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Persuasive Writing for the High School Classroom

Persuasive Writing for the High School Classroom. Write to a Persuasive Prompt.

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Persuasive Writing for the High School Classroom

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  1. Persuasive Writing for the High School Classroom

  2. Write to a Persuasive Prompt • Many people have expressed concern about the starting time for high school. The school board has suggested that school begin two hours later and end two hours later. Take a position on this proposal, and write a multiple-paragraph letter to the school board to persuade them to agree with your position.

  3. The Basic Four Paragraph Formula For An • Excellent SAT Essay • With only 25 minutes to complete a well-written essay, students need a strategy to succeed. This is it. • Achieve this and you will have done well. • Paragraph 1 Main Idea • Includes a Thesis Statement • Paragraph 2 Topic Sentence – Point A • Supported by Vivid Details and/or a Personal example • Paragraph 3 Topic Sentence – Point B – Opposite/Different Perspective from Point A • Supported by Vivid Details and/or a Personal example • Paragraph 4 Strong Conclusion • Connects back to the Thesis Statement

  4. How to Create an Outline: The Four Paragraph SAT Essay of Excellence There are Four Main Sections a student wants to outline before they begin to write their essay. Paragraph 1 – The Main Idea (including a Thesis Statement) Paragraph 2 – Supporting Paragraph #1 (Point A) Paragraph 3 – Supporting Paragraph #2 (Point B) Paragraph 4 – The Concrete Conclusion (re-connecting to the Thesis) Outline these four Big Points in two minutes BEFORE YOU BEGIN!!

  5. Sample #1 DIRECTIONS: Please explain the following quote and whether or not you agree or disagree with the statement. “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Two-Minute General Outline: Paragraph 1 - You must care about something in order to really create greatness. Paragraph 2 – I agree, being negative will never result in producing amazing results. Paragraph 3 – Examples exist everywhere proving this point. Paragraph 4 – Without genuine passion, excellence is unattainable.

  6. Sample #2 DIRECTIONS: Please explain the following quote and whether or not you agree or disagree with the statement. “The person who lies for you will lie against you.” (Harry Truman) Two-Minute General Outline: Paragraph 1 – A liar is a liar. Paragraph 2 – Betrayal will eventually happen. Paragraph 3 – Honesty is a principle without exception. Paragraph 4 – People who lie for you reveal their true character so beware.

  7. How To Convert A Question Prompt Into A Thesis Statement 1. Read the Question Prompt. 2. Change the Prompt from a question into a firm statement. Example:Question Prompt: Why do you like vanilla ice cream?Thesis: Many reasons exist for me to like vanilla ice cream. Question Prompt: Do you agree that the United States should avoid raising taxes?Thesis: I completely disagree with the idea that the United States should avoid raising taxes.

  8. 3. Use this converted statement as the basis for your thesis. More examples: Question: Considering that most teenage driving fatalities occur after dark, do you believe that teenage drivers should be banned from driving at night?Converted to Thesis Statement: Because most teenage driving fatalities occur after dark, teenagers should not be allowed to drive their cars after the sun sets. Question: If at the age of eighteen a person can join the military and die for their country, do you feel that they should then also be allowed to go into a bar and be served an alcoholic beverage?Converted to Thesis Statement: If a person can join the military and die for their country, they should definitely be able to enter a bar and be served an alcoholic beverage.

  9. Tips to Remember about Thesis Statements: They need to be direct and focused. They need to serve as an umbrella which can be used for the entire essay. They must address a specific topic and put forth a clear main idea.

  10. The Necessity of Having a Point of View A POINT OF VIEW (P.O.V.) ASSERT YOUR OPINION. You will not be penalized for the stance you take on a matter, nor on your beliefs. Your ideas are your ideas, however… YOU WILL NOT SCORE HIGH IF YOU DO NOT TAKE A STANCE OR PUT FORTH YOUR BELIEFS! Remember… HAVING A CLEAR POINT OF VIEW INCREASES YOUR ESSAY SCORE NOT HAVING AN OBVIOUS P.O.V. DETRACTS POINTS FROM YOUR SCORE. Having an obvious P.O.V., countering with an opposing P.O.V. and then re-asserting an additional reason to support your own P.O.V. raises your scores into the upper echelons of the grading rubric. Also remember… You will be marked down by a scorer if you do not take a position and make an argument.

  11. Enhance Your Descriptions by Tapping the Five Senses Write about how the sunshine’s sizzle sounded like a Sunday morning omelet. Write about how the old car smelled like a bad tuna fish sandwich. Write about how the baby’s skin felt like the petal of an orchid. Write about how the broken computer looked like a fallen soldier. ALWAYS USE SPECIFIC DETAIL AND VIVID LANGUAGE IN YOUR ESSAY!! PITFALLS: Watch out! Not following your outline. Making generalized statements that lack support. Not including personal experience. Using dull, non-descriptive language.

