This document provides guidance on drafting and revising a persuasive writing project for 5th grade on the importance of knowing where food comes from. It includes sections on drafting an introduction, body paragraphs with arguments and evidence, and a conclusion. The introduction would ask a question about the topic, provide background, and state an opinion. Each body paragraph advocates for a different argument, establishes facts, and supports them with examples. The conclusion restates the topic, summarizes arguments, and closes with a statement of position.

1. Persuade & Debate II
Drafting & Revising
A 5th Grade Persuasive Writing Project

2. Drafting
Making Connections & Establishing Facts

3. Mini-Lessons
Making Connections It’s a Fact!
 Click here to see how
to use transitional
words to show how
ideas are connected.
 Click here to see how
to first establish facts
and then to support
those facts with
evidence.

4. Example

5. Example
In my view, it is incredibly important to know
where your food comes from both for
reasons of safety and responsibility.
Food that isn’t
prepared or
stored properly
can be
dangerous
Salmonella is a
bacteria that
causes people
to get sick
Can be spread
through food.
Some ways
that animals
are raised are
cruel.
Battery cages
used to raise
egg chickens
are tiny.
90% of egg
chickens in US
are raised in
them
Some say that the
government already
takes care of food –
government only
regulates because
people became
aware of issues.
Writing of “The
Jungle”
28-Hour Law

6. Drafting: Introduction
Writing an Engaging Introduction

7. Introduction
 Introduce readers to
your topic by stating
the proposition as a
question.
 Give some
background
information on the
topic.
 State your opinion in
the last sentence of
your introduction.

8. Example
In my view, it is incredibly important to know
where your food comes from both for
reasons of safety and responsibility.
Food that isn’t
prepared or
stored properly
can be
dangerous
Salmonella is a
bacteria that
causes people
to get sick
Can be spread
through food.
Some ways
that animals
are raised are
cruel.
Battery cages
used to raise
egg chickens
are tiny.
90% of egg
chickens in US
are raised in
them
Some say that the
government already
takes care of food –
government only
regulates because
people became
aware of issues.
Writing of “The
Jungle”
28-Hour Law

9. Introduction
• State the topic in the form of a question
• Give some background information about the
topic without giving away your opinion.
• State your own opinion in the last sentence of your
introduction.
Is it important to know where our food comes from? For
most of human history people have hunted, foraged, or grown their
own food. Today, however, most of the food we eat comes from all
over the world. Bananas we buy at Walmart might come from
Asia, while the Chicken we buy at Publix could have been raised in
Iowa. In either case, most people never see how their food is
being grown or raised themselves. In my view, it is incredibly
important to know where your food comes from both for reasons of
safety and responsibility.

10. Drafting: Body
Making & Supporting Your Arguments

11. Body
 The body of your essay
should include at least
three paragraphs.
 Each paragraph must
contain a different
argument and
supporting evidence
and/or examples from
your research.
 Remember to argue
facts not opinions.
 Within each paragraph
make sure to use
powerful transition
words and phrases.

12. Example
In my view, it is incredibly important to know
where your food comes from both for
reasons of safety and responsibility.
Food that isn’t
prepared or
stored properly
can be
dangerous
Salmonella is a
bacteria that
causes people
to get sick
Can be spread
through food.
Some ways
that animals
are raised are
cruel.
Battery cages
used to raise
egg chickens
are tiny.
90% of egg
chickens in US
are raised in
them
Some say that the
government already
takes care of food –
government only
regulates because
people became
aware of issues.
Writing of “The
Jungle”
28-Hour Law

13. Body: Paragraph 1
Everyone knows that it’s important to keep your food
clean, but how do you know if your food is sanitary if you don’t
know where it comes from? For example, Salmonella is a
bacteria that can make people very sick and can be spread
through infected foods. One way Salmonella can spread is
through infected eggs. Therefore, it is important to know that
the eggs you buy at the store come from farms with programs
that monitor how their eggs are produced and stored to prevent
Salmonella from spreading.
• Introduce argument
• Establish facts
• Support facts with evidence

14. Example
In my view, it is incredibly important to know
where your food comes from both for
reasons of safety and responsibility.
Food that isn’t
prepared or
stored properly
can be
dangerous
Salmonella is a
bacteria that
causes people
to get sick
Can be spread
through food.
Some ways
that animals
are raised are
cruel.
Battery cages
used to raise
egg chickens
are tiny.
90% of egg
chickens in US
are raised in
them
Some say that the
government already
takes care of food –
government only
regulates because
people became
aware of issues.
Writing of “The
Jungle”
28-Hour Law

15. Body: Paragraph 2
• Introduce argument
• Establish facts
• Support facts with evidence
Surely, it is important that animals are not treated cruelly. True,
we raise many animals for the purpose of eating them, but that does not
mean we should be cruel, or inflict unnecessary pain. If animal cruelty is
important to you then how most chickens are raised will be shocking.
Egg-laying chickens spend almost all of their lives jammed into tiny
“battery cages”. These tiny cells afford each bird less space than a
typical piece of printer paper. While the European Union outlawed this
practice in 1999, more than 90% of egg-laying chickens in the United
States are confined to these enclosures. Knowing how the chicken you
buy to eat is raised would allow you to choose to buy chickens from
farmers who do not use this inhumane practice.

