English 7
January, 2007 New Year’s Resolution
5 paragraph essay (Persuasive Text)
FINAL Paper DUE: January 19, 2007
Some reasons people make New Year’s Resolutions:
1. Tradition
2. We know we have problem areas in our personal lives and want them to become better.
3. Setting goals might make time go faster and give a sense of focus.
4. Other things don’t work, so maybe a Resolution will help me.
5. Stating our goals out loud to our friends and family help inspire us and keep us on track.
6. Students see others having success in sports, in homework, in school, at home, and maybe goal setting could help them, too.
WRITING PROMPT:
Explain in a 5 paragraph essay using Persuasive Text why students should make New Year’s Resolutions. Use two of the paragraphs to state the New Year’s Resolution you have made and why you made it.
Include a thesis statement that states the power or good points of making New Year’s Resolutions in the last sentence of Paragraph 1.
EX: Time has shown the adults in our country that making New Year’s Resolutions is a good tradition to keep.
EX: It is easy to see humans have areas of our lives we should be better in, so get with it and make a New Year’s Resolution to start to change those areas.
EX: Sometimes it seems like January is never going to end; a New Year’s Resolution might be just the thing to keep a student focused on a goal to make the time fly.
EX: I did not think it was sensible to make New Year’s Resolutions before this Christmas, but I would like to do better in school and maybe that would help me.
EX: I know what New Year’s Resolution I am making and I will say it aloud since that will help me stick to it.
EX: I do see other kids do well in school and I want to do well too; maybe setting a New Year’s Resolution will help me find success like my friends.
Include sequence words: first, second, after awhile, later, soon enough, next, finally, eventually, in conclusion, to wrap it up. Include in the conclusion: sequence words and a restatement of your thesis statement.
Include figurative language: These are samples. Use your own examples of figurative language: simile (easy as pie), metaphor (time is a river), onomatopoeia (sounds of encouragement), analogy (a resolution is to a person’s life plans as sheet music is to a band concert), hyperbole (a million times I have tried…), personification (the treadmill calls out to me each morning)
Use the thesaurus: improve your vocabulary. Stretch your words and use FAME vocabulary and insert improved descriptive words from the thesaurus. Include persuasive text terms: bias, convince, sway, persuade
Be sure you have another partner edit for spelling and grammar errors. Do not hand in rough draft. Type or write in pen. Final paper is DUE: January 19, 2007 Who can your editing partner be? Parents, older brothers or sisters, aunts or uncles, friends in high school, Mrs. Dumler, Mrs. Reid, Mrs. Robinson, Ms Muse, Mrs. Burgess, Mrs. Rose, Mr. Wall, Mrs. Surprise and others you think of who want you to hand in your best work.
PERSUASIVE TEXT STRATEGIES:
Use one of the following persuasive text strategies in at least one of your paragraphs: statistics, band wagon, glittering generalities, testimonials
1. EX: Statistics say and graphs show that 75% of all Americans believe they will make a New Year’s Resolution.=STATISTICS
Survey or poll several of your friends and use your own statistics to state in your paper.
Look on the internet and see what stats say about numbers of Americans, students, adults who make resolutions.
2. Every student just has to jump on this band wagon and start exercising more; we don’t want to be a bunch of fat adults!=BAND WAGON
Explain that a “band wagon” is really like saying, “Let’s all get together, pull together on an opinion or project.” A band wagon used to be what political candidates all rode from one town to another while promoting their candidate.
3. If everyone makes a Resolution, our town will become a much better and happier glittering place.=GLITTERING GENERALITIES
Explain that Glittering Generalities is when you say super, awesome, excellent wonderful things will all occur if you do this one certain thing. Glittering implies all pretty and delightful and positive. Generalities mean good would happen to people in general, not individuals.
4. I am here to tell you that Bill Gates, President Bush, Leonardo DiCaprio and Peyton Manning all testify that making a New Year’s Resolution is the way to go.=TESTIMONIAL
Explain that a Testimonial is when some well-known and famous person speaks up and says they favor the idea or product. The person is famous, but does not really have knowledge about that product. EX: Barry Sanders is a Hall of Fame Pro football player and he sells windows. Famous actors and singers advertise products.