  12. Addressing Multiple Perspectives on The Same Issue for a High-Scoring Essay MAKE SURE THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARAGRAPH 3 IS DIFFERENT/OPPOSITE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARAGRAPH 2. Students encounter problems when they do not address a different/opposite perspective in Paragraph 3: Students who only look at the question from one perspective do not demonstrate the sophisticated thought process test graders like to see. Students who only look at the question from one perspective tend to be repetitive in their thoughts and ideas. Students who only look at the question from only one angle tend to not score as high as those who view the question from a different/opposite perspective.

  13. How to Create a Different/Opposite Perspective for Paragraph 3: Think in terms of, “The Other Side of the Coin.” Take the other side of the argument. Play “Devil’s Advocate.” Change sides for a minute to consider all angles.

  14. For example… If paragraph 2 is discussing the need for teenage drivers to stay off the road at night, paragraph 3 can address why teenage drivers might argue that they deserve to be able to drive on the road at night. If paragraph 2 is arguing that being able to fight and die as a soldier in the military has nothing to do with being able to responsibly handle being served an alcoholic beverage in a bar, then paragraph 3 can talk about how silly it is that being served alcohol requires more maturity than being asked to handle a weapon in the army.

  15. Persuasion • Persuasive writing • has a clear position and is focused on that position. • has more than one argument to support a position. • is elaborated by using reasons, well-chosen and specific details, examples, anecdotes, facts, and/or statistics as evidence to support arguments. • is organized to make the best case for a position. • anticipates and refutes the opposing position. • begins with an opening, including a statement of position, and ending with an effective persuasive conclusion, such as a call for action. • uses transitions to connect position, arguments, and evidence. • shows commitment to position by writing in a voice appropriate for audience and purpose. • uses words, phrases, and persuasive strategies that urge or compel the reader to support a position.

  16. Persuasive Writing – definition • In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to convince the reader to believe or do something.

  17. Characteristics of Persuasive Writing • Clear position • Audience awareness • Persuasive language • Rhetorical questions • Semantics: Connotation vs. Denotation • Euphemism • Persuasive strategies • Inclusion of statistics • Expert testimony

  18. Organizational Structures Order of Importance Causal Chain Concession/Rebuttal (or counter argument) Cause and Effect Problem/Solution Definition Combination of several structures Introductions Explanation/Definition Scenario/Anecdote Questioning Conclusions Call to action Predict outcome Offer a solution Assessment Characteristics of Persuasive Writing

  19. Purposes of Persuasion • Support a cause • Urge people to action • Promote change • Refute a theory • Arouse sympathy • Stimulate interest • Win agreement • Solve a problem

  20. Persuasion is PowerfulUse it to: • Urge people to action

  21. Persuasion is PowerfulUse it to: • Support a cause

  22. Persuasion is PowerfulUse it to: • Stir up sympathy

  23. Persuasion is PowerfulUse it to: • Prove something wrong

  24. Persuasion is PowerfulUse it to: • Make a change

  25. Persuasion is PowerfulUse it to: • Get people to agree with you

  26. Persuasion is PowerfulUse it to: • Create interest

  27. What Persuades You? • Why do you decide to go along with something? • How do you convince others to go along with you? • How persuasive are you?

  28. Persuasive Writing Essentials Audience Awareness Firm Position Persuasive Language Organizational Structure

  29. Persuasive Language Position Persuasive writing is recursive in nature. All of the essential elements are constantly working together to make the best case for the position. Organizational Structures Audience Awareness Assessment Persuasive Writing

  30. Audience Awareness • Know your audience before you start writing. • The audience is who will read your writing. • The audience may include your teacher, your parents, your friends, or the President of the United States. • Think about the needs of your reader (audience) so you can give reasons that will persuade him/her.

  31. Audience Awareness • Knowing your audience helps you to decide • how to connect with the ideas, knowledge, or beliefs of the person or group. • what information to include. • how informal or formal the language should be.

  32. Audience Awareness – example Dear Mrs. Gillingham, Imagine you were a student, sitting in algebra when your teacher says, “Okay, get out your homework.” You rustle around in your backpack for a while until you realize -- oh no! You left your homework at home, perfectly done.

  33. Clear Position The writer must have a clear position and stay focused on that position. Generally, the position is stated in the opening paragraph or introduction.

