Persuasive Writing Alexis A. Fruia

January 19-23, 2014 6th Grade English

Objectives �  Appreciate persuasive writing

�  Understand the purpose of a persuasive essay

�  Plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish a persuasive essay.

What is a Persuasive Essay? �  A persuasive essay is a piece of writing that

�  states an opinion

�  Provides strong reasons to support that opinion and issues a call to action.

Promoting a Cause �  Page 231

�  “Save the whales!” “Alba Moreno for class President!” “Reuse and recycle!’ Each of these statements identifies a cause. Like most people, you probably have worthy causes that you support, too. If you feel strongly enough about them, you will want to persuade others to support them as well.

�  Persuasive writing is one way to get others to think that way that you do. To do this, you must express a thoughtful opinion that shows your position and strong reasons and evidence to support it. In this unit, others to support one of the causes that you believe in.

Writing Guidelines �  Subject: A cause that you believe in

�  Purpose: To persuade others to agree with you

�  Form: Persuasive essay

�  Audience: Classmates

Promote a Cause Free write �  What cause do you feels strongly about? For

example, think about something you would like to see changed ( school menu, weekend homework).

�  Explain why your cause is important.

�  Does your cause affect more than just a few people?

�  Why might someone object to your cause?

�  Encourage students to use a variety of sentence patterns. ( use transition words!)

Understand Your Goal �  Your goal in this chapter is to write a persuasive essay convincing others

to support a cause you believe in. The traits listed below will help you meet that goal. The scoring rubric on page 48-49 will also help you. Refer to it often to improve your writing.

�  Focus and Coherence: Choose one cause that you support. Sate it clearly at the beginning. Make sure that your positions is supported by detailed evidence and sound reasoning. Wrap up your essay by restating your position including consideration of alternatives at the end.

�  Organization: Create a smooth flow of ideas from the beginning through the middle to the ending. Building each paragraph on the one before it.

�  Development of Ideas: Give evidence to support your opinions about the cause.

�  Voice: Sound confident and sincere about your causes.

�  Conventions: Check your writing for errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling.

Persuasive Essay �  Page 233

�  Beginning: the beginning introduces the topic and establishes the writer’s positions (Underlined)

�  Middle: the middle paragraphs should sound reasoning and detailed evidence that support the opinion (Underlined)

�  Ending: the ending summarizes the main points and asks the reader to consider alternatives (Underlined) and makes a call to action

Writing Traits �  Focus and Coherence

�  The author states a specific position introduced by a personal experience.

�  The author supports the position with detailed evidence an sound reasoning.

�  The final paragraph acknowledges the facts (objection) that some people are well prepared to care for exotic pets.

�  The ending presents a specific call to action to take

Writing Traits �  Organization:

�  The reasons are listed in order of importance, least important to most important.

�  The author used the phrase one problem, another problem, and the most serious problem to create a smooth flow of ideas.

Writing Traits �  Development of Ideas:

�  Each body paragraph explains one reason to support the author’s position.

�  Each reason is supported by facts and examples.

Writing Traits �  Voice:

�  The writer uses persuasive words such as harmful and destructive.

�  The writer uses a confident, sincere voice.

Writing Traits �  Conventions:

�  The essay contains complete sentences.

�  The grammar and punctuations are correct.

Respond to Reading �  Focus and Coherence:

�  1. What is the writers opinion about he topic?

�  2. What are the three reasons given in the body that supports the opinion?

�  Organization:

�  3. How are these reasons organized?

�  Voice:

�  4. Does the writer sound confident and sincere?

�  5. What words or phrases tell you so?

Prewriting �  Prewriting is the first step in the writing process. It involves

selecting a topic, gathering specific details, and organizing your ideas.

�  Keys to Effective Prewriting:

�  Selecting a cause that you care about and that fits the assignment.

�  Gather details about the cause.

�  Write a clear focus statement that establish your position. Use it to guide you as you write.

�  Write topic sentences and paragraphs that include sound reasoning and evidence that supports your position.

�  Create a list or an outline as a planning guide.

Keys to Effective Prewriting �  The purpose of the prewriting stage in the writing

process is when the writer gets ready to to write: select a topic, gather details and decides how to organize those details.

�  Lets look back at what you wrote during the freewrite activity.. Think about what you would like to write about.

