1. Persuasive Writing

2. Persuasive writing tries to convince a reader to do something or to believe what you believe about a certain topic. It takes a position for or against something.

3. Persuasive Writing can be used to… Purpose Support a cause Urge people to action Make a change Prove something wrong Persuasive Statement “Please support my football team by buying discount coupons.” “Vote for Sarah!” “The principal should let us wear hats.” “Cell phones don’t cause brain cancer.”

4. Persuasive Writing can be used to… Purpose Stir up sympathy Create interest Get people to agree with you Persuasive Statement “If you don’t adopt this dog, it could have to live in a shelter.” “Better grades get you a better job and more money.” “I am sure you’ll agree that Milky Way is the best candy bar.”

5. Persuasive Format: INTRODUCTION with a grabber and thesis statement BODY (3) where the arguments are explained CONCLUSION where main points are summarized and the reader is left with something to think about

6. In order to convince the reader you need more than just an opinion; you need facts or examples to back your opinion. So, be sure to do the research! Do Your Research… Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

7. The Plan… Think of a catchy title… The 5 Paragraph Essay: 1. Grabber, 3 reasons, thesis, transition 2. Reason 1, myth examples, period ___ examples, transition 3. Reason 2, myth examples, period ___ examples, transition 4. Reason 3, myth examples, period ___ examples, transition 5. Counter-arguments, thesis, 3 reasons, call to action

8. Grab the Reader’s Attention Anecdote (story) I walked proudly through the hallways of AMS, my new blue mohawk glistening magnificently in the florescent lighting of the hallway, but then I saw Mr. Caruthers. I felt the wax in my hair start to melt. Question Do schools have the right to tell kids how to dress? Hyperbole For the past 300 years in this country, schools have been crushing the artistic freedom of students with oppressive dress codes! Setting At Centerville Middle School, a controversy is brewing. Walk down the hallways, and amidst a tranquil sea of khaki pants and navy blue polo shirts, the blades of a fuchsia mohawk cut through the peaceful learning environment. Alliterative Phrase Timeless. Tasteful. Tried and true. The traditional school uniform is the foundation of a true learning environment. Quotation “Give me liberty or give me death.”

9. DON’Ts of Persuasive Writing: Don’t : Don’t begin with “Hello my name is___ and I’m going to write about____” Don’t use the word “I “ (Instead of “I think we shouldn’t wear uniforms” say “Uniforms shouldn’t be required.” Don’t use I think, I feel, I believe, in my opinion…No one cares! We want facts!

10. Next: Creating a Thesis Statement A thesis statement is one sentence at the end of your introduction that states your opinion as a fact. It needs to be strong. First, choose 3 main focus points (reasons) from your pre-writing. List them here… Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3

11. Writing the Thesis Statement Summarize the what and why of the assignment. Summarize your 3 main focus points (reasons). Write an opinion statement without using I. Put your completed thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph. The students of the __ fraternity need a mascot ___________. ___ should be our mascot because _1_, _2_, _3_. ___ is the most appropriate symbol for our fraternity because _______. YOUR TURN! WRITE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT HERE…

12. Which of the following is a good thesis statement? 1.I believe we must stop wasting food now! 2. The problem of food waste can easily be solved by implementing three simple steps: reduce, reuse, recycle. 3. If you aren’t reducing, reusing, and recycling, you should. 4. I believe wasting food is a huge problem. We need to reduce our food waste. For example, make a shopping list before you go to the store, and only buy things you truly need. You shouldn’t buy a gallon of milk if you are only going to drink a quart of it during the week. Who cares if the gallon size is on sale?

13. Our Introductory Paragraph: Fast Food Is Killing America! Did you know that a typical child needs 2,000 calories for an entire day and Burger King’s Whopper with triple cheese has 1,230 calories? That is far more calories than anyone needs in one day! Fast food consumption has risen 500 percent since 1970 and today reaches nearly every part of society, including some public school cafeterias. Fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to sluggishness. Fast food is bad for your health! CATCHY TITLE GRABBER THESIS STATEMENT YOUR THREE ARGUMENTS Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

14. Show “The Other Side…” Tell your reader what the counter-argument is and prove why it shouldn’t matter Explain what others may think and why…but especially why they are wrong! Some people may argue ___, however ________. YOUR TURN! WRITE A COUNTER ARGUMENT HERE…

15. Conclusion…  End using one or more of the following strategies: – Call the reader to action – Make a Prediction  The last paragraph wraps up the writing and gives the reader something to think about. Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

16. Strategies for Conclusions Call to Action – Ask the reader to do something or to make something happen “I challenge you to vote for… Make a Prediction – Explain what might be the consequences (negative and positive) of action or inaction “If you choose ___ then _______________.” “If you don’t choose ___ then _______________________.” YOUR TURN! WRITE A CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT HERE… Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

17. Concluding Paragraph: Restate your thesis. End with… – A call to action (Consider your options the next time you are faced with a decision about what to eat.) In closing, it’s important to remember that too much fast food can have negative effects on your health. If not eaten in moderation, you can gain weight, suffer from high blood pressure and become slow and sluggish. Is it worth the risk to your body? Eat Healthy and Make good choices! Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

18. Persuasive Techniques to Use… Logical Appeal ~ expert testimony and statistics Emotional Appeal ~ make audience feel strong emotion (list examples here…) Bandwagon ~ everybody is doing this Name-calling ~ negative words Testimonial ~ famous person endorses

19. Persuasive Techniques to Use… Glittering Generality ~ commonly admired virtues, positive words, you’d be crazy to turn it down Plain Folks ~ normal, everyday people connection Transfer ~ use symbols/images to make connections Fear ~ scare them into action Repetition ~ repeat a phrase many times Snob Appeal ~ will make you the best, better than others, flatters our inner snob