Persuasion

He sits at my table.  A young boy in the 4th grade with a blonde mohawk and a defiant attitude.  The assignment for the day is to write a persuasive letter.  He brainstorms, but doesn't like any of his ideas.  I've noticed he's been distracted since he found out that he's going to be moving to a town in Washington state and they don't have his favorite thing there.  They don't have a BMX track, or his dad or his friends.

I don't know what to write about, he says defeated.  I don't want to. That's when inspiration strikes.  Why don't you write a letter to the mayor persuading him to build a BMX bike track?  What do you think?  His eyes light up and he grabs his pencil and starts to write reason, detail, fact, experience. You'll have healthy kids, it'll bring in tourists, it will give kids something to do outside away from video games and it will teach kids to fall properly on their legs.   I love the conclusion of his letter. 

The most important reason that your town should have a BMX track is so that the kids there can make lifelong friends.

Sincerely,

F

He revised, edited and addressed an envelope and then put it in the mail.  I hope that he gets a response and that his voice is heard.