�  We will be writing an outline together and I will guide you. We have used an outline before when writing our informative expository essay. Pg. 486-488

Prewriting: Selecting a Topic

�  Before we get stated with the selecting process, lets talk about about your people who have championed worthwhile causes. Lets think about each young person and what they were able to accomplish and each on persuaded others to help.

�  Start by writing your cause on the top of a piece of paper.

�  Then list each question, leaving space after each one for your answers.

�  Write a sentence establishing your position. Put a star next to sound reasons and evidence that you will find and use in your essay.

Prewriting: Selecting a Topic

�  To get started, use a strategy to determine your topic. Think of worthwhile cause to write about. For example, if your school district is thinking about dropping art classes, you might write an essay opposing this proposal.

�  A chart like the one below can help you find causes that you feel strongly about. Different causes are listed under four separate categories.

�  Create a Chart

Gathering ideas and Information

Once you select a topic, the next step is to gather your first thoughts about it. The writer of the essay on pages 233-234 did this by answering three basic questions: Why is this cause important to me? What do I already know bout it? What evidence do I need to find? The answers will establish his position and help him find sound reasoning. Review his answers below.

Gather Your Thoughts �  Answer the three questions about your own topic.

This will help your determine your position and organize your reasons and evidence.

Prewriting Selecting a Topic

�  To get started, use a strategy to determine your topic. Think of a worthwhile cause to write about, For example, if your school district is thinking about dropping art classes, you might write an essay opposing this proposal.

�  A chart like the one below can help you find causes that you feel strongly about. Different causes are listed under four separate categories.

Prewriting: Understanding Opinions and Facts

�  At this point, make sure that your are clear about the difference between facts and opinions. An opinions is a feeling or belief; a fact is a detail that can be used to support an opinion. Opinions and positions must be supported with facts and reasons that are logical to the cause.

Understanding Opinions and Facts

�  Where can you go to check facts?

�  Examples: (encyclopedias, newspapers, original sources, experts, reference book)

�  Opinions usually include words that show feelings such as ( should, good, bad, best, or worst)

�  TRY IT! We are going to do the Try it activity together J

Writing a Position Statement

�  Your position statement must establish your opinion by identifying (1) your cause an (2) your feeling about it. Review the examples that follow.

Making A Plan �  Once you have written your position statement, the

next step is to list the sound, logical supporting reasons. Pg. 239

Writing Topic Sentences �  Each of your main reasons become a topic

sentence for a supporting paragraph in your essay.

Prewriting Organizing Your Ideas

�  Once you’ve written our topic sentences use an appropriate organizational strategy to plan your draft.

Drafting �  A first draft lets you get all your ideas down on paper. You’re ready to write a first

draft when you have written a clear opinion statement and gathering supporting details.

�  Keys to Effective Writing

�  Use your organized list or outline as a planning guide.

�  Get all your ideas on paper in your first draft.

�  Write a clearer position statement; use topic sentences in the middle paragraphs that support your position.

�  Add sound reasons and evidence to support your topic sentences and interest the reader.

�  Use transitions to tie everything together.

�  Write with your purpose, from, and audience in mind. Ask yourself these questions as you write:

�  What is my purpose for writing?

�  Am I keeping to the correct form?

�  Who is my audience?

Drafting Getting the Big Picture

�  Once you have finished your prewriting, your are ready to begin the first draft of your persuasive essay. Remember, you are trying to convince the reader to agree with your feeling about a cause- and perhaps also to do something as a result.

�  The graphic below shows how the different parts of a persuasive essay fit together.

�  Beginning- The beginning grabs the reader’s attention and establishes the position.

�  Middle- The middle incudes sound supporting reasons and detailed and relevant evidence.

�  Ending- The ending summarizes the argument, incudes consideration of alternatives, and makes a call to action.

Starting Your Essay �  Once you have written a position statement and

organized your thinking, you’re ready to start writing your essay. In the beginning paragraph of a persuasive essay, you should grab the reader’s attention and establish your position. Here are several good ways to begin:

�  Give some intersecting information about your topic.

�  Ask a question.

�  Quote someone.

�  Share an experience.

Beginning Paragraph �  The writer of the following essay captures the

reader’s attention with a question and some interesting information and then shares a opinion statement. (underlined)