What is Persuasive/ Argumentative Writing?

Persuasion is everywhere! We get persuasive messages every day: Buy this product Vote for this candidate Drive this car Vacation here Use this credit card Attend this college Go eat at this new restaurant

Is it persuasion or is it brainwashing Is it persuasion or is it brainwashing? Messages I think I hear sometimes… Text messaging is essential to life! You MUST be on Facebook 24/7. Carry your cell phone with you at all times. Charge it and pay later (or never at all). You must never be bored! Plug in the IPOD, go to ITunes or YouTube….

Sorting out facts from opinion A factual statement: I am a teacher at Creekland Middle School. We can verify this statement rather easily. A statement that expresses an opinion: I love teaching at CMS! (This statement is different; you cannot “get” inside my head to see if I am being sincere or sarcastic)

Taking it a step further….from opinion to persuasion “I am the best language arts teacher at CMS! Am I?? What is my evidence? I am gifted certified. I have been Teacher of the Year. I teach advanced language arts. But am I the BEST?? Who would be best qualified to call me that? (Maybe my students from last year?)

A working definition of argumentative or persuasive writing Writing that presents an argument – a statement that uses one or more of the persuasive appeals and some sort of support – in order to change your viewpoint or shape your behavior Persuasion is basic to our lives. Do you want to go see a BORING movie? Eat at the same place every time? We use persuasion to negotiate with friends and family: let’s go see this movie BECAUSE it’s…..let’s go eat at this new restaurant BECAUSE it’s….let’s skip going to Grandma’s house and check out the new mall BECAUSE….

So, let’s look at four things we expect to find in a written argument A clear statement of the writer’s argument or position on the issue (the thesis) Evidence that supports our purpose(statistics, research, expert testimony, and examples) Clear explanations of how this evidence actually supports the thesis A sense of the bigger picture, or context

What types of things do we argue about? You cannot argue about facts (gravity, the existence of Alaska, the sum of 34 + 23, etc.) To argue about something, you need an issue that generates some controversy Civic and political issues certainly provide us with ideas, especially as they apply on a local level. Should our town build a new library? Is private school better than public school? National issues could include bringing back the draft, changing the driving age, or Obamacare.

Possible stances on an issue We agree with the argument We can provide support for it – with facts, stories, and statistics We can provide a counterargument—argue against it and show how it is wrong We often talk about having taken a position on a topic and it means pro or con (I’m for immigration reform…or I am opposed to immigration reform)

Taking a position… This is also called a rhetorical stance The point is to clarify your own thinking and determine where you stand, and then articulate your ideas to your reader

Two kinds of persuasive essays 1. The Position paper – I support _____ I am opposed to __________ Pro vs. con

Three kinds of persuasive appeals These are the tools you can use to persuade your listener or reader: Ethos (ethics) (Right vs. Wrong) Pathos (emotion) Logos (logic)

Ethos Ethos refers to ethics, or what is right or wrong These workers are fighting for fair wages and appealing to the ethos of their boss

Pathos Pathos refers to emotion A persuasive appeal could be a sad story about the evils of spam and hackers in an email urging you to sign your name to a new petition for prosecute these criminals to the fullest! However, it could also be another kind of emotion—such as a salesman saying how good you look in that car (the color of the exterior just matches your baby blues!)

Logos Logos refers to the use of logic This tool depends on an almost mathematical approach. If 2 plus 2 equals 4, then……no emotion, no ethics. However, it is also used by lawyers: if the defendant has an eye witness to support his alibi, he could not have been at the scene of the crime. Therefore, he is innocent of the crime.

Supporting arguments Arguments need support to be effective You back up your arguments with evidence and explanations This used to refer to print sources (books, magazines, newspapers).

New sources of evidence Web based publications (blogs, wikis, organizational websites, etc.) Organization’s web page Newspapers, reference materials online Other electronic sources (databases)

Research resources geared for argumentative essays Here is a site focused on collecting research http://www.procon.org/ Their home page has links to a variety of controversial topics, including voting machines.

Questions about evidence Is the evidence clearly related to the issue or argument? Do you have enough evidence? Can you verify it? Is it up to date? Does it come from reliable sources?

How to handle differing views Summarize differing views fairly Refute – explain why they are wrong Concede – if you agree with some, say so and then clarify how you still differ Negotiate – look for ways you can work out your differing views

Polarized arguments This is an important term; it means that some controversies tend to put people into extreme opposites When this happens, people may end up trying to out-shout each other, rather than discussing their differences in a calm manner.

How do we break the gridlock? Look for common ground—what CAN we agree on? Sort out the noise from the facts….what evidence can we find to support our views? If necessary, agree to disagree respectfully….without the name calling and temper tantrums of cable TV

Closing thoughts We don’t always agree on important issues When we don’t, we need to support our views with evidence, and respect others’ views too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdLsQcYyAcc