Persuasive Writing Teaching Notes
Persuasive Essay: Keyword contained within writing prompt is “Persuade” or “Convince.” In a persuasive essay, you may be asked to choose a side of an issue, then convince or persuade someone to take action or feel a certain way.
1. First thing to do is MAKE A PLAN!!!!
2. Read and Brainstorm topic.
· For example, pretend you are given the following prompt: The school cafeteria has decided to ban all lunches from home. Write a letter to your principal stating whether you are for or against this mandatory lunch change.
· Notice that your essay prompt asked you to choose a side about a particular issue. If you try to straddle the fence, you have written off-topic! How can you convince someone to do something that you’re not sure about, yourself? This will lower your score! Follow prompt directions explicitly!
· Make a list of reasons why your readers should feel the way that you do. Choose three of these reasons that are the most solid and are not closely related to one another.
· For each of your reasons, question it using the 5 W’s. (Who what when where and why)
o For example, ask :”Who does my reason affect?” “When will this reason benefit my reader?” etc.
· Now, you are ready to Make your plan and start writing.
· For the sake of the assignment, let’s say that we’ve chosen to be AGAINST the change to the school’s lunchroom policy.
PLAN:
Identify Mode: Persuasive
Identify Topic/Write topic or thesis sentence: While some school policies are long overdue for change, the option for students to bring a lunch from home should be left alone.
Identify the three reasons why (these will be your body paragraphs later)
1. Home lunches offer alternatives to the carb laden lunchroom food
2. Home lunches offer students with health problems the opportunity to customize their lunch to their specific needs.
3. Home lunches offer students the opportunity to customize their meals according to specific likes and dislikes.
---Your essay will contain 5 well structured, and organized paragraphs that contain a MINIMUM of 3-5 sentences each.
Now, it’s time to write!!!!!
Paragraph 1—Introduction
· Sentence 1à Attention Grabber (ask a question, use shocking statistics, say something funny,use a great quote.) In this case, let’s start with a question: “Have you ever stopped to think what would happen if schools began taking your personal choices away?”
· Sentence 2à Topic Sentence (In this case, we can simply write the sentence above “While there are school policies that should be updated, the option to bring a lunch from home should be left to the discretion of each student and his or her parents.”
· Sentence 3à Name, DON’T EXPLAIN, your reasons. Remember, your body paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 will be used to Explain. Don’t waste your words in the intro! (For our simple intro to our paper, let’s use the following sentence for our last sentence of the intro: “Lunchroom lunches leave areas of student needs that cannot be met by our current menu; lunches brought from home allow students who are health-conscious the possibility of healthier food choices, students with medical problems the opportunity to meet their specific health needs, and students who may be finicky the opportunity to eat the foods they actually enjoy eating.
Now, you have a well-written , to-the-point introduction.
Paragraph 2,3 and 4—Body paragraphs.
· Body paragraphs should each contain a few things
1. Topic sentence—name the reason. Include a transition phrase/word, such as first, next, and last to begin each of the paragraphs.
2. 2-3 more sentences EXPLAINING how/why.
· Do this for each of your reasons. Remember to never mix your reasons together in one paragraph unless you are specifically writing a comparative essay. Keeping them separate leads to a well organized paper.
Paragraph 5—Conclusion
Use these few things to get your minimum of 3-5 sentences for your conclusion paragraph.
1. Restate your topic. Don’t use the same sentence; put a twist on the original. (See # 3)
2. Restate your reasons (actually included in the call to action below). Try using one sentence per reason this time instead of putting them all in one. This will vary sentence structures, and add to your score.
3. State some kind of “CALL TO ACTION” sentence or two----For example, “ Please do not allow the lunchroom policy to be changed at this time. There are other lunchroom needs and policies that should be dealt with before making a change so drastic. Changing this policy now will negatively affect many students’ health needs and remove their freedom of choice.
YEA! YOU’RE FINISHED!