WALT: We are learning to write an argument.

1. WALT: We are learning to write an argument.

2. Our purpose is to take a stand on an issue and justify it. What is your purpose for writing this letter?What do you want to convince John Key or Hekia Parata of?

3. Features of a Formal Letter • Start your letter with your name, address and today’s date. Miss Letica Tahuna Normal Intermediate Auld StreetDunedinTuesday May 29, 2012

4. Salutation • What is a salutation? • Dear Mr Key or Dear Mrs Parata,

5. First paragraph: • Introduce yourself and your school. • Briefly explain why your purpose. This is called your statement of position. My name is Miss Letica and I am a student teacher at Tahuna Normal Intermediate in Dunedin. I am currently studying a Post-Graduate Diploma in Primary Teaching. I am writing to you today to express how disappointed and frustrated I feel about the changes to education funding that were made in the recent Budget.

6. Next paragraphs: • Start with your strongest point. Back this point up with evidence. • Take your point further by showing cause and effect. • Each point should be written in its own paragraph. I think that these changes will be harmful to students because it may result in bigger class sizes. If schools choose to use their funding to keep their technology teachers, this could lead to 40 students in a classroom. 40 students in a classroom will be too disruptive and make it too hard to get any time with the teacher, which will harm students’ learning.

7. Each point should have its own paragraph. • Each point should be backed up by reasons. • Your points should be in a logical order. • Each paragraph should discuss a different point. • Harmful to students because of bigger classes. • School might not be as enjoyable for students anymore. • Specialist teachers will be better at teaching technology subjects than classroom teachers. • Some technology teachers might lose their jobs.

8. Conclusion • Sum up your main points in this paragraph. For all these reasons, I strongly believe that cutting education would be a tragic mistake. These changes will be detrimental to students’ learning and will lead to bigger class sizes. Students will not enjoy school as much and will not learn specialist subjects anymore. Specialist teachers are much more skilled at teaching these subjects than regular classroom teachers. These specialist teachers might lose their jobs, which is not good for the economy or for their families. I implore you to change your position on this issue and hope you will listen to the many people in New Zealand who do not agree with these changes. Yours sincerely, Miss Letica.

9. Language Features of an argument: • Written in the present tense • Use verbs to express your opinion, like think, believe and feel • Use conjunctions that add extra information or introduce examples, like as shown by, therefore, results in, such as, for instance. • Use emotive language like tragic, unreasonable, disastrous, catastrophic • Use rhetorical questions to make your point, like “Where would the extra desks go?” or “Would your children be happy with this decision?”