  34. Clear Position – example Anxiety creases the brows of many students trying to finish their homework on time. If they don’t finish on time, they won’t get any credit. Having a no late homework rule is a very bad idea. Students’ grades will drop, their work will be of lesser quality, and school won’t feel as welcoming. Students won’t be able to do work worth a lot of merit.

  35. Persuasive Language • Connotation and denotation • Define the following words. Generate connotations. Discuss which words have positive, neutral, or negative connotations. • Group, throng, mob • Insinuate, suggest, imply • Slow, challenged, retarded • Thin, skinny, scrawny • Gentle, benign, harmless • Persnickety, selective, finicky, picky • Create your own groupings of words with similar denotations, but varying connotations.

  36. Persuasive Language Euphemism • A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for an expression thought of as harsh or blunt. • Discuss the following and generate more euphemistic expressions for each blunt word or expression. • Pass away vs. To die • Powder Room vs. Toilet • Humanitarian Intervention vs. War

  37. Persuasive Language • Persuasive language is choosing just the right words or phrases to use at just the right time with just the right audience. • Strong words trigger strong feelings. • Seizes • Snarls • Dumbstruck • Effective choice of connotations • Mean or strict • Late fee or extended-viewing fee • Used or pre-owned • Surge or escalate • Repeated words or phrases for emphasis • I have a dream…(Martin Luther King, Jr.)

  38. Persuasive Language –Find Words that Could Be More Effective You are a high school student. Essay in one hand, you go to class. “I’m done!” You smile. The teacher takes the essay out of your hands and throws it away. She says, “It’s a day late!” You look at your hard work. The teacher didn’t look at it! The No Late Homework Rule is bad.

  39. Persuasive Language Imagine yourself as a high school student. Five page essay in one hand, you rush into the classroom. “I’m done! I’m done!” you pant, beaming proudly. The teacher seizes the essay out of your grasp and tears it to pieces before your eyes. She snarls, “It’s a day late!” On your knees, you stare dumbstruckat your hard work, ripped to shreds. The teacher didn’t even glance at it! The No Late Homework Rule is a cruel, horriblerule.

  40. Cause/Effect Problem/Solution Definition Persuasive Organizational Structures Order of Importance Causal Chain Concession/Rebuttal

  41. Organizational Structures • The persuasive structures you select depend on the ideas in your paper and your audience. • Persuasive organization frequently is very different from expository organization. • As we look at different structures, we will see how they effect the organization of the paper.

  42. Organizational Structure – Order of Importance Support for a position prioritized from most to least or least to most important

  43. Order of Importance Homework should be abolished because students are too busy after school to make up for what teachers can’t seem to find time to teach during the day. Some students are athletes or participate in club activities while many students spend their after-school time working. These young adults don’t have time to re-work algebra problems! If you’re a successful athlete, you may be lucky enough to get money to go to college – that’s more important than recopying an essay! Clubs may serve as practice for the work force. But what really counts in a teen’s life would be to work in order to live, help out the family by taking care of siblings, or save money for college. In the face of these responsibilities or chances to improve life, what student would instead choose to review history notes?

  44. Of most importance Primarily Significantly Of particular concern Foremost, furthermore The most, greatest In particular Most bothersome Particularly difficult The worst Of greatest concern Of less (or least) importance Order of Importance – Transitional Phrases

  45. Organizational Structure – Causal Chain A culminating chain of events where one action leads to the next (snowball or domino effect)

  46. Causal Chain For me school starts at 7:30, which means I need to leave my house at 7:00 or 7:05. But for other students who ride the bus they must be ready far earlier than that. I see people half asleep standing outside waiting for that big yellow bus to take them to a long, tiring day at school. I think if school started later it would put many people at ease. Even if you get that extra half an hour of sleep, it can do wonders. You won’t be tired for that first period test, you won’t have to take that nap second period and miss your history notes, and you won’t miss breakfast and have to spend class time counting down the minutes to lunch. Many things would be so much better if school started later.

  47. Causal Chain – Definition • This is about a ballooning cause and effect. • Event A causes event B, which in turn causes event C, etc. • This organizational structure may be used for an entire essay or just a portion of it.

  48. After Consequently Since, because Before Meanwhile, while At that time Preceding Although Earlier Finally During Every time Soon Simultaneously As a result This will lead to Causal Chain – Transitional Phrases

  49. Organizational Structure – Concession/Rebuttal Recognizing the opposing viewpoint Conceding something may have some merit Then countering with another argument

  50. Take it up a notch! • What do the words concession/rebuttal mean to you? • Where have you experienced concession? • Where have you experienced rebuttal? • Defend why it might be a good idea to use concession and rebuttal.

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