Persuasive+Writing

We encounter persuasive writing everyday. We see it on television, hear it on the radio, magazine ads, and even in the President of the United States State of the Union address. Persuassive writing plays an important part in your everyday life.

During this lesson we will go through the process of writing a persuassive letter or essay. Our goal is try to convince someone or a group of people to agree with you on your chosen topic. Persuassive writing relies heavily on FACTS not OPINIONS.

TRANSITIONAL WORDS: Transitional words are used to show how ideas are connected. Transitions take yor reader from one thought to another. If yo do not make connections between your ideas your reader will insert his or her own thoughts, which is usually not a good idea. When writing persuassively it is important that you lead the reader in the direction you want them to go.
 * __Lesson 1__**

Common Transitional Words and but or while although unlike while however in other words to sum up because to sum up consequently first next sometimes surely on the other hand

Transitional words help show both sides of the arguement when written or spoken.

__**complete the following to test your knowledge.**__

a. of course b. but
 * Student name: Date:**
 * Select the most appropriate transition word or phrase for each sentence.**
 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="580" height="1"]] ||
 * 1. In an effort to cut down on discipline problems, our school has decided to require students to wear uniforms; most students are opposed to the idea.

2. Many scholars believe that Amelia Earhardt was one of the most influential people in women's history; others feel that Susan B. Anthony played a more important role. a. unless b. however

3. The principal added additional detention time for students caught littering the school grounds; the campus became much cleaner almost overnight. a. consequently b. but 4. The Iditarod can be a grueling race; the dogs sometimes run for hours at a time without a break. a. while b. for instance

5. Jacob can't seem to get enough sugar, he loves cookies and cupcakes. a. in particular b. similarly

6. The new highway is scheduled to go through our backyard; we've decided to move. a. therefore b. next ||

Using Supporting Examples
 * __LESSON 2__**

Creating a successful persuasive essay requires that you argue facts, not opinions. In order to write a convincing paper you must first establish your facts and then provide statements to support those facts. Here are a few examples: 1. John loves music. He plays the piano and the flute. 2. Jessie loves to read. Her favorite authors are Beverly Cleary and Louis Sachar. She likes to read for at least an hour every night after dinner. 3. It is important to read to young children. Research shows that children who are read to from birth until they reach school age, score significantly higher in all academic areas.

__**Complete the following to test your knowledge**__ __**Choose the example that best supports the statement.**__


 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="540" height="1"]] ||
 * __** 1 **__** . **** Random **** locker searches create a safer school environment **__** . **__ ||
 * **__ a. __** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** Many knives, guns, and drugs have been confiscated ** ||
 * **__ b. __** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** lockers are much neater now ** ||
 * **__ c. __** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** principals often laugh at what they see ** ||
 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="1" height="10"]] ||
 * **__ 2. __ Girls that play sports are more successful later in life. ** ||
 * **__ a. __** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** out of 1,000 women polled, 85% of those who ranked themselves as happy and successful in their chosen professions also noted that they participated in sports during their childhood ** ||
 * ** b. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** soccer is a favorite sport ** ||
 * ** c. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** drinking lots of water during physical activity is important ** ||
 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="1" height="10"]] ||
 * ** 3. School lunches are among the least nutritious meals served in town. ** ||
 * ** a. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** my favorite lunch is pizza, salad, and brownies ** ||
 * ** b. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** I never buy my lunch at school ** ||
 * ** c. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** nutritionists analyzed an average week's lunches and found them to be lacking in many essential vitamins and minerals while at the same time loaded with fat and sugar. ** ||
 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="1" height="10"]] ||
 * ** 4. Banning a book is not always the most favorable solution to a problem. ** ||
 * ** a. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** often, banned books become the most well-read books in school—banning them only causes more students to want to read them. ** ||
 * ** b. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** Book burning is wrong ** ||
 * ** c. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** //The Wizard of Oz// is not like the movie ** ||
 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="1" height="10"]] ||
 * ** 5. Children watch too much television. ** ||
 * ** a. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** cartoons are often very funny ** ||
 * ** b. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** studies show that the average child watches three hours of TV per day ** ||
 * ** c. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** our family owns four televisions ** ||
 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="1" height="10"]] ||
 * ** 6. Computer and video game rating systems do very little to actually protect under-aged children from violent material. ** ||
 * ** a. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** I love to play racing games on my game system ** ||
 * ** b. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** the "T" and "M" ratings on games seem to be the most frequently purchased and rented by children or by parents for their children. ** ||
 * ** c. ** || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="5" height="1"]] || ** sound systems on most game consoles are poor ** ||

__**Lesson 3**__ What is the purpose of persuasive writing?

When writing a persuasive essay or letter you are trying to influence or change a reader's thoughts or opinions on a particular topic. To have a successful essay or letter you must have a well thought out plan.

Your plan should include: 1. Choosing your topic 2. Researching your topic 3. Deciding on your structure for writing

When choosing a topic, you need to choose something you can write passionately about, and if is an actual compelling issue you would like to correct.

Examples:

Why should families own pets? Elementary kids should have more recess. School Uniforms are a good idea/bad idea Should teachers give homework? Civil Rights Womens Rights The Death Penalty Cruelty to Animals Gun Control

To Do:

Decide on several topics you may want to address and brainstorm ideas to support your topic.

Research:
 * __Lesson 4__**

You can find a variety of information and facts from many places. -encyclopedias -newspapers -magazines -textbooks -online sources -interviews

Once you have chosen your topic you need to brainstorm and research facts about your topic before you begin writing.

