Ropin Cattle A Complete Guide to the Persuasive

Ropin’ Cattle A Complete Guide to the Persuasive Essay

Teaser: What does this saying have to do with persuasive writing? In the rodeo, every crazy cowboy ropes cattle.

2010 Student MME Data: The Bad News Only 13% of the students who took the MME in spring of 2010 scored as “proficient” (an 8 out of 12 or above) in writing. NO ONE SCORED ABOVE AN 8. According to NCLB, we were required to be at 61% proficient. The requirement (and therefore, our S. I. goal) for 2011 proficiency level is 71%.

2010 Student MME Data: The Good News 26% of the students who took the MME were CLOSE to being proficient. These students scored in the 5 -7 range, and with a little more help and practice, could have bumped their scores up to an 8. Of the student essays we’ve seen, most have contained decent writing—they’ve just been missing a few parts!

“You gonna do something or just stand there and bleed? ” -Kurt Russell, Tombstone We need to do something!

Why do we need to do something? I’m not ever gonna use this! 1. Your score on the MME can determine what colleges you are accepted to, which scholarships you earn for college, and what kind of jobs you’re qualified for. 2. Your score on the MME also determines how much money da Vinci gets from the government based on how successful it is. The higher students score, the better it looks (and the more money we get for field trips, new technology, etc. ).

I guess I’d like a good job! 1. Understand that how you score on this test is important. Colleges and employers look at your scores to determine whether you’re qualified. 2. Use logic and persuasion as often as you can. No matter what career path you follow, at some point, you’re going to need to persuade someone of something. 3. Know the parts of the persuasive essay. Decent writers can fail simply because they leave out a part or two. Simply having all of the parts in your persuasive essay will raise your score.

üOkay, I get it: the test is important. ü I will even try my best to think logically as often as possible. But how do I memorize all the parts— and understand what they mean?

You DO know the parts! • You just might not know them by their MME names. • Or you just might need a refresher. Let’s work together to help each other remember this stuff.

Alright, I’m saddled up. I got my spurs, my rope, and a canteen o’ water. What are all the parts?

Well, first ya got yer… Introduction The first paragraph of an essay functions as the introduction, giving the reader an overview of the essay and leading into thesis statement. A good introductory paragraph does several things: v. Creates interest in the essay v. Lets the reader know the general topic of the essay v. Tells the reader the main idea (thesis) of the essay

Sample Introduction Fighter pilots do not sit on old stumps. Race car drivers do not sit in a mini van seat. When you go the dentist, you are not seated in an old lawn chair. Each of these examples shows us that the equipment used by any profession must suit the task at hand. Job equipment must be both comfortable and practical to optimize worker performance.

Then ya got yer… Thesis A thesis communicates the central idea of an essay. In a persuasive essay, thesis clearly states the writer’s position on the topic. A good thesis: v. Is specific v. Is written as a complete statement v. Does not announce your plans (“In this essay I will tell you…” v. Responds directly to the topic (Don’t write about race cars if the question is about sponge painting!)

Sample Thesis Fighter pilots do not sit on old stumps. Race car drivers do not sit in a mini van seat. When you go the dentist, you are not seated in an old lawn chair. Each of these examples shows us that the equipment used by any profession must suit the task at hand. Job equipment must be both comfortable and practical to optimize worker performance. In this same vein, desks and chairs at school should be replaced with comfortable couches.

Now ya got yer… Reasons explain why thesis should be considered true or why you took this position. These can be facts, logical arguments, or the opinions of experts.

Sample Reasons Students learn more when they are in a relaxed state. Students do not sit properly in the existing chairs. The existing chairs are uncomfortable and harm your body’s tissue in “specific places. ”

Then comes yer… Evidence is any proof to support your reasons. Evidence can be any or all of the following: • facts or statistics • observations • comparisons to real life • expert opinions • examples

Sample Reasons Sample Evidence Students learn more when they are in a relaxed state. In a class survey, 8 out of 13 students said they learn better in a relaxed state. Students do not sit properly in the existing chairs. Existing chairs are broken and mangled from students sitting in them incorrectly. The existing chairs are uncomfortable and harm your body’s tissue in “specific places. ” Many students complain of soreness after sitting in the existing chairs.

Then along comes this little doggie… Connections summarize HOW the evidence supports your thesis. These words can help you to summarize: vall in all vlast vas a result vin summary vtherefore vfinally

Sample Reasons Sample Evidence Sample Connections Students learn more when they are in a relaxed state. In a class survey, 8 out of 13 students said they learn better in a relaxed state. As a result of comfort leading to increased learning, schools should replace desks and chairs with couches. Students do not sit properly in the existing chairs. Existing chairs are broken and mangled from students sitting in them incorrectly. Clearly, no one wants broken chairs in a school. Therefore, schools should replace desks and chairs with couches. The existing chairs are uncomfortable and harm your body’s tissue in “specific places. ” Many students complain In summary, since the of soreness after sitting chairs are uncomfortable, schools should replace in the existing chairs. desks and chairs with couches.

