Persuasive Writing Convince me.

 Subject: important issue  Form: persuasive letter  Purpose: to support your position  Audience: classmates, parents, teachers, librarian, principal, school board members Guidelines

 Argument: a statement someone believes should be true  Counterargument: expresses the opposite point of view  Supporting Arguments: back up to support the statement  Persuade: to convince, coax, counsel, allure, urge, prompt… Definitions

 Claim: state your argument  Big Names: important people / experts  President Clinton thinks junk food is bad.  Logos: use facts, numbers, information  A snickers bar has 280 calories  Pathos: get people to feel happy / angry  Your donation will save this puppy’s life. Persuasive Strategies

 Ethos: get people to believe / trust you  Believe me! I am just like you!  Kairos: convince them to act now  ½ off today only!  Research: use research  Studies show that obesity leads to heart disease. Persuasive Strategies

 Topic Sentence: state your position  Body Sentences: evidence / explanation  Closing Sentences: restate your position Paragraph Structure

 Six Paragraphs  Introduction – state position  Body 1  Body 2  Body 3  Counterargument – answer the objection  Conclusion – restate position Essay Structure

 Position Statement  Topic Sentence #1  facts / details  Topic Sentence #2  facts / details  Topic Sentence #3  facts / details  Topic Sentence #4 (rebuttal)  Facts / details Organization

 Qualifiers: Make your claim more believable  Some, few, others, most, many, several, often, occasionally, frequently, usually… Qualifiers

 LAME reasons why  Because I like it…  Because everyone thinks so…  Because it’s fun…  Because it was there… Because I said so…

 Many schools restrict students from using their cell phones during school hours. Teachers and administrators have concerns that students will use their phones dishonestly or inappropriately. Write a letter to your school principal convincing him or her that students should be allowed to use cell phones during school hours. Use facts and examples to support your position. Prompts

 Recently, a school district in Pennsylvania became the first in the state to change the traditional school schedule from a five-day week to a four-day week. This change is intended to save the school district money, but it may cost parents and students money and opportunities in the long run. All of the students in your class have heard this news. Some are thrilled; however, some believe that this change will have a negative impact on learning and extracurricular activities.  In a well-developed, multi-paragraph essay, state your position on this issue and then persuade your fellow classmates to join you in a call to action to either shorten your school week to four days, or to keep the five-day school week. You must provide compelling reasons for your argument, and address and rebut the counterarguments. Be sure to include facts, statistics, or any other relevant information to strengthen your view on this issue. Prompts

 Based on new research suggesting that male and female students learn differently, some school boards are considering creating separate schools for boys and girls. Do you think establishing separate schools is a good idea?  Write a multi-paragraph essay in which you persuade the Board of Education to agree with your position on this issue. Be sure to include specific details and examples to support your argument. Prompts