Brainstorm:

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Where do you find persuasive writing?

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How can you personally use persuasive writing?

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Letters

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Editorials

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Speeches

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Advertisements

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A good persuasive piece:

 Has a strong hook.

 Clearly states a thesis.

 Provides reasons.  Includes well-developed details.

 Summarizes opposing view.

 Refutes and discredits opposition.

 Has a compelling conclusion.

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Three age-old strategies:

According to ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, persuasive writing needs:

Ethos (character): appeal to reader’s sense of right and wrong.

Pathos (emotional): appeal to reader’s emotions.

Logos (reason): appeal to reader’s logic.

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Think Pair Share

Convince me that homework is a bad idea. Make three points using the following strategies:

Ethos: appeal to my sense of fairness.

Pathos: appeal to my emotions.

Logos: appeal to my sense of reason.

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Think Pair Share

Convince your parent to let you have a big sleepover for your birthday. Make three points using the following strategies:

Ethos: appeal to his or her sense of fairness.

Pathos: appeal to his or her emotions.

Logos: appeal to his or her sense of reason.

Challenge: the last time you had a sleepover, feelings were hurt, things got broken, and no one got any sleep!

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Think Pair Share

Convince a friend to dye his or her hair purple with you.

Ethos: appeal to his or her sense of fairness.

Pathos: appeal to his or her emotions.

Logos: appeal to his or her sense of reason.

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PICK A TOPIC RESEARCH ORGANIZE IDEAS

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Pick a topic!

    Go to http://idebate.org/ Click on “Debatabase” menu and select “Top 100 debates.” Browse through topics.

Select a topic that you understand and feel passionate about.

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Research!

    Read through article, highlighting words or sentences to support your position.

Don’t neglect to highlight words and sentences that explain the opposing view. You need to know the opposing view in order to refute it.

Make sure to paraphrase borrowed ideas (express them in your own words).

Use quotation marks for direct quotes from the article.

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Cite your sources!

 At the bottom of each motion is the word “CITE.” Click on this word and you will see the correct citation for your article.

 Cite the source: Author (last name, first name). "Article title." idebate.org. Date. idebate.org, Source. Date accessed. URL address.

Example: "This House would ban animal testing." idebate.org. 17 Feb 2012. Web. 1 Aug 2013. http://idebate.org/debatabase/debates/animal rights/house-would-ban-animal-testing 11

Paragraph 1 Thesis: Reason 1: Reason 2: Paragraph 2 Transition: Paragraph 3 Transition: Reason 1: Details: a.

b.

c. d. Reason 2: Details: a.

b.

c. d. Paragraph 5 Transition: Restate thesis: Summarize reasons: Final thought:

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Paragraph 4 Transition: O.V. sum: a.

b.

c.

a. detail/refute b. Detail/refute c. Detail/refute

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What’s wrong with these reasons?

Cats are better pets than dogs because:

I.

II.

They are independent.

They don’t require much attention.

These reasons are too similar.

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What wrong with these details?

Cats are better pets than dogs because:

I.

a) b) c) Cats are independent.

don’t need to be walked several times a day.

use the litter box so you don’t have to rush home to walk them.

enjoy alone time and don’t require as much interaction.

Details “a” and “b” are too similar.

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What wrong with these details?

Cats are better pets than dogs because:

I.

a) b) c) Cats cost less.

they consume less food.

their vet visits are cheaper.

they’re not noisy like barking dogs .

Detail “c” is off topic or irrelevant.

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What’s wrong with the opposing view summary?

III. Dogs are better than cats because they are more loyal, fun, and affectionate.

III. Some people say that dogs are more loyal, fun, and affectionate than cats. I disagree.

Use transitions to show you are now presenting the opposing view.

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What’s wrong with these opposing view details?

a)

Dogs are man’s best friend and will defend you with their lives.

b) c)

They love to play fetch and other games with you.

They lick your face to show their love of you.

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Refute!

a) b) c) While some people believe that dogs are man’s best friend, I think that cats have a quiet sort of loyalty.

Although dogs love to play fetch and other games with you, cats can be equally playful with a ball of string .

While dogs lick your face to show their love, cats nestle in your lap and will also give you a few affectionate licks .

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Do you sometimes feel like you see your teachers more than your friends and family? Do you wish you just had more time to yourself? Do you have personal goals that you can’t ever get to because you’re in school all day? I say we shorten the school week from five to three days. Kids need more time to rest and relieve stress. They also need more time with family and friends. A three day week would be a positive change from an academic, social and emotional standpoint. ©Mauri Fava 2013 19

One reason I think we need a shorter school week is the rising stress levels among kids. We currently spend over half our waking lives in school and this leads to stress. Stress can cause illness, and many kids suffer from anxiety-related stomachaches and headaches. These illnesses make it difficult for students to make the most of their class time because they are not feeling well. Stress also leads to fatigue, and tired students cannot concentrate and get work done. A calm, well-rested student would perform better in school and get more done in three days than they currently get done in five days. 20

Also, a shorter school week would provide more time with family and friends. Good relationships with family and friends build self-esteem and kids need this more than ever. It is becoming difficult for working parents to spend time with their children. Divorce is another problem. Over half of all children have divorced parents, so they have to split their time between homes. Some kids don’t have social success in school, but they make friends through other activities such as sports and drama and church. These friendships are a very positive thing, so time should be made for them. ©Mauri Fava 2013 21

The opposing view is that kids will not learn enough in three days, and that students will be lonely and bored with so much free time. Also, some students may even get into trouble with so much free time . I strongly disagree with these views. If teachers plan and organize well, they should be able to accomplish in three days what we now do in five days of school. Also, there are other things to be learned outside of school from family, friends and other activities such as sports, music and art. And while some kids may get into trouble with more free time, it is not fair to punish everyone for the actions of a few.

