Op-Ed What is an argument? A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

Skills: Distinguish fact from opinion Identify issues and their related problems Make debatable claim Debatable Claim – an opinion that is a matter of personal experience and values that must be backed up with evidence.  Others can disagree with this claim.

Evidence- details, facts, and reasons that support a debatable claim. Anecdotal Evidence- evidence based on personal observation and experience, often in the form of a brief story.  Can come from the writer, friends, family, and acquaintances. Factual Evidence- data, confirmed facts, and research performed by experts.  Found by the writer performing research. Commentary – sentences in an argument paragraph that explain what is important about the evidence and tell the reader how it proves and supports the claim

Questions for Writing Commentary – Ask Yourself: What do I need to make sure the reader understands about this evidence? (Re-explain the evidence.) Why is this evidence especially important? How does it prove and support the claim?

Commentary Example: Factual Evidence: According to a University of Houston study of a large urban school district in the southwest, when schools adopted uniforms, middle and high school students’ attendance and academic achievement improved, especially girl students. (Gentile and Imberman) Commentary: This study is significant because it illustrates how much dress and fashion affects academic achievement for girls.  When students have to wear uniforms, and fashion is no longer an issue, girls’ school performance improves. The study shows a direct relationship between clothes and grades, proving that uniforms are a positive choice. 

Paragraph Structure – the way the writer chooses to organize the sentences in a paragraph to best present the argument. Block Organization – provides all the evidence then follows with the commentary. Alternating Organization – moves back and forth between evidence and commentary. Paragraph will include pathos (appeal to emotion). Ethos, logos will be added later.

Opinion piece on community, state, or national issue

Issue A point, matter, or dispute, the decision of which is of special or public importance Examples- Gun control, Death Penalty, Right-to-Work, global warming, health care, immigration, taxes, Physical ed requirements, armed security in schools

Why are opinion pieces important? Freedom. Not every country allows free thought (China, many dictatorships, etc.) Blogs (Good- many have easy outlet for sharing opinion. Bad- Many don’t use facts/data).

Quality Op-Ed will have… Credibility- (author likeability, why should I respect your argument?) Emotional- (appeal to reader emotions) Logical- (convincing argument with reason) Consider time/place- Why is this important now? Relevant- appropriate, important Credible Sources (statistics)

Questions? Should smoking be made illegal? Should there be a ban on all automatic & semi-automatic weapons? Should the U.S. consider a mandatory military draft? Should Phys. Ed. Be optional for MS and HS students?