Persuasive Writing: Documentary Review

Why? Huh? Why are we writing about a movie in commercial arts / horticulture / environmental tech? Writing is important. Trust us. Speaking coherently is important. Trust us. The more clearly you can explain yourself, the better everyone understands you. Who doesn’t want to be understood? Whenever we can get you to WRITE, we will welcome the opportunity. With texting and replacing traditional handwriting for many, even typing a paper seems out of style. It’s not. Trust us. How is Emmanuel supposed to teach me about motivation? Determining what and who motivates you will help make you a more well rounded individual.

Why? Huh? Why Emmanuel’s Gift? Because Emmanuel Yeboah is an inspiration to a variety of people for a variety of reason. His outlook, attitude and perseverance are attributes we should all be so luck to cultivate in our own lives. What Emmanuel does with his own life makes us interested in what you could do with your life if you had the opportunity? Say you could do anything… what would you do? What realistic difference would you make? What difference can you make right now?

Assignment Write a paragraph critical review of the documentary Emmanuel’s Gift. OR Write at least a 3 paragraph essay about 1) what or who motivates you in your life 2) something you have achieved or done which you originally thought you could never do and 3) what could you do if you decided you wanted to change something about the world you live in. Talk about what is stopping you. Proofread… check your usage and please don’t net plagiarize either.

If you’re writing about what motivates you… here’s a few good place to start. Link One Link Two

If you’re writing a review… Prewriting Step One Audience Purpose Tone

Audience Everyone. Documentary lovers Anyone.

Purpose To evaluate the documentary and to persuade your audience that your evaluation is valid and they should either see or avoid the documentary.

Tone Formal (Please, no contractions)contractions Point of View First Person NarrativeFirst Person Narrative or Third Person Narrative

Prewriting Step Two View the documentary and take notes. Be specific, recording scenes, quotations, and detailed examples as you watch.

Prewriting Step Three Evaluate the documentary according to the five standard criteria. (Use the chart I give you in class.)

Prewriting Step Four State your point clearly. It should include: Your overall opinion An attempt to persuade readers to either see or avoid the documentary.

Prewriting Step Five Gather and organize support that proves your point, using one of the following methods of organization: Lead In (a one sentence *hook* to intrigue your readers You give a brief description of the overall story the film tells Back up your main opinion with specifics. Conclusion

Writing the First Draft Lead In (a one sentence *hook* to intrigue your readers You give a brief description of the overall story the film tells The body of your review backs up your main opinion with specifics. Conclusion

Lead In A one sentence *hook* to intrigue your readers into wanting to know more. What film am I describing? Four paranormal experts attempt to rid Manhattan of its supernatural ghost problems.

Body You give a brief description of the overall story the film tells Use transitions between body paragraphs. Be sure to provide enough specific evidence for each criterion-based reason.

Conclusion Restate your opinion. Urge readers to either see or avoid the documentary. Bring your essay to a close with a thought-provoking statement.