Persuasion

Objective: During the next two lessons, you will have applied specific techniques of persuasion
toward an object that you and your partners have created.

Warm-up: 10 minutes of silent, sustained reading.

Warm-up: 10 minutes of silent, sustained reading.

Lesson
 Attention-getting-device: Watch an episode of The Shark Tank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4MMwXHAq6E

 Students will be allowed to choose their partners for the project. The project will be
discussed, in length, using the information sheet that follows. Each group will have this
class period and the next to work. And each group will as assigned the order that they
will go in for presentations.

Group Order Documentation (3 blocks):

1. Group: ________________________________________________________________

2. Group: ________________________________________________________________

3. Group: ________________________________________________________________

4. Group: ________________________________________________________________

5. Group: ________________________________________________________________

6. Group: ________________________________________________________________

7. Group: ________________________________________________________________

8. Group: ________________________________________________________________

9. Group: ________________________________________________________________

10. Group: ________________________________________________________________

 Shark Tank Persuasion
Over the next two class periods, you will be working with two partners of your
choice. Together, you will create/invent a new item. You may be as imaginative and creative as
you would like with this --actually, the more, the better. The item your group creates has to have
a purpose, and it must be an item that the general public would want to buy. With that item, you
will construct a blueprint that will lead you to the ultimate showdown of persuasion: trying to
persuade me, your teacher, along with a small group of your fellow classmates (the ‘sharks’) to
buy your product using imaginary money. The groups that use the most persuasive techniques
will then have their product bought. Their grades will reflect that.

Requirements:

 You must have an example of your product, whether it is a drawing or if it is actually

created in real life.
 You must use persuasive techniques that we’ve gone over so far in class while taking
notes.
 You must have some type of plan written out. For example, if you do a skit promoting
your product, you must have the skit written out. This part will be handed in after you are
out of the shark tank.
 You cannot do anything over-the-top. This means that nothing you present can be goofy.
There is a difference between goofy and “catchy”.

Here are some tips and helpful reminders:

 Think basic. Sometimes the best inventions are the easiest to think of. If you can’t think
of anything try adding an extension (make something better) to a product already created.
 Actual items brought to class will receive the most respect. Grades will reflect this.
 You are doing the project regardless, so you might as well put as much creativity into it
as possible.
 Choose two people for your group that you know will take this project seriously, and that
you can work well together with.
 The better organized you are and the more you plan ahead with your partners throughout
this process will most likely result in a better grade.
 You may use technology for this product.
Persuasion
Objective: During the next two lessons, you will see how successful you are at using persuasive
techniques.

Warm-up: 10 minutes of silent, sustained reading.

Warm-up: 10 minutes of silent, sustained reading.

Lesson
 Groups will take turns persuading the ‘sharks’ to buy their products, using persuasive
techniques. Rubric/score sheet follows.
 Shark Tank Persuasion Rubric

Student name: ____________________ Date: ________________ BLK: _____________

2/1 - Emerging/Not Ye
CATEGORY 5 - Exemplary 4 - Effective 3 - Acceptable t
Preparedness Student is completely Student seems pretty The student is Student does not seem at all
prepared and has prepared but might somewhat prepared, prepared to present.
obviously rehearsed. have needed a couple but it is clear that
more rehearsals. rehearsal was lacking.

Speaks Clearly Speaks clearly and Speaks clearly and Speaks clearly and Often mumbles or can not be
distinctly all (100- distinctly all (100- distinctly most ( 94- understood OR mispronounces
95%) the time, and 95%) the time, but 85%) of the time. more than one word.
mispronounces no mispronounces one Mispronounces no
words. word. more than one word.

Vocabulary Uses vocabulary Uses vocabulary Uses vocabulary Uses several (5 or more) words
appropriate for the appropriate for the appropriate for the or phrases that are not
audience. Extends audience. Includes 1-2 audience. Does not understood by the audience.
audience vocabulary words that might be include any
by defining words that new to most of the vocabulary that might
might be new to most audience, but does not be new to the
of the audience. define them. audience.
Posture and Eye Stands up straight, Stands up straight and Sometimes stands up Slouches and/or does not look
Contact looks relaxed and establishes eye contact straight and establishes at people during the
confident. Establishes with everyone in the eye contact. presentation.
eye contact with room during the
everyone in the room presentation.
during the
presentation.
Volume Volume is loud Volume is loud Volume is loud Volume often too soft to be
enough to be heard by enough to be heard by enough to be heard by heard by all audience members.
all audience members all audience members all audience members
throughout the at least 90% of the at least 80% of the
presentation. time. time.

Content Shows a full Shows a good Shows a good Does not seem to understand
understanding of the understanding of the understanding of parts the topic very well.
topic. topic. of the topic.

Visuals E-5 Student uses several Student uses visual, Student uses 1 visual Student does not use visual,
highly effective visual, auditory, artistic, or which makes the auditory, artistic, or
auditory, artistic, or technological presentation better. technological mediums to
technological mediums so that the communicate ideas and
mediums so that the basic ideas and information to a selected
ideas and information information are audience.
are clearly understood understood by a
by a selected audience. selected audience.
 Shark Tank Persuasion Rubric Continued . . .
Top three persuasive techniques used:

1. ________________________________(1) Effective(1) OR Ineffective(0)

2. ________________________________(1) Effective(1) OR Ineffective(0)

3. ________________________________(1) Effective(1) OR Ineffective(0)

Did group make a claim, or why someone should buy the product (a verbal topic sentence)?
Teacher writes it below: (5 points)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Was product bought? Yes(5) OR No(0)

If bought, for how much? $________________

Total grade = ________________ out of 51.

Teacher comments: _____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
Note: Parenthesis on this page equals the amount of points possible for a given section.