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Therefore, I say yes to a three-day school week. It would reduce stress and fatigue, and this may even lead to better achievement in school. Also, students will have much needed time with family and friends. Those who oppose this change haven’t really considered all the social and emotional benefits. A shorter school week would be a good choice for all! ©Mauri Fava 2013 23

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The hook:

 questions  story or anecdote  facts or statistics  inspiring quote ©Mauri Fava 2013 25

Ask questions

 How would you like it if you had asthma, and you had sit next to someone in a restaurant who was smoking a cigarette? How would you like choking down their smoke into your already weak lungs, wondering if you will get through your meal without using your inhaler? ©Mauri Fava 2013 26

Tell a story

Cigarettes stole my grandpop away from me. He was the father of four kids and seven grandkids, and he always had enough love for every one of us. When he died of lung cancer last year, the world lost another special person to tobacco. Some people might say my grandpop knew what he was doing when he smoked all those years, but those people just don’t understand the power of addiction.

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Offer a fact or statistic

Do you know that one out of every five deaths in the U.S. is caused by tobacco? That’s 430,000 Americans who die each year because of smoking. ©Mauri Fava 2013 28

Offer an inspiring quotation

“If a group of terrorists decided to place a poison gas in public places there would be public outrage and prompt reaction.” (William Farone, former Philip Morris scientist).

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How do you develop details?

 Use your own ideas and borrowed ideas.

 Offer examples drawn from your source and your own background knowledge.

 Provide facts from your source.

 Include statistics from your source.

 Share important quotes that make a strong point.

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Elaborate: what strategies are used?

If you like writing, you’ll love Mr. Wilson’s class. We write all the time. Each week, there is a new assignment. We do so many different types of writing. I have learned a lot about writing. If you like writing, you’ll love Mr. Wilson’s class because we write every day. This year, we have already done a personal narrative, a research paper, and a short story. Soon, we will create a graphic novel. I have learned quite a bit. For example, I now realize the importance of organizing my ideas, developing them, and expressing them clearly. We will complete ten major writing assignments by the end of the year. As Mr. Wilson always says, “Practice makes perfect!” ©Mauri Fava 2013 32

What strategies are used?

Yellowstone National Park is the best national park to visit. There is so much wildlife such as bison, elk, and bear. The landscape is also amazing, especially the geysers. This park is truly a national treasure.

Yellowstone National Park is the best national park to visit. It’s the world’s first national park and is where you will find 60% of the world’s geysers. Old Faithful, the park’s most famous geyser, is a quite a spectacular site. In addition, there are over 67 species of mammals including bison, elk, grizzly bear, and wolf. You won’t find this much wildlife anywhere else in the United States. This park is truly a national treasure.

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Whiparound: Give example of a strategy you used in paragraph 2.

Be prepared to share your detail and identify which type of detail it is.

 Example  Fact  Statistics  quotes ©Mauri Fava 2013 34

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Revise informal speech

ORIGINAL: Oh yeah, one more thing, with uniforms, we can’t even do anything to them, and yes, I said any thing, to them.

REVISED: In addition, we cannot add any personal style to uniforms through unique accessories such as leggings, socks or shoes.

Be clear and concise! Make sense!

I would say, yea for protection, but you can still teach them that, but without actually hurting people or even killing them because if they hurt them in a wrong spot or way, they could die.

Use complete transitions

ORIGINAL: One reason is teens are careful drivers.

REVISED: One reason to keep the driving age at sixteen is teens are careful drivers.

Avoid confusing pronoun usage

ORIGINAL: It makes them feel confident in themselves, and that they can do anything. It makes them want to be just like them.

REVISED: Beauty contests make contestants feel confident in themselves, and that they can do anything. It makes young female viewers want to be just like the contestants.

Don’t overuse pronouns

ORIGINAL: They’re also safe because if they’re in a store with their parents, and they get lost and can’t find their parent, then they could just call them on their cell phone.

REVISED: Cell phones are also safe because if a child is in a store with his parents and gets lost, then the child could just call his parents on his cell phone.

Get read of filler sentences

• That’s why I think we should ban abortion.

• I am going to tell you why smoking should be banned.

• I hope I have convinced you to quit smoking.

• Now I hope you are on my side after reading this.

Revision and Editing Rules

     Take your peer’s essay and move back to your own seat.

Check off items on the revision or editing checklist as you review your peer’s work.

Wait patiently for others to finish the revision or editing process.

When I give the signal, meet with your peer to discuss suggestions.

Be prepared to discuss suggestions you offered and were given. ©Mauri Fava 2013 42

Revision Checklist

 Do you begin with a powerful attention grabber?

 Did you clearly state your thesis or opinion?

 Do all your details support your reasons?  Do you have five INDENTED paragraphs?

 Did you start each paragraph with a COMPLETE transition?

 Do you have five sentences in each paragraph?

 Are they developed sentences? Or are they short and choppy?

 Did you begin each sentence with a different word? Is the language varied?

 Is your language formal and concise?

 Did you SUMMARIZE and DISCREDIT three points of the opposing view?

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Editing Checklist

 Do you have any misspelled words?

 Did you spell out all numbers 1 through 10?

 Have you checked end punctuation?

 Do you have the necessary commas and semicolons?

 Do all of your possessive words and contractions have apostrophes?

 Did you capitalize proper nouns, the beginning word of each sentence and the pronoun “I”?

 Did you DOUBLE-SPACE your work?

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