Getting Your Point Across Persuasive Writing Techniques What

Getting Your Point Across: Persuasive Writing Techniques

What will you Learn? Learning Outcomes � Learners will understand the rules and conventions of persuasive writing and how they can effectively utilize these techniques in their own writing. Ohio Language Arts Standards Met Writing Applications 5. Write persuasive essays that establish a clear position and include relevant information to support ideas. Writing Processes 4. Determine a purpose and audience

Do you like where you are? Think about where you are at this moment… What if none of this existed? � Do you enjoy the extra �What if there were no -curricular activities offered? � How about this brand new, state of the art middle school? � Bus transportation is pretty nice, right? funds for extras? �What if the walls were falling and there were no computers, etc? �What if you had to walk of have your folks drive everyday?

The answer to this problem is simple: Vote for the levy and you can maintain all of the good without any of the bad! �Do you see how a few short arguments in support of my stance was able to convince you that voting for the passage of the levy was a good thing? �This technique is called “persuasive communication” and will be the focus of our learning today!

What is persuasive writing? Take a peak at this outline: Introduction Paragraph Get the reader’s with a hook Provide some background and state the overall thesis Statement of your point paragraphs Choose three central arguments in support of your side In separate paragraphs, state a topic sentence and then several details about it. Statement of the opposing side Consider what arguments there might be against you Come up with an explanation for them and support back from your point Conclusion Summarize you main points and restate your thesis End on a call for action

Check out the newspaper article and see if you can find all of the parts from our outline. IS THERE A SOLID STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM? DOES THE AUTHOR OUTLINE AT LEAST THREE MAIN POINTS? DOES THE AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGE AN OPPOSING SIDE? DOES THE AUTHOR END WITH A SUMMARIZATION? IS THERE A DEFINITE CALL TO ACTION? WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO IMPROVE THIS ARTICLE BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT PERSUASIVE WRITING? STILL NEED SOME HELP? CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING: PERSUASIVE WRITING

Why should we talk about the other side? Understand the opposition: � By understanding the argument made against you, it makes your own point clearer by understanding how to defend what it is you are actually saying. � This also gives the writer the opportunity to come up with a rebuttal, or defense statement before the argument is made against them.

Let’s apply this learning to our current work! The Underground Railroad The Four Sides of the UR: How are they different? �We have been talking for �Free citizens from the past few weeks about the Underground Railroad, but now it is your turn to defend it. �We all know that there are two sides to every story. Have you ever considered the different perspectives of this situation? the North �Slaves traveling the UR �Slaves on plantations in the South �Southern slave owners

Convince me! Apply the outline � You will now assume the role of one of these four groups and write a persuasive letter to the local newspaper in support of your viewpoint on the Underground Railroad � Become a person from that group and think about all of the emotions that come along with it. Write based on how you’re feeling.

When you are all done: Let’s debate! �Sit with the other students from your viewpoint and compare your ideas as to what are your best arguments �Once everyone is finished, I will begin a friendly debate where all four sides can interact and argue there main points