16. Example
In my view, it is incredibly important to know
where your food comes from both for
reasons of safety and responsibility.
Food that isn’t
prepared or
stored properly
can be
dangerous
Salmonella is a
bacteria that
causes people
to get sick
Can be spread
through food.
Some ways
that animals
are raised are
cruel.
Battery cages
used to raise
egg chickens
are tiny.
90% of egg
chickens in US
are raised in
them
Some say that the
government already
takes care of food –
government only
regulates because
people became
aware of issues.
Writing of “The
Jungle”
28-Hour Law

17. Body: Paragraph 3
• State possible counter-argument
• Introduce argument
• Establish facts
• Support facts with evidence
Some people might say that it’s not important to know where our
food comes from because the government now inspects how plants and
animals are raised and takes care of any issues that might come up.
However, while it is true that the U.S. government regulates this it is also
true that these regulations only occurred when people became aware of
how their food was being raised. For example, in the 1800’s there were
few regulations about how animal meat was prepared. Then, in 1906,
author Upton Sinclair wrote a novel called “The Jungle” which talked
about many of the filthy conditions in the meatpacking industry. When
people read the book and realized how their food was being handled
they demanded the government do a better job regulating this industry.

18. Drafting: Conclusion
How to Wrap Up Your Essay

19. Conclusion
 Restate the
proposition
 Summarize your
arguments
 Do not introduce any
new information
 Close with a powerful
statement of your
position.

20. Conclusion
• Restate the proposition
• Summarize your arguments
• Close with a powerful statement
In conclusion, on the question of whether or not it is
important to know where your food comes from there is only one
logical answer. Not only is it important to know how the food
you eat is grown in order to ensure that it is safe, but also so that
we do not support the cruel treatment of animals. In addition,
understanding how the food we eat is treated is vital to ensuring
that new laws and regulations are put into place to keep food
safe, to protect food workers, and to preserve the ethical
treatment of animals. The fact is that knowing where your food
comes from is both a good way to stay safe and a responsibility
we have as members of a humane society.

21. Is it important to know where our food comes from? For most of human history people have hunted,
foraged, or grown their own food. Today, however, most of the food we eat comes from all over the world.
Bananas we buy at Walmart might come from Asia, while the Chicken we buy at Publix could have been raised in
Iowa. In either case, most people never see how their food is being grown or raised themselves. In my view, it is
incredibly important to know where your food comes from both for reasons of safety and responsibility.
Everyone knows that it’s important to keep your food clean, but how do you know if your food is
sanitary if you don’t know where it comes from? For example, Salmonella is a bacteria that can make people very
sick and can be spread through infected foods. One way Salmonella can spread is through infected eggs.
Therefore, it is important to know that the eggs you buy at the store come from farms with programs that monitor
how their eggs are produced and stored to prevent Salmonella from spreading.
Surely, it is important that animals are not treated cruelly. True, we raise many animals for the purpose
of eating them, but that does not mean we should be cruel, or inflict unnecessary pain. If animal cruelty is
important to you then how most chickens are raised will be shocking. Egg-laying chickens spend almost all of their
lives jammed into tiny “battery cages”. These tiny cells afford each bird less space than a typical piece of printer
paper. While the European Union outlawed this practice in 1999, more than 90% of egg-laying chickens in the
United States are confined to these enclosures. Knowing how the chicken you buy to eat is raised would allow you
to choose to buy chickens from farmers who do not use this inhumane practice.
Some people might say that it’s not important to know where our food comes from because the
government now inspects how plants and animals are raised and takes care of any issues that might come up.
However, while it is true that the U.S. government regulates this it is also true that these regulations only occurred
when people became aware of how their food was being raised. For example, in the 1800’s there were few
regulations about how animal meat was prepared. Then, in 1906, author Upton Sinclair wrote a novel called “The
Jungle” which talked about many of the filthy conditions in the meatpacking industry. When people read the book
and realized how their food was being handled they demanded the government do a better job regulating this
industry.
In conclusion, on the question of whether or not it is important to know where your food comes from
there is only one logical answer. Not only is it important to know how the food you eat is grown in order to ensure
that it is safe, but also so that we do not support the cruel treatment of animals. In addition, understanding how
the food we eat is treated is vital to ensuring that new laws and regulations are put into place to keep food safe, to
protect food workers, and to preserve the ethical treatment of animals. The fact is that knowing where your food
comes from is both a good way to stay safe and a responsibility we have as members of a humane society.