1. The Essay: The What and the Why

2. “What do you think about school uniforms?”
What vs. Why
Identification vs. Analysis
Expository/Summary vs. Essay
The purpose of the Persuasive Essay

3. What is a Persuasive Essay?
Sample Persuasive Essay
INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
HOOK, INTRODUCE SUBJECT, BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ISSUE, THESIS STATEMENT (OPINION)
BODY PARAGRAPHS
TOPIC SENTENCE/CLAIM/REASON, SUPPORTS, TRANSITION WORDS, COUNTERARGUMENT
CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
RESTATE THESIS, CLAIMS, CALL TO ACTION

4. Introduction Paragraph
First, you have to introduce your argument. And you have to hook your reader.
Introduction Paragraph:
A. Hook
B. Introduce subject
C. Give background info on issue
D. THESIS STATEMENT (Your main argument)

5. The Hook
If you want your reader to read your whole essay, you have to HOOK them!

6. Types of Hooks A Quote A Question (Something ANY reader could answer)
A Clever Pitch (sell your argument)
An Anecdote (a mini-story relating to issue)

7. Types of Hooks (cont.)
A Clever Pitch for the Story Itself (Similar to an advertisement)
ex/ A UFO lands in a pond. Two state troopers find a trail of footprints leading from the site to a small diner. Inside they find seven travelers, six came from a bus, one from the UFO...which one is the Martian?
An ANECDOTE (A short short story relating to the discussion at hand)
ex/ When I was eight, my mother became very ill with pneumonia and had to be hospitalized. While she fought the illness in her hospital bed, I struggled with questions. Would she recover? What would become of me if she died? Luckily, my mother survived and returned home the following week. However, in ....

8. GUIDED: Write a hook for an essay on school uniforms.
1. A Quote: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. A Question: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. GUIDED: Write a hook for an essay on school uniforms.
3. A Pitch: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. An Anecdote: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. INDEPENDENT: Write a hook for your essay on Facebook.
1. A Quote: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. A Question: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. INDEPENDENT: Write a hook for an essay on Facebook.
3. A Pitch: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. An Anecdote: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Give Background Info on the Issue
Introduce the Subject
Assume your reader knows nothing. Define the subject. If you’re writing about school uniforms, identify what schools and what a uniform is.
Give Background Info on the Issue
What is the problem? What is the controversy? What is the debate?

13. GUIDED: Introduce the subject and give background info on school uniforms at Clark Middle School.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. INDEPENDENT: Introduce the subject and give background info on the Facebook issue.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. THESIS STATEMENT: The most important part of your essay!
A THESIS STATEMENT identifies your argument.
For the Persuasive essay, this should be your opinion on the issue. Use FORCEFUL words.
ex/ Cell phones are destroying our society and should be banned.
The THESIS STATEMENT is hugely important as it is your main argument. Without it, the reader has no idea what your essay is about.
Consider it your road map for the reader.

16. GUIDED: Write a THESIS STATEMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING TWO ISSUES
ISSUE ONE: I want to write an essay that argues that cell phones should be permitted in school.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. GUIDED
SCENARIO TWO: I want to write an essay that argues that our school would benefit from buying Ipads for each student.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. INDEPENDENT
INDEPENDENT: Write a THESIS STATEMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO
SCENARIO FIVE: You want to write an essay that analyzes the Facebook issue.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. BODY PARAGRAPHS BODY PARAGRAPHS--The "meat" of your argument
Here is where you offer your reasoning for your argument.
Your reasons appear as your CLAIMS and support them in various ways. Each CLAIM gets its own paragraph. Since we are beginners, we will stick with three CLAIMS (reasons).

20. TOPIC SENTENCES
-CLAIMS: Your main reasons or supports for your argument. These are introduced in the form of a topic sentence.
-TOPIC SENTENCE: One sentence, appearing at the beginning of a BODY PARAGRAPH, that directly pronounces your CLAIM.

21. TOPIC SENTENCES (CONT.)
YOUR TOPIC SENTENCES DIRECTLY RELATE TO YOUR THESIS STATEMENT.
IF YOUR THESIS STATEMENT SAYS YOU WILL DISCUSS SCHOOL UNIFORMS, YOU HAVE MENTION SCHOOL UNIFORMS.
TOPIC SENTENCES SHOULD ALSO BEGIN WITH A TRANSITION WORD.

