission

A persuasive submission argues for a clear position on an issue and aims to influence a specific decision-maker. It is written for a formal audience — often a committee, council or leadership group — and must be credible and well-reasoned. The tone should be confident and respectful, demonstrating careful thinking about the issue.

  • Ideas & content: Take a clear position and develop it with logical, well-supported reasons. Acknowledge complexity where it exists, but always return to your core argument.
  • Structure & cohesion: Open with your position, develop your reasons in a logical order and close with a clear recommendation. Use connecting language to move from point to point smoothly.
  • Voice & audience: Write for your specific audience — formal, measured and credible. Avoid emotional exaggeration. Show you understand the issue from multiple sides, even while arguing one position.
  • Language choices: Use precise, formal vocabulary. Control modality carefully — words like should, must and strongly recommends signal conviction. Vary sentence structure for impact.
  • Conventions: Spell key terms correctly. Use punctuation to manage complex sentences. Check that your sentences are as clear as they are persuasive.

Common pitfalls: Arguing from passion alone without evidence or reasoning — a good submission shows logical thinking, not just strong feeling. Failing to acknowledge the other side even briefly, which makes your argument look one-sided.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a submission to the school council arguing either for or against introducing a weekly cooking class as part of the school timetable. Give reasons that would persuade the council to take your view seriously.

Stimulus: A proposal has been made to your school council that all students in Years 5 and 6 should participate in a weekly cooking class instead of one of their regular lesson periods. Supporters say cooking is a practical life skill that schools should teach. Critics say valuable lesson time should not be given over to activities that can be learned at home. The school council wants student input.

Task Analysis: Choose your position: for or against a cooking class. Give two or three reasons. Help the council see your side. Be honest about what makes sense.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • Your position — should the school add cooking?
  • Two or three reasons why
  • One reason the other side might give — but why your view is better
  • What you want the council to decide

Thesis/position

State your position clearly at the start: ‘I think we should have cooking class’ (or not). Be direct. The council needs to know what you think right away.

Evidence chain

Give a reason and explain it. ‘Cooking is important’ is a reason. Better: ‘Cooking teaches us how to feed ourselves well, which is important for all our lives.’ Make it clear.

Call to action

End by asking the council to decide: ‘Please add cooking class’ or ‘Please keep the timetable as is.’ Be clear and direct about your request.