Persuasive Writing and Debate Class Summary 2/24/14

Brainstorming Thesis Statements

Students worked in small groups this week to share and discuss the three thesis statements they prepared as homework.  I was pleased that we had a broad range of topics that were of personal interest to the students.

Using a simple checklist, students took turns in their groups discussing each thesis statement and deciding if it met the four basic criteria (clearly states your opinion, is reasonable, is debatable, can be proven with evidence and example).  They also defined their audience for each topic, and worked together to identify counter-arguments and several types of testimony they could use to support each argument.

At the conclusion of our small group work, I asked students to choose the thesis statement they felt was the strongest of their three to develop into a rough draft for next weeks class.

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COUNTER-ARGUMENTS -->

Think of your persuasive essay like an imaginary dialogue between a reader and the writer. The writer uses arguments to try to convince the reader to think something or to take a certain action.
But the writer also has to imagine how the reader will argue against his or her arguments, and answer those objections.

TYPES OF TESTIMONY -->

Personal experience: The writer tells about an experience he or she has had.

Expert opinion: The writer tells another person’s opinion. The other person should know a lot about the topic or have some personal experience that is relevant.

Examples: The writer describes an instance of something to illustrate the point.

Analogy: The writer compares the situation to another similar situation.

Facts and statistics: The writer uses true statements or numbers to prove the idea. Often this information comes from other sources, such as books, newspapers, or websites.

Reason: The writer uses reasoning or logic to argue the point.

Emotion: The writer makes an emotional appeal to the reader.

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Homework

For homework this week students should prepare a rough draft of a persuasive essay for the thesis statement they chose in class. 

These do not need to be final, polished pieces of writing but should include a solid start at the following:

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1. An introduction including

• a "hook" (draw the reader in)
• a clearly articulated thesis statement. Remember to give the reader a preview of why you hold this position (Dogs are better pets than cats because.....?). 
  
• any background information and definition of terms that your reader will need.

2. The body of the essay

• one paragraph for each support you are providing for your argument.  Review the handout I gave in class and make sure you use several different types of testimony to make your case.

I strongly encourage each of you to freewrite for awhile on your topic to spark thoughts and solidify those you discussed in class.  It is also very helpful to create an outline for your essay to organize your ideas before beginning your draft.

Finally - do not get hung up on the mechanics right now (grammar, spelling, paragraph structure).  I want your unique voice and your interest in the topic to come through in this draft.  Focus on being clear, logical, and persuasive, but don't stress!

I'm looking forward to hearing all of your ideas in class next week!