Persuasive Essay (Also Known As an Argument) in Letter Form

Persuasive Essay (Also Known As an Argument) in Letter Form

Persuasive Research Paper

IMPORTANT DATES

Jan 16/20 -research 2-3 charities, finalize charity you want with written statement due

Jan 21/22 - paraphrase & in-text citation lesson, continue research

Jan 23/26– Work Cited Page lesson, printed research due

Jan 27/28–paraphrases due, MLA heading, begin typing final draft

Jan 29/30 – research paper due

Every part of the research paper has an allotted time IN CLASS. If you are absent, you are required to completed what is needed to stay on the time line at home!!!!!!

Mrs. Lott hit the 20 million power ball and is planning on donating 5 million dollars to a charity. Your job is to persuade her to donate the money to your organization through your research paper.

The following information is what you will research on the specific charity you chose using their organization website and the websites listed below. If you use other websites, check to make sure it is a reliable source. Because I am asking for a research paper, you will not know this information and THAT IS OKAY!!!! You will print out your information so you can paraphrase (put it in your own words)and then give the author or organization that wrote the information credit; this is called citing your sources.

Outline of paper

The Introduction

The introduction has a "hook or grabber" to catch the reader's attention. Some

"grabbers" include:

1. Opening with an unusual detail: (Manitoba, because of its cold climate, is not thought of as

a great place to be a reptile. Actually, it has the largest seasonal congregation of garter

snakes in the world!)

2. Opening with a strong statement: (Cigarettes are the number one cause of lighter sales in

Canada!)

3. Opening with a Quotation: (Elbert Hubbard once said, "Truth is stronger than fiction.")

4. Opening with an Anecdote: An anecdote can provide an amusing and attention-getting

opening if it is short and to the point.

5. Opening with a Statistic or Fact: Sometimes a statistic or fact will add emphasis or interest

to your topic. It may be wise to include the item's authoritative source.

6. Opening with a Question. (Have you ever considered how many books we'd read if it were

not for television?)

7. Opening with an Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement. (The whole world watched as the

comet flew overhead.)

Thesis is the last sentence of your introduction: ***Charity you choose**** would be the right organization to donate because ****something about the groups purpose,*** something that is positive about their accountability,***and ***something unique about donating or the way they advertise.***

The Body

The writer then provides evidence to support the opinion offered in the thesis

statement in the introduction. The body should consist of at least three paragraphs.

Body paragraph I: Purpose- What is the mission of your charity? Who are they serving: a specific country or region, a certain group of people. Explain exactly what the organization does with the money they receive? What is the charity's success rate on improving or eliminating their cause?

Body paragraph II: Accountability- Use to help you investigate. How transparent is your charity? How is the charity regulated? How is the money spent: overhead costs, money spent on fundraising, money spent on charity's actual purpose. Do they disclose their taxes? Complaints filed? Profit vs non-profit? History- how long has the organization been around?

Body paragraph III: Ease of donating & advertisement- Is there a certain amount you must donate? How can you donate? Can you give something other than money? Benefits of donating: tax deductible, receive updates or newsletters, a keepsake or token, etc? How do they reach donors: websites, commercials, famous spokesperson, etc.

The Conclusion

Restate your thesis differently

Summarize the main points: so the reader can recall the main points of your position.

Include a personal comment, call for action, question, recommendation, or quotation

Requirements:

  • You need a correct MLA heading… will discuss in class
  • Any quotations must be correctly documented according to MLA guidelines…
  • Length – The paper should be at least 2 pages typed, but no more than 3 (not including work cited page)
  • You must have at least 2 sources cited in your paper
  • The paper must be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font and double-spaced.
  • The paper must have a title…do not underline it or put it in quotes.
  • You may not have more than 2 quotes
  • Deductions will be made for the following errors:
  • Contractions (except in direct quotations from the story)
  • 1st person pronouns (I, you, me)
  • Grammar, spelling, usage errors, simple sentence structure, and typing errors

We will have a mini-lesson over both of these requirements below so have no fear!

Work Cited Page is an additional page to your paper

*****you will have 2 of these on your work cited page*****

You will also use In-text Citation/parenthetical reference ( you will have at least 3)

“Always put a citation after a quotation” (Berry 245).Otherwise, put the citation as close as possible to the information you are citing. If you summarize or paraphrase, you would wait until you had finished with the entire summarized or paraphrased paragraph or section and cite at the end of it (Berry 38-41).

Grades

1) 3 charities explored, 1 charity selected with written explanation on why you chose this particular charity 50 points(daily grade)

2) Printed research from at least 2 different credible websites 50 points(daily grade)

3) Written or typed MLA in-text cited paraphrases (minimum of 3) 100 points (daily grade)

4) Final Paper 100 points (test grade)

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