Persuasive Writing for the Middle School Student Copyright

Persuasive Writing for the Middle School Student Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

ELA 8 W 2: The student produces a multi-paragraph persuasive essay that: a. Engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a speaker’s voice, and otherwise developing reader interest. b. States a clear position or perspective in support of a proposition or proposal. c. Creates an organizing structure that is appropriate to the needs, values, and interests of a specified audience, and arranges details, reasons, and examples.

Essential Questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What is persuasive writing? Why is it important to cite your sources? What is a controlling Idea? You convince the reader by adding_____? Persuasive writing deals with judgments instead of _______?

Persuasive Writing – definition o In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to convince the reader to believe or do something. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Persuasive Writing o o o Clear position Audience awareness Persuasive language Persuasive strategies n Inclusion of statistics n Expert testimony Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasion is Powerful Use it to: o Urge people to action Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasion is Powerful Use it to: o Support a cause Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasion is Powerful Use it to: o Stir up sympathy Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasion is Powerful Use it to: o Prove something wrong Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasion is Powerful Use it to: o Get people to agree with you Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasion is Powerful Use it to: o Make a change Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasion is Powerful Use it to: o Create interest Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasive Writing Essentials Audience Awareness Firm Position Persuasive Language Organizational Structure Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Writing Prompt On note book Paper. Final Copy in Pen Skip lines o Many People believe that television violence has a negative effect on society because it promotes violence. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to promotes your response.

Clear Position/ Claim The writer must have a clear position and stay focused on that position. Generally, the position is stated in the opening paragraph or introduction. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasive Language o What techniques or language can you use to persuade someone?

Persuasive Writing Essentials Audience Awareness Firm Position Persuasive Language Organizational Structure Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

ELA 8 W 2: The student produces a multi-paragraph persuasive essay that: a. Engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a speaker’s voice, and otherwise developing reader interest. b. States a clear position or perspective in support of a proposition or proposal. c. Creates an organizing structure that is appropriate to the needs, values, and interests of a specified audience, and arranges details, reasons, and examples.

Essential Question o How do you create an organizational structure that will reach your audience and purpose?

Today o We will focus on persuasive language or persuasive techniques. o Using these techniques will allow you to effectively meet your purchase (convince) while using an organizational structure that will best reach your audience.

Task o o Fact and Opinion worksheet about Staley. You will use this later to create an advertisement for Staley.

Must inlcude o o o Illustration Description of technique you chose and why (on the back) Must address the audience and purpose.

The Treasure of Lemon Brown Standard: ELA 8 R 3. The student reads aloud, accurately (in the range of 95%), familiar material in a variety of genres, in a way that makes meaning clear to listeners.

Essential Question o What makes a movie or a story good?

The Treasure of Lemon Brown (pg. 93) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Impromptu Tentatively Intently Brittle Ominous

Writing Activity 1 paragraph (57 sentences): o Write about something that you value? n n Consider Why is this important to you? Would other people think it’s valuable?

Controlling Ideas/Thesis Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Standard: ELA 8 W 2 o o o f. Provides details, reasons, and examples, arranging them effectively by anticipating and aanswering reader concerns and counterarguments. g. Supports arguments with detailed evidence, citing sources of information as appropriate. h. Anticipates and addresses reader concerns and counter-arguments.

Essential Question o How do I build a strong persuasive argument?

Arguments o When you hear the word "argument, " you probably think of two people loudly fighting over something. Actually, we all use argumentation every day! Let's say you want to spend the night at your friend Josh's house, but you don't think your parents will go for it. You'd want to think up a good "argument" to convince them that you should be able to go.

Arguments o Arguments come in all shapes and sizes, but they usually have these things in common: n n n They state a position or opinion clearly. They back up the position with evidence of some sort They show the benefits of that particular position.

Thesis o o A thesis statement declares what you believe and what you intend to prove Examples

Counter-Argument o To make an argument stronger, sometimes a "counterargument" is also used. For example, you might "anticipate" your parents' reaction by saying, "You might think that if I go over to Josh's, o I will just play video games and won't get my homework done. But Josh's parents won't even let him play until he's done with all of his homework, so that's the first thing we're going to do. "

How to make a strong argument o First, state your opinion about something. Cloudy days are better than sunny days for rollerblading at the park.

How to make a strong argument o Next, back up your opinion with a logical list of reasons or "evidence. " For this you can use personal experience, other people's experience, facts and statistics, or a combination of these. o When I rollerblade on a hot, sunny day, my clothes get all sweaty in a matter of minutes. Also, the sun reflected off the pavement can really be blinding. A sunny day really draws the crowds, too, and who wants to be tripping over all those people when you're going for a speed record! o

How to make a strong argument o Finally, show the benefits of your position. If I wake up and see a cloudy sky, I grab my blades and head straight for the park because I know it will be nice and cool, and I won't have to wear dark sunglasses just to see my way around the track. But best of all, I know I'll have the place to myself, free to race around to my heart's content.

A good controlling idea: presents an argument, not a topic Bad: The controlling idea of this paper is the obesity problem that America faces. Good: America’s desire for instant gratification has contributed to its obesity problem.

A good controlling idea o is specific Bad: Jane Austen’s novels are very good. Good: Jane Austen's novels are brilliant because they highlight the triumph of character over circumstances.

A good controlling idea o has one clear point Bad: Companies need to take advantage of the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support. Good: Companies should take advantage of the Internet’s marketing potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.