Persuasive Writing: Unit 2 EA #2: Letter to Editor

January 2, 2013

Learning Focus (131)

• You will be learning how to write a persuasive text in the form of a letter to the editor.

Previewing EA #2 (166-169)

• Close Reading of prompt, steps and scoring guide.

• Close reading: Accessing small chunks of text to read, reread, mark and annotate key passages.

Assignment

• Choose an editorial, analyze the persuasive arguments, and write a letter to the editor, agreeing or disagreeing with the writer of the editorial.

Steps

• Pre-writing

• Drafting

• Revising

• Editing for Publication

Pre-writing and Planning• Choose a relevant newspaper editorial about an issue that you

are interested in and feel strongly about.

• As you read, highlight the persuasive appeals and techniques, and identify points that you would like to respond to.

• Use the “Guidelines for Reading an Editorial” (167) and/or SOAPSTone (168) graphic organizer to develop a thorough understanding of the editorial.

• Review the “Guidelines for Writing a Letter to the Editor” in Activity 2.20. Then use a prewriting strategy to generate ideas.

Drafting

• Draft your letter in business-letter format.

Revising Through Sharing and Responding

• Share your draft in your writing group to gather suggestions for revision (format, organization, ideas, and language); revise accordingly.

• Consult the Scoring Guide to aid revisions.

Editing for Publication

• Prepare to publish your letter.

• Edit your draft: Check for spelling, capitalization, grammar, and usage errors.

(CHAMPS errors)

Activity 2.12

• Quick write: Select an item that disappointed you, and describe the experience. (pg. 132)

• On a separate paper, write a letter to the company that makes the product.

• Use Standard Business Letter Block Format – model on page 133.