Instructional guide to persuasive writing - by Alex Noudelman. Appropriate for grade 6-8 students.

1. Argumentative Writing

2. What does it mean to persuade?
According to Mr. Kachur's L.A. class
"persuade" means:
*
According to Webster's Dictionary "persuade"
means:
"To move by argument to a belief, position, or
course of action"

3. When can we use our abilities to
persuade?
1.Writing essays
2.Writing job applications
3.Writing research papers
4.Interviewing for jobs
5.Communicating during arguments
6.Communicating with friends and family
7.Communicating your personal beliefs
8.Trading food at the lunch table
9.Buying / Selling a car
10.Analyzing advertising

4. How do we persuade?
1.Appeal to logic (Logos):
○appeal to a person's sense of reason calmly
○use statistics and facts
○use quotations
2.Appeal to emotion (Pathos):
○use vivid imagery
○utilize emotional examples
○use figurative language
3.Appeal to trust (Ethos):
○consider audience's interests, beliefs, education
○use correct grammar
○use appropriate vocabulary

5. How do we write persuasively?
"Persuasive writing is writing that sets out
to influence or change an audience's thoughts
or actions" (http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/)
1.Clearly state the issue and your position in the
introduction (thesis statement).
2.Use language appropriate to the audience.
3.Support your position with facts, statistics, and
reasons.
4.Answer possible objections to your position.
5.Utilize clear reasoning.

6. Organizing an Introduction
A: Attention-getter
C: Connecting statement
T: Thesis
S: Summary
ACTS

7. Attention - Getter
1. Make a statement of an interesting fact or detail that is
associated with the topic that will be discussed.
2. Begin with an informative quotation that is relevant
to the topic that will be discussed.
3. Discuss a personal experience that you have had
or know of that relates to the topic being discussed.
4. Provide background information about the topic
that will be discussed.
5. Provide a hypothetical situation that would relate to
the topic and prepare the audience for what is to
come.

8. TOPIC: GUM IN THE CLASSROOM
Thinking back on my youth there was always
one constant that helped me to get through
the rigors and trials of the demanding world
of middle school. An ipod? No, they didn't
exist. My childhood blanket? No, it was
thrown out when I was 12 years old. A lap
top computer? No, my mom wouldn't spend
the $2,500 to get me one, and the battery
would have only lasted a half hour anyway.

9. Connecting Statement
Clarify what the topic of the paragraph is going to be.
The miracle item that helped to shape the
ever - impressionable middle school mind that
developed into the pure genius that you see
before you today was nothing more than, wait
for it, bubble gum.

10. Thesis / Summary
Make a statement of your own personal opinion about the
exact topic that will be discussed and preview the big ideas
that will be provided to the audience. Try to begin using
a dependent clause (ABBI SAW A WUWU).
Before school boards and administrators across
the country take the drastic steps of banning the
use of bubble gum in the classrooms of our
nation's youth, take a moment to consider its
importance in the management of our children's
stress levels, the enhancement of every students'
physical activity, and the development of stronger
linguistic skills for a brighter, more verbal
tomorrow.

11. Your Topic
School districts nationwide have made
it a priority to place electronic devices
of some type into the hands of their
students. Do you believe this is the
best course of action to take to
enhance students’ educational
experiences?

12. Organizing Body Paragraphs
MEL
M: Main Idea
E: Example
L: Link

13. Main Idea
This is the topic sentence of the paragraph that provides the
audience with the "BIG IDEA".
IDEA #1: Management of children's stress levels
One reason to allow gum chewing in the
classroom is to provide students with an
outlet for their stress.

14. Example
This is an example that supports / proves the main idea.
IDEA #1: Management of children's stress levels
Today's students participate in more extra-curricular
activities than any other generation that has
preceeded them, creating stress from not only the
classroom and at home, but also on the field, court,
or stage. These self-inflicted stresses are
unavoidable and when a student does not know how
to properly cope with these, he/she must find an
outlet: that's where the relaxing, rhythmic, activity of
gum chewing comes in.

15. Link
This is where you explain how / why the example you stated
supports / proves your main idea.
IDEA #1: Management of children's stress levels
Chewing gum is proven to melt stress away
because it allows the body to stay in constant
motion, melting away the rigors of the day, while
also keeping your breath minty fresh.

16. Example
This is an example that supports the main idea and helps to tell
why the main idea is correct.
IDEA #1: Management of children's stress levels
In addition to stresses outside of school, today's
students experience heightened expectations in
the classroom.

17. Link
This is where you explain how / why the example you stated
supports your main idea.
IDEA #1: Management of children's stress levels
This unique stress can be controlled by providing
students with the distracting simple sugars of a
piece of Bubble Yum or even Orbit, giving them
a mental break and providing a little bit of
freedom in a world of ever-expanding school
rules.

18. Main Idea
This is the topic sentence of the paragraph that provides the
audience with the "BIG IDEA".
IDEA #2: Enhancing student's activity levels
In addition to eliminating stress, students
also enjoy the benefits of enhanced physical
activity simply by partaking in a little piece of
heaven.

19. Main Idea
This is the topic sentence of the paragraph that provides the
audience with the "BIG IDEA".
IDEA #3: Developing stronger linguistic skills
The final example to note in this heated
debate of gum chewing in schools lies in the
essential skill of developing a student's ability
to communicate.

20. Body Paragraph Checklist
●Does the body paragraph begin with a
transition?
●Does the body paragraph have a topic
sentence that clearly states what the
paragraph is going to talk about?
●Does the body paragraph have 2 clear
examples that prove / support your topic
sentence?
●Does the body paragraph have 2 clear links
that explain how or why the examples support
your topic sentence?

21. Organizing a Conclusion
S: Summary
T: Thesis
E: Examples
C: Clincher
STEC

22. Subjects / Thesis
1.Begin with a "Conclusion" transition.
2.Restate the thesis / summary you created as the last
sentence of the introduction.
○Original thesis / summary:
■ Before school boards and administrators across the country
take the drastic steps of banning the use of bubble gum in the
classrooms of our nation's youth, take a moment to consider
its importance in the management of our children's stress
levels, the enhancement of every students' physical activity,
and the development of stronger linguistic skills for a brighter,
more verbal tomorrow.
○Restated thesis / summary:
■The evidence is clear and undeniable; bubble gum is an
absolute necessity for managing children's stress levels,
enhancing their physical activity, and developing their
language skills.

23. Examples
1.Review two to three of your best examples from the
previous body paragraphs.
Example:
● By allowing students to chew gum, the intensifying stress of
extra-curricular activities will be alleviated, providing
students with an oasis of relief from their hectic lives. Not
only that, but student success in the various foreign
language courses will greatly increase as a result of
enhanced pronunciation and clarity.

24. Clincher "Conclusion"
1.State a call to action (ask audience to do something):
○So, when the time comes to approve the chewing of gum
in the classroom, do what's is right; vote yes for the
betterment of not only our students but also our future.
2.State a personal conclusion (what do you think will happen):
○After considering the positives of gum chewing, the
choice is clear: students must be allowed to chew gum or
else their mental sanity, physical health, and academic
success are all at risk.
3.State a solution (how can the problem / issue be solved):
○The issue of gum chewing will be resolved when
administrators listen to their heart and vote for the needs,
health, and fresh breath of our students.

25. Works Cited
"Persuade - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus
- Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/persuade>.
"UBC Writers' Workshop - Writers' Toolbox - The Basic Principles of Persuasive Writing." UBC
Writing Centre - LPI Preparation, Academic, Business and Creative Writing. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/workshop/tools/argument.htm>.