Once ya got yer other stuff, ya gotta have a… Counterargument A counterargument is an acknowledgement of one of the opposing side’s main points. To introduce this opposite view, you can use expressions like: v on the other hand v granted v while it is true that v I agree that

Sample Counterargument While it is true that couches are more expensive,

Then ya bust up that counterargument with a… Rebuttal A rebuttal explains why the counterargument is flawed and points out again why your position is the right one.

Sample Counterargument with Sample Rebuttal While it is true that couches are initially more expensive, students would be more invested in the care and upkeep of the couches because they would be more comfortable. Long term, the couches would pay for themselves.

The last little doggie through the gate is the… Conclusion A conclusion summarizes and wraps up your whole essay. Ideally, a conclusion connects back to the essay’s introduction.

Sample Conclusion In short, students are not being outfitted with the proper equipment. Would students be expected to write without paper and pencil? Likewise, they should not be expected to learn in an uncomfortable environment that is detrimental to their health. Shall we ask the fighter pilots? The race car drivers? The dentists? All professionals will agree: job equipment must be both comfortable and practical to optimize worker performance.

Sample Essay, First Half Fighter pilots do not sit on old stumps. Race car drivers do not sit in a mini van seat. When you go the dentist, you are not seated in an old lawn chair. Each of these examples shows us that the equipment used by any profession must suit the task at hand. Job equipment must be both comfortable and practical to optimize worker performance. In this same vein, desks and chairs at school should be replaced with comfortable couches. Students learn more when they are in a relaxed state. In a class survey, 8 out of 13 students said they learn better in a relaxed state. As a result of comfort leading to increased learning, schools should replace desks and chairs with couches. Students do not sit properly in the existing chairs. Existing chairs are broken and mangled from students sitting in them incorrectly. Clearly, no one wants broken chairs in a school. Therefore, schools should replace desks and chairs with couches.

Sample Essay, Second Half The existing chairs are uncomfortable and harm your body’s tissue in “specific places. ” Many students complain of soreness after sitting in the existing chairs. In summary, since the chairs are uncomfortable, schools should replace desks and chairs with couches. While it is true that couches are initially more expensive, students would be more invested in the care and upkeep of the couches if they are more comfortable. Long term, the couches would pay for themselves. In short, students are not being outfitted with the proper equipment. Would students be expected to write without paper and pencil? Likewise, they should not be expected to learn in an uncomfortable environment that is detrimental to their health. Shall we ask the fighter pilots? The race car drivers? The dentists? All professionals will agree: job equipment must be both comfortable and practical to optimize worker performance.

So How Do I Remember The Parts? • • Introduction. . . . . In Thesis. . . . The Reasons x 3. . . . . Rodeo Evidence x 3. . . . . Every Connection x 3. . . . Crazy Counter Argument…. . . . Cowboy Rebuttal…………………. . . . Ropes Conclusion…………. . Cattle

Exercise in Identification • Look at the essay titled Let It Stay MY Space! • Please follow along as the paper is read aloud.

And now, y’all are going to practice…

WITH HIGHLIGHTERS!!! • Introduction. . . . In (Yellow) • Thesis. . . The (Green) • Reasons x 3……………. . . Rodeo (Pink) • Evidence x 3. . . . Every (Blue) • Connection x 3. . . Crazy (Orange) • Counter Argument. . . Cowboy (Purple) • Rebuttal…. . . . . Ropes (Gold) • Conclusion………………. Cattle (Yellow)

Seriously? What are y’all gonna have me do? 1. Gather your highlighters! 2. Listen as we go through the essay again, identifying all the parts we have just learned about (In The Rodeo, Every Crazy Cowboy Ropes Cattle). 3. Highlight each section of Let It Stay MY Space with the correct color as we identify each one.

Here’s yer Color Codes: • Introduction. . . . In (Yellow) • Thesis. . . The (Green) • Reasons x 3……………. . . Rodeo (Pink) • Evidence x 3. . . . Every (Blue) • Connection x 3. . . Crazy (Orange) • Counter Argument. . . Cowboy (Purple) • Rebuttal…. . . . . Ropes (Gold) • Conclusion………………. Cattle (Yellow)

Let It Stay MY Space As I was checking my email yesterday, I received a My. Space Friend Request. To anyone not familiar with My. Space lingo, this means that another member on My. Space was asking permission to call refer to me as a “friend. ” If I were to accept this person’s request, we would each show up on the other’s My. Space profile, which would link us as friends. Some might argue that this could be a dangerous move to make. Did I know this person? Why did they want to be my friend? Before I accepted the request, I made sure to look at the individual’s profile and find out what I could. It was my friend Emily, who had just joined My. Space! I quickly accepted her request and left a comment on her profile. This kind of online social networking is a crucial part of our culture that should not be restricted by the federal government. The government should not infringe on our right to place personal information on websites because certain websites can provide valuable resources. For example, as a member of a band, I am able to network with other musicians and share resources for shows and recording opportunities. Musicians are not the only ones who can network on My. Space, but there are other social networking websites that might be specifically tailored to different careers that would be better for other people. By allowing individuals to place personal information on social networking sites, the government is promoting business opportunities that are crucial during this rough economy. Online social networking is also a valuable part of my life as a teenager. I am able to communicate with my friends from school, stay in touch with my cousins, and even send a message to my teacher to ask about the homework that’s due. By posting information about myself and searching for information about other people, I am able to stay connected with other people who are important in my life, and even stay up-to-date on school and job events.