Lesson 5

Brainstorming and Prewriting:

In order to persuade someone to believe what you believe you have to know what they believe first.!!!!

Review your research and create a list of arguements for and arguements against your topic.

Use the following:

Student Name __________________________________________________ Date:__________________________________________

Plan your arguements.

You will choose the best three arguements to include in your writing.

__Arguements that SUPPORT your position__ __Arguements that OPPOSE your position__ Planning your writing:

What your writing should contain:

1. Opening/Introduction: you will introduce your readers to the topic and give background information. You may want to state your topic as a question. "Are pajamas appropriate to wear to school?" This is the HOOK of your paper. You need to be able to pull your reader in and grab their attention. You should end your Introduction with your position on the topic. 2. Body: you should try to choose 3 of your best arguements and write three paragraphs about them with supporting ideas. Don't forget you are trying to prove why your idea is better, so you have to have facts that back up your position. Remember the transitional words when writing your paragraphs. 3. Closing/Conclusion: You should always restate your conclusion in the closing paragraph and briefly tie in all three of your arguements. Do not introduce new information here. Summarize your arguements and close with a powerful statement.


 * __Planning Worksheet:__**


 * Student name: _____________________________ Date: _________________**

Introduce your readers to the topic and give a little background information. State your position on the issue within the last sentence of the paragraph. The body of your essay should contain at least **three** paragraphs. Each paragraph must state a different viewpoint on your topic, examine the opposition to that viewpoint and provide a defense of that viewpoint. Opposing viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Your viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Discussion and defense of your viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Opposing viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Your viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Discussion and defense of your viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Opposing viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Your viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Discussion and defense of your viewpoint: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Summarize the arguments and then close with a powerful statement relating to your originally stated issue. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
 * Use this space to plan the structure of your paper.**
 * Opening**
 * Body**
 * Paragraph 1 — Viewpoint 1**
 * Paragraph 2 — Viewpoint 2**
 * Paragraph 3 — Viewpoint 3**
 * Closing/Conclusion**

__**Lesson 5**__ Drafting your paper

Looking over your Planning worksheet you should be able to write a rough draft of your paper. As your writing focus on the information and allow your thoughts to flow freely. Don't worry to much about the grammer, spelling and puncuation.

Draft Worksheet:


 * Student name: _____________________________ Date: _________________**

Use this worksheet as you review your interview tape or notes. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
 * Possible Titles:**
 * Important Points to Include:**
 * Great Quotes I Plan to Use:**
 * Possible Beginning "Hooks"**
 * Possible Endings:**


 * (First Main Idea)**
 * I. _______________________________________________________________________**
 * ________________________________________________________________________**
 * (Supporting Details)**
 * A. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * B. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * C. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * (Second Main Idea)**
 * II. ______________________________________________________________________**
 * ________________________________________________________________________**
 * (Supporting Details)**
 * A. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * B. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * C. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * (Final Idea)**
 * III. ______________________________________________________________________**
 * ________________________________________________________________________**
 * (Supporting Details)**
 * A. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * B. ______________________________________________________________________**


 * C. ______________________________________________________________________**

__**Lesson 6:**__ Time for revision:

You need to revise your work. Make sure that you have presented the best of your arguements. Make sure your thoughts flow and a reader will not be stumbling through your thoughts. You are not focussed on the grammer, spelling and puncuation here but the content.

During the revision you should do the following: - Add anything you feel would better explain your positions and arguements. - Rearrange your thoughts to make them flow easier. - Remove any ramblings you may have added and do not need. - Replace any text that you feel needs better wording or descriptions.

During Revision we will have peer review.

Use the following to review your peers writing.


 * Writer's name: ___________________________________**
 * Partner's name: __________________________________**
 * Writer's subject: __________________________________**


 * || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="170" height="1"]] || Yes || No || Suggestions ||
 * 1. The main idea is stated clearly in a topic sentence. || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="300" height="1"]] ||
 * 2. There are details that support the main idea. || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="300" height="1"]] ||
 * 3. Events are told in an order that makes sense. || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="300" height="1"]] ||
 * 4. Quotes are used to show what the interviewee said. || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="300" height="1"]] ||
 * 5. It ends with a strong conclusion that restates the main idea using different words. || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="35" height="1"]] || [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/images/blank.gif width="300" height="1"]] || ||

As you're reviewing your partner's writing, remember to: Editing This is a timely and the least liked of all steps in the writing process, but a very important one. Look for the following in your papers- - Capitalization mistakes -each sentence starts with a capital letter - All names of people and places begin with a capital letter - Titles in a person's name begin with a capital letter - Each important word in a title begins with a capital letter - Organization - Handwriting is neat - Story starts at the beginning - Story makes sense. -Punctuation - Commas separate items in a list, appear within sentences that have direct quotes - All sentences end with a period or appropriate ending punctuation. -Spelling and Sentences - Correct spelling of words - All sentences are complete and include a subject and verb - all subjects and verbs agree.
 * Look over the checklist, if anything needs work, offer suggestions.
 * Mention something you liked about the writing.
 * Check for proper quotation usage.
 * Use a gentle manner of speaking.
 * Listen to one another carefully and quietly.
 * __Lesson 7:__**

__**Lesson 8**__ Time to write Final Draft As you write your final draft remember to write legibly and check for mistakes as you go. Time to celebrate your accomplishment on writing your Persuasive paper.