HESS-2014

Why Master Persuasion?

• I argue that we utilize persuasion on a daily basis. Be it trying to talk a friend into going to a movie with you to asking your parents if you can out just one hour later. Persuasion is an incredibly powerful tool to command and will serve you well if mastered.

Presenting a convincing argument . . .

From Reading to Writing The authors of Night and Farewell to Manzanar describe terrible injustices that they experienced. You, too, may want to take a stand against injustice or express an unpopular opinion that you believe in strongly.

Presenting a convincing argument . . .

a persuasive essay.One way to convince others that you are

right is to write

Presenting a convincing argument . . .

persuasive essayFor a you:

present your opinion (Avoid pronouns!) defend your opinion with supporting

evidence

WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IT WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IT

Presents the issue and states your

opinion

Summary of opinion What readers should do

Summary of opinion What readers should do

Supporting evidence

Supporting evidence

Supporting evidence

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

B a s i c s i n a B o x

Persuasive Essay at a Glance

RUBRIC Standards for Writing

A successful persuasive essay should• state the issue and your

position on it clearly in the introduction

• be geared to the audience you’re trying to convince

• support your position with facts, statistics, and reasons

• answer possible objections to your position

• show clear reasoning

• conclude with a summary of your position or a call to action

Writing Your Persuasive Essay1 Prewriting

Good writers are those who keep the language efficient. That is to say, keep it accurate, keep it clear.

Ezra Pound, poet

Good writers are those who keep the language efficient. That is to say, keep it accurate, keep it clear.

Ezra Pound, poet

For the sake of this exercise, I have already done the research for you.

In the future, I will allow you to select a topic YOU feel strongly about.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay1 Prewriting

You will choose one of two topics:

1) Single-gender Education

2) The Death Penalty

Planning Your Persuasive Essay

1. Clearly state your position. What do you believe about the issue? What are your reasons for believing that way?

2. Consider your audience. What do your readers know about the issue? What are their opinions on it?

3. Gather support for your arguments. Where will you find the information you need? What facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, and quotations support your position? Which evidence is strongest? What support might people who object to your position present? How can you answer those objections?

Writing Your Persuasive Essay1 Prewriting—Graphic Organizer

Once you have decided upon your topic, select the three most powerful details to support your argument. You will want to use the magic formula for this task.

Where do you stand?

Writing Your Persuasive Essay2 Drafting

Continue exploring and developing your

ideas. Revise your opinion as you write.

Eventually, you will need to state your

opinion clearly and support it with

convincing evidence.

Support with:

facts statistics examples quotations anecdotes

Writing Your Persuasive Essay2 Drafting

Writing Your Persuasive Essay2 Drafting

Avoid these illogical arguments and faulty

and deceptive uses of language:

circular reasoning—restating

something in other words without

offering proof

That’s the worst idea I ever heard

because it’s really stupid.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay2 Drafting

Avoid:

over-generalization—making a

statement that’s too broad to prove

Nobody could possibly believe

any other way.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay2 Drafting

Avoid:

either-or fallacy—inappropriately

stating that there are only two possible

alternatives

Either I get an A on the test or

my life will be over.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay2 Drafting

Avoid:

cause-and-effect fallacy—assuming

that because event B followed event A,

A caused B

I got chosen for the team because

I wore my lucky charm.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay3 Revising

TARGET SKILL:

Don’t forget your hook!!!

Capture your reader’s attention. Try using: a bold statement an unusual fact an interesting anecdote a question a quotation an anecdote

Writing Your Persuasive Essay43

Editing and Proofreading

TARGET SKILL

CORRECTING FRAGMENTS

*Sentence fragments do not express complete

thoughts. For that reason, they make your

writing difficult to understand and weaken your

arguments.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay4 Editing and Proofreading

TARGET SKILL

CORRECTING FRAGMENTS

Correct fragments by adding whatever is

missing from the sentence—subject, verb, or

independent clause.

Voice

• We have just finished writing the soundtrack to our lives. That project was essentially a series of short personal narratives, so make sure you are making an appropriate shift back to a formal voice for this piece.

Assessment

• This is the last piece before break. I am going to assess your pieces using the eighty-point rubric, so you have an opportunity to really positively impact your grade before Winter Recess. Make sure you do a nice job on this assignment!!

Questions????