I am only able to do all this networking by putting some personal information online—not enough to be dangerous, but enough to make connections. This leads to the third reason the federal government should not restrict what people post on social networking websites: It is our right to post whatever we chose in a public sphere. Just as it is okay for me to introduce myself to a stranger at the bus stop, it is also okay for me to meet someone online and form a connection that way. By allowing me the right to share what I want without government interference, the federal government is upholding its own U. S. Constitution. It could be argued that the federal government needs to place restrictions on social networking sites to protect the individuals who might use them. However, we live in a world where such online communication is more common than almost any other form. Technology and communication are advancing at such a fast rate that it is illogical—and foolish—to assume that the government will always be there to protect us. All minors should learn lessons about how to use the Internet properly, either from their parents or their teachers. In conclusion, social networking websites are a valuable part of our culture, especially the culture of young people. We use these sites for professional and personal communication, because it is a right upheld by the U. S. Constitution. It is not the federal government’s responsibility to teach us how to safely use these sites; that responsibility belongs to parents and teachers. That’s how I learned how to use the Internet safely, which is how I safely became My. Space friends with my real-life friend Emily.

Let’s take a gander at the ol’ MME Rubric How do the parts of a persuasive essay relate to the rubric? Based on what you know about the parts of a persuasive essay, look over the Let it Stay MY Space essay and give it a grade using the MME rubric.

Well, I reckon I’ve got it.

You do? Prove it! For this portion of the lesson, you will be working with yer seat pardner. If you do not have a pardner, please rustle one up. Look at the essay titled My Space or Yours? Please follow along on your copy as the essay is read aloud.

Ok. Time To Saddle Up. This is your chance to show your stuff. . . 1. With your pardner, go through My Space or Yours? and highlight the appropriate sections according to the cowboy acronym. 2. Look at the MME rubric and assign a grade to the paper based on the rubric. 3. Any pair coming up with the same score as the teacher, for the correct reason(s), will receive a prize.

Here’s yer Color Codes: • Introduction. . . . In (Yellow) • Thesis. . . The (Green) • Reasons x 3……………. . . Rodeo (Pink) • Evidence x 3. . . . Every (Blue) • Connection x 3. . . Crazy (Orange) • Counter Argument. . . Cowboy (Purple) • Rebuttal…. . . . . Ropes (Gold) • Conclusion………………. Cattle (Yellow)

How’d Ya Do? Let’s look at My Space or Yours? to see how the sections of the essay measure up.

My Space or Yours? In the news last year, there was a story about a young girl who agreed to meet a “friend” she had met on the online social networking site Myspace. com. The individual had portrayed himself as a teenage boy interested in getting to know her. He had seemed harmless; I remember her saying to the reporter from her hospital bed. But he had instead turned out to be a predator who assaulted her. The fact that incidents like this occur is horrific. The federal government should place restrictions on social networking websites such as My. Space in order to protect innocent Americans. Social networking sites can be incredibly unsafe. For example, there is nothing that prevents predators from registering for an online profile, so sex offenders and other criminals can easily become members of My. Space. By registering under false identities and communicating with other My. Space members as a different person, such unsafe individuals can easily prey on innocent users of My. Space who are often underage and unprotected. By providing regulations, the federal government could protect My. Space users that might otherwise fall victim to sex offenders and other criminals.

My. Space can also be used in hateful, conniving ways by its regular users. There was one instance of a mother who created a false profile in order to find out what other students were saying about her daughter. While posing as a teenage boy, this mother became “friends” with a young girl who then committed suicide when she found out the object of her affection was really a conniving, middle-aged woman. Instances such as these prove that My. Space and other social networking sites can be used inappropriately to cause emotional damage to others. By providing regulations, the federal government could protect My. Space users from hateful users like this. Employers can use My. Space against their prospective employees, which is the third reason that social networking sites need to be monitored by the federal government. Employers can create accounts and then look up prospective employees to see what kind of people they are. While this is not wrong in and of itself, it would be better if there were federal regulations that prevented people from posting inappropriate things online in the first place. By providing regulations, the federal government could protect My. Space users from nosy employers. In conclusion, social networking sites need to be regulated by the government in order to protect their users from criminals, hateful users, and nosy employers. Doing so will create an online world where innocent Internet users will be safe.

Let’s take a gander at the ol’ MME Rubric How do the parts of a persuasive essay relate to the rubric? Based on what you know about the parts of a persuasive essay, look over the Let it Stay MY Space essay and give it a grade using the MME rubric.

How can we write better? The Research Says: WITH PLENTY O’ PRACTICE! 1. Understand that how you score on this test is important. 2. Use logic and persuasion as often as you can. 3. Know the parts of the persuasive essay.

If we ride the range together, we’ll rustle up some better scores.