22. GUIDED
THESIS STATEMENT: “School uniforms should not be required at Monroe Clark Middle School.”
TOPIC SENTENCE 1: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. TOGETHER
THESIS STATEMENT: “School uniforms should not be required at Monroe Clark Middle School.”
TOPIC SENTENCE 2: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. GUIDED
THESIS STATEMENT: “School uniforms should not be required at Monroe Clark Middle School.”
TOPIC SENTENCE 3: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

25. GUIDED
THESIS STATEMENT: “School uniforms should be required at Monroe Clark Middle School.”
TOPIC SENTENCE 1: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

26. GUIDED
THESIS STATEMENT: “School uniforms should be required at Monroe Clark Middle School.”
TOPIC SENTENCE 2: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. GUIDED
THESIS STATEMENT: “School uniforms should be required at Monroe Clark Middle School.”
TOPIC SENTENCE 3: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

28. INDEPENDENT
YOUR THESIS on the FACEBOOK ISSUE:_____________________________________________________________________
TOPIC SENTENCE 1 (your first and best reason, preceded by a transition word). __________________________________________________________________________.

29. INDEPENDENT
YOUR THESIS on the FACEBOOK ISSUE:_____________________________________________________________________
TOPIC SENTENCE 2 (preceded by a transition word). __________________________________________________________________________.

30. INDEPENDENT
YOUR THESIS on the FACEBOOK ISSUE:_____________________________________________________________________
TOPIC SENTENCE 3 (preceded by a transition word). __________________________________________________________________________.

31. BODY PARAGRAPHS—SUPPORT FOR YOUR ARGUMENT
After you make your claim in the topic sentence, you have to convince your reader! Use various forms of support to persuade your reader!

32. Persuasive Techniques
The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's.
For an argument to be persuasive it must APPEAL to the reader’s:
Emotion
Logic
Ethics (Character)

33. Emotional Appeals
Means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions.
The emotional or motivational appeals:
vivid language
emotional language and
numerous sensory details.
Personal experiences to create an emotional response and connect to the audience.

34. Emotional Appeals Examples
“Kids don’t even think anymore. They just watch television, and believe whatever they see.”
“No dress code means no forced uniformity. The freedom of the individual is tied up in being able to choose what you wear.”

35. Logical Appeals
Support your general claims with concrete specific data and reasons.
Logical appeals include:
Facts
Statistics
Definitions
Quotes from experts

36. Logical Appeals Examples
“Students who eat breakfast are 83% more likely to finish high school.”
Alice Jackson Ph.D., Chief Doctor of Medicine at UCLA, states that exercising is the best way to prevent heart disease.

37. Ethical Appeals
Means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people we respect.
Expert opinions
Quotations from well-known and respected individuals or groups
The group or person must be trustworthy!

38. Ethical Appeal Examples
Barack Obama says, “There is no excuse for not trying.”
“Four out of five dentists agree that flossing is essential for healthy teeth and gums.”

39. Body Paragraph setup: 1. Topic Sentence (Your claim)
2. Supporting Statement (connected to evidence)
3. Evidence to Prove Claim (Quotation)
4. Supporting Statement (connected to evidence)
5. Further Evidence to Prove Claim

40. Together: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Body Paragraph 1:
Topic Sentence:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

41. Supp.Statement: __________________________________________________________________________
Evidence: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

42. Supp.Statement: __________________________________________________________________________
Evidence: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

43. Guided "Birthday Box" Body Paragraph 1:
Topic Sentence:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

44. Supp.Statement: __________________________________________________________________________
Evidence: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

45. Supp.Statement: __________________________________________________________________________
Evidence: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

46. Independent: "Birthday Box" Body Paragraph 2: Body Paragraph 3:
Great! Now write it out with an indent (of course) and double-spacing!

47. The Conclusion Paragraph
A CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH closes up your essay by restating your argument and claims. It also should include a call to action.
A Call to Action is where you encourage your reader to do something. For example, “If you feel uniforms are a bad idea, please write your own letter to Mr. Liberto today!”

48. Conclusion Paragraph
First, RESTATE your THESIS. This means REWORD it--don't simply copy it down. Perhaps, the best way is to reorganize the order of your thesis statement.

49. Conclusion Paragraph
Next, revisit your claims and, again, reword them.

50. Conclusion Paragraph
Finally, write your call to action. What do you want your reader to do with this information and their opinion?