Persuasive Writing 101

WH1

*Persuasion = a process aimed at changing a person’s (or a group’s) attitude or behavior toward some event, idea or object, by using written words to convey information, feelings or reasoning

*persuading someone to do or believe something through the use of reasoning

The Purpose of a persuasive essay is to test your ability to use your knowledge and writing ability to Persuade the reader on a particular topic…

Understanding the Communicates Effectively Rubric…What are the components of good writing?

NAME ____________________________________

 DATE ___ / ___ / ___ ASSIGNMENT ________________________________

CAPT SCORE 

   

_____________

GRADE (%)    

____________ 

EXPECTATION #3

COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

Exceeds Standard

(A / CAPT: 12-10)

MeetsStandard

(B / CAPT: 9-7)

Approaches Standard

(C / CAPT: 6-4)

Misses Standard

(D-F / CAPT: 3-0)

INTENT & PURPOSE(Position / Arguments)

The purpose or thesis is clear and easy to understand

The purpose or thesis is generally clear and easy to understand The purpose or thesis is unclear The purpose or thesis is not apparent

Development &Structure

(Organization / Focus)

The purpose or thesis is logical, clear, and unified.

The purpose or thesis is generally logical and clear, but not completely unified.

The purpose or thesis is rarely logical or clear and lacks appropriate support.

The purpose or thesis is illogical, lacks focus or controlling ideas, and is unsupported.

Fluency(Ideas / Transitions)

The purpose or thesis conveys inherent logic in the flow of ideas

The purpose or thesis contains clear transitions and a recognizable flow of ideas

The purpose or thesis is sometimes confused because it is disjointed and lacks a logical flow of ideas.

The purpose or thesis is difficult to follow because it contains random, unconnected ideas.

Content(Supporting Evidence)

The purpose or thesis is clear, appropriate, and insightful; it provides rich and useful information upon which to make an informed decision.

The purpose or thesis is generally clear, accurate, and appropriate; it provides sufficient information upon which to make an informed decision.

The purpose or thesis may lack clarity or accuracy or may not appropriately follow from evidence; has only limited information upon which to make an informed decision.

The purpose or thesis is unclear or contains serious inaccuracies or misinformation; provides insufficient information upon which to make an informed decision.

Technique(Grammar / Mechanics)

The purpose or thesis is free of technical, syntactical, and grammatical errors.

The purpose or thesis is generally free of technical, syntactical, or grammatical errors.

The purpose or thesis has frequent technical, syntactical, or grammatical errors.

The purpose or thesis has significant technical, syntactical, or grammatical errors.

Task: 1. Highlight or Underline key words or phrase that can be used to create a definition of what an essay in each standard would look like. 2. Create a definition for each category of essay based on what you underlined

Components of Persuasive Writing• Position – did you take a clear position on the issue? (take a side and stick

with it)– Create a position statement that answers the question: Should you buy products that

were produced in sweatshops? • Comprehensiveness – did you use information from both the sources that are

provided? (This will demonstrate your understanding of the topic) – *Read the two articles below and summarize the main idea. (Which article supports

the position that you have chosen?)• Support – did you support your position with accurate and relevant

information from the source materials? (use of quotes and supporting details) – *Read the two articles below and find three supporting details (information that

supports the main idea of each article)• Organization – did you organize your ideas in a logical and effective manner

so that your audience can understand and follow your thinking?– Create your own Thesis:

• Clarify and Fluency – transition sentences, connect ideas in your writing

Steps to a Well Written Persuasive Paper

1. Read the question (determine what the assignment is asking you to do)

2. Read through and analyze the sources3. Outline and organize your paper 4. Write!5. Revise and edit

CAPT Essay Basics

• Your Essay should have the following: – 5 Paragraphs – A Thesis– At least 3 sources properly cites

• EX: (Document 1).

Don’t Forget to EDIT– Check for grammar errors and fluidity (does the paper

‘sound’ right)– Check to make sure your body paragraphs match your thesis– Check that your introduction and conclusion are structured

properly and will engage the reader

Introduction

• Background Sentence

• Issue Statement

• THESISWithout a Thesis

With a Thesis

What is a Thesis?

• Position - your stance on the issue (what side do you want to take in the debate)

+• Arguments – reasons

why your position is correct

Practice Writing a Thesis: • Which is the better

beverage, Pepsi or Coke?

• What is the best sports team in history?

Steps to a good thesis: 1. Read the question & understand it2. Pick a position3. Brainstorm arguments

• Come up with at LEAST 4, then eliminate your weakest argument

4. Put it all together