Persuasive Writing

Day 1

I Have a Dream… Listen to MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk What elements/characteristics make this speech work? Does it move you? Why/why not? What is the message? Do his words make you believe in or agree with the message? Why/why not?

What does it mean to persuade?

Do you usually win an argument, any argument—with your siblings, parents, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, and so on? Why do you think you win? What do you do or what techniques do you use to win your arguments?

Everyone has different viewpoints on different things Everyone has different viewpoints on different things. Everyone doesn’t think the same way. That’s ok. Sometimes we want to convince or persuade people to think the way we do though…or to take a certain action. This is when persuasion becomes very important!

Day 2 Wednesday’s activity

Group Activity You and your group will be given a scenario. In your groups, you will compose logical arguments convincing someone to take some sort of action. You will have 1 recorder and 1 speaker. The recorder will write down the team’s arguments and the speaker will present those arguments in order to persuade the audience to believe in the same way. You will have 20 minutes to work together. The speaker will have 3 minutes to present.

After Presentations: What did you learn while listening to your classmates presentations? Did you side with the speakers’ perspectives? Why/why not?

Tuesday

What are some examples of when people tried to persuade you or when you tried to persuade someone else?

What about….? Commercials and advertisements try to persuade you to buy things. People running for an official position try to persuade you to vote for them by convincing you that they are the best person to meet your needs. Your teachers and parents try to persuade you into doing your best in school by promising you that better things in life come to those who are educated.

Day 3

Letters to Mars You will be given a candy bar. Eat it. Enjoy. What did you like about your candy bar? What did you dislike about your candy bar? Is there anything you would change to make it even better? More appetizing? More appealing?

Today… You will be writing your own persuasive business letter, asking the president of a candy company to change the candy bar you just ate to make it even more enjoyable! Read the example letter. Does it meet all the demands of the Persuasive Letter Checklist?

Letter Format Look at the following business letter format. You need to write yours in the same format with all of the required information. Look at the Powerful Words List. Good speakers and writers use words like these to persuade other people to do something that they want them to do. USE THESE WORDS IN YOUR WRITING!

Steps Brainstorm: Begin by listing ideas for a persuasive argument about how the candy bar company could change the candy bar for the better. Write your letter: Using the checklist, business letter format, the example letter, and your brainstorming, write your own letter to the candy company.

Day 4

Your Turn: Plan It Out The purpose of writing a persuasive essay is to influence or change a reader’s thoughts or opinions on a particular topic. The most successful persuasive writing is always well planned. This planning includes choosing a topic, looking at the topic carefully, and mapping out the structure of the writing.

Choose an Issue The first step for writing a persuasive essay is to decide what you are trying to persuade someone to believe. Is there a compelling social issue you’d like to correct, a situation within your school that you’d like to change, an issue from history that you’d like to address, or maybe even something going on at home you’d like to explore—the possibilities are endless!

Possible/Example Topics Education: School uniforms Locker searches Lunch choices Homework History: Women’s rights Civil Rights Social and Political Issues: The Death Penalty Cruelty to animals Gun control Cloning Personal Issues: Chores at home More “freedom”

Back it up and make your case! You must have something to back up your claims. Sometimes you need to research: encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, interviews, etc. List your reasons and claims.

Day 5

List the Arguments It’s impossible to persuade someone to believe your viewpoint without also considering the viewpoint of those who may disagree with you. Create a list of arguments for and arguments against your issue. Brainstorm as many examples as possible. Ultimately you will be choosing the three best arguments to include in the writing. See my example!

Come up with your 3 main points. Follow this format: Viewpoint 1/Paragraph 1 Opposing viewpoint: _____________________ Your viewpoint:________________________ Discussion and defense of your viewpoint: _________________________________________________________________________

Viewpoint 1/Paragraph 1 Opposing viewpoint: Students would be more concerned about school and less concerned with “fitting” in with the latest trends. My viewpoint: There’s always going to be some trend, clothing or not, that will draw students in. Discussion and defense of your viewpoint: There are lots of trends out there, accessories, technology, shoes, hair styles, etc. It’s natural for things to become popular among a certain age group. There are always going to be groups of students who want to fit in and groups that want to be different. A school uniform wouldn’t change that…and let’s face it, no matter what they’re wearing, kids aren’t going to be more concerned about school than they already are. 

Your 3 viewpoints will ultimately become the 3 paragraphs that make up the body of your paper! It makes it super easy for you.

Day 6

Plan your structure: Opening/introduction: In this area, you will introduce your readers to the topic and give a little background information. It works well to state the topic in the form of a question—Are sporting events involving animals cruel to animals? Be sure to state your position on the issue within the last sentence of your paragraph. In the opening, you want to pull your reader in and give them a reason to keep reading.

My Introduction: To wear uniforms or not to wear uniforms? That is the question. School uniforms have been a source of major debate for years. While stripping down students’ wardrobes to khaki pants and a collared shirt might be a lot easier, even more affordable, will it end the typical peer pressure among teens to want to “fit” in? Will they put away their brand name shirts and shoes and get out their text books? I don’t think they will. Though they may do no harm, school uniforms certainly will do no good for today’s students.

Body The body of your essay should contain at least 3 paragraphs. Each paragraph must state a different viewpoint on your topic, examine the opposition to that viewpoint and provide a defense of that viewpoint. Many of the best examples of persuasive writing save the most compelling viewpoint for last. Be sure to use powerful words and transitional words!

Closing The conclusion should always restate the issue and then quickly tie in the three viewpoints examined in the body paragraphs. You should never introduce new information in the closing. Simply summarize the arguments and then close with a powerful statement relating to your originally stated issue.

My Closing: Many schools are considering switching to uniforms; I do not think our school should have them. Although school uniforms may have some positive effects, even in theory, they will not be any safer, easier, or more affordable than regular clothing. Teens will always strive to fit in, one way or the other, and they will continue to mold their own identities, no matter what others do to try and stop them. I say, let their character and personalities shine through their clothing, rather than using clothing to cover them up.

A good persuasive essay draft includes: All your thoughts As many details as possible Complete thoughts and ideas Facts to support your argument

Day 7

Revise Revision is especially important in persuasive writing—you want to be certain that you’ve presented the most compelling argument possible. This is the time to make sure that what you’ve written is easy to read, factual and above all, convincing.

Steps to Revising: Add additional information that may be needed to better explain or describe parts of your letter. Rearrange existing information in a more logical order that flows well and makes it easy to understand. Remove unneeded information. Replace existing text with better wording or description.

Ask yourself these questions: Is my position on an issue clearly stated and evident throughout the letter? Are my opinions clear, and do I support my opinions? Does my information flow easily from one paragraph to another? Did I stay focused on my point of view throughout the writing? Did I save the strongest point for last? Does my writing make sense? Am I convinced? Will my readers be convinced? Did I repeat any words or phrases too often?

Editing While editing probably isn’t your favorite step in the writing process, it is an important one—especially when it comes to persuasive writing. You’re not likely to win many supporters for your arguments if your work is filled with misspelled words, grammatical errors, or punctuation problems. Use the editing checklist for help!