Personal Reflection

• Reflect on your own personal vices, particularly when it comes to English and writing. List a few of these vices and then explain how you could go about correcting them.

For example, one of my vices is overusing the word “that”, which is most cases is completely unnecessary. In my writing I always try to remove this word during the editing process. By consciously identifying this vice, I keep a tally of the number of times I use this word. It has been reduced since I identified the vice, but it will never be perfect the first time.

For example, one of my vices is overusing the word “that”, which is most cases is completely unnecessary. In my writing I always try to remove this word during the editing process. By consciously identifying this vice, I keep a tally of the number of times I use this word. It has been reduced since I identified the vice, but it will never be perfect the first time.

The importance of CONNOTATION

Now, look at your articles/summaries/issues. • For EACH ONE, add the connotations (things

that you associate) with the issues. Add them to your chart or in the margins or somewhere accessible to your own organization style.

THE Persuasive Essay Process

A step by step guide for YOUR success

The Purpose of a Persuasive Essay

To persuade—you are to write an ARGUMENTATIVE, persuasive essay.

YOU MUST TAKE A STAND! Topics will be chosen from the

underlying societal issues in your NEWS NOTEBOOK

Requirements

Manuscript form (MLA) page 32 Writing Handbook

Use of 2 rhetorical devices Varied sentences structure Persuasive, formal tone A pre-prepared speech/presentation of

the persuasive essay topic• You are NOT reading us your PE!

Point value—200 points

News Notebook—30 points—due 9/27 Plan—20 points—due 9/28 Rough Draft—20 points—due 10/1 Written speech—20 points—due 10/3 Final Draft—90 points—due 10/5 Speech Presentation—20 points—due 10/5

News Notebook Analysis!

Choosing a topic for my persuasive essay

Step one

Read your article/summaries/issues. In the box provided…

• Write which issue you think you could write the BEST persuasive essay about

• List all the EVIDENCE you could come up with to prove a point about that issue

Step two

With your partner, discuss the evidence that you came up with. Add anything they may come up with that you missed and vice versa

Together draft an essential question for your issues

A Writing Workshop

Planning your Persuasive Essay

You will need your packet and your WRITING HANDBOOK

On page 3 of your packet, list the topic you believe you’d like to use for your essay (yes, I know you just wrote it on the previous page—write it again, and be happy about it!)

Analyze and AnticipateHow do the devaluation of the elderly and the escalation of youth affect future generations in our society?

It affects FGs positively

It positively affects future generations because…• The youth are forced to

grow up quicker.

It affects FGs negatively

It negatively affects future generations because…• The youth loses the

wisdom of past generations

You need at least 3 for each side! If you can’t come up with 3, you may want to choose a different issue!You need at least 3 for each side! If you can’t come up with 3, you may want to choose a different issue!

Argument vs. EvidenceOpinion vs. Fact

An argument is an opinion that is supported through evidence—the facts.

Complete 1-5 on page 3 of your persuasive essay packet

Argument vs. Evidence

All students should complete chores, such as doing laundry, cleaning, and vacuuming, every weekend.(A / E)

Students would learn more effectively if school were year-round. (A / E)

Clemmons is located outside Winston-Salem. (A / E) Ms. Carmichael is the best teacher I have ever had! (A / E) A traditional golf round is made up of 18 holes. (A / E)

Topic Sentence vs. Evidence

Topic sentences present your arguments Evidence is presented to support your

arguments—the topic sentence

Topic Sentence vs. Evidence A. The first reason students should study music in their school is

because it would help them in their performance at school. B. Playing a musical instrument helps students learn discipline. C. Every student should have the opportunity to study music in

school.

• Which sentence is the most general?

• Which sentence is the most specific?

• Which sentence could be a thesis statement (or a position statement)? What would the essential question be for that thesis?

• Which sentence above could be a topic sentence?

• Which sentence above could be an evidence sentence?

Listing your arguments

1. Your strongest 2. Your weakest 3. Your 2nd strongest

Your thesis statement

Handout

Drafting a thesis

Draft a thesis statement using the articles and the affirmative/negative answer to the essential question

Faulty Parallelism in Thesis statements

Writing handbook page 16

Be Specific

Writing Handbook page 18

List some potential evidence

Specific person Specific time Specific instance

YOU ARE NOT RESEARCHING! EVIDENCE SHOULD COME FROM YOUR OWN BRAIN—USING THE NEWS ARTICLE IS FINE—EVERYTHING ELSE IS ALL YOU!

Persuasive LanguageWriting handbook page 15

Parallelism Rhetorical question Restatement Repetition Antithesis

Come up with a solution!

Be your own person—supply your own ideas.

Your plan

Page 4 of your packet Write on a separate sheet

I. Topic sentence::Argument 1

A. Evidence 1

B. Evidence 2

I. Concluding sentence

II. Topic sentence::Argument 2