Our Goals
I will write persuasive pieces with increasing stamina.
I will use relevant supporting details to support my argument.
I will include precise or interesting words, descriptive words, technical language, varied verb choices or creative phrases.
I will organize my writing with a logical structure that demonstrates an awareness of my audience.
You write persuasively when you want to convince someone to think like you or to do what you want them to do. We see this a lot in advertising. You can use it, too!
What makes persuasive writing powerful? Usually these writers are passionate. They give a strong opinion that is backed up by well supported facts and examples. They use specific and descriptive words to get their point across. Good writers also think about how people might argue with them and they prepare for it.
In this unit, we will read many examples, but we will also watch videos of speeches. Don't forget, a good speech is always written long before a person talks. This gives the speaker time to think about how to best persuade you to think or act like them.
You can always look at our mentor texts for ideas, too!
What do you wish was different in your world?
If you could change something, what would you change?
This young boy is talking to a room full of educators. Some schools do not have recess. He is trying to persuade them that every kid needs recess, for their health, social development, and their mental development. Notice how, when he makes a mistake, he calmly pauses and tries again. You can tell he is nervous but he keeps going. He has memorized his whole speech!
longer lunch
new games at recess
start school day later
teachers, principal
other students
department of education, parents
speech, essay, letter
poster, talk, sign-up sheet
letter, speech, petition
Greta Thunberg became an outspoken champion of the environment at a young age. In this speech, she is talking to world leaders at the UN. She is trying to convince them that they need to act, because young people care about how poorly the older generations are treating the environment.
What are some global issues that you think about?
peace / war
fairness / injustice
family
human rights
poverty
environment
animal rights
These topics are too big to write about.
Think about some smaller topics that connect to the issue you chose. Perhaps you have an example that would be good to talk about?
What is the one thing about your topic that really fires you up?
How do you feel about that one thing?
What do you really think about it?
When did you start thinking and feeling this way? Why?
Why do you believe it is important to persuade others to think the same way or to act on this topic?
Who are you trying to convince? What do they think now?
How will you know if you get off topic? What can you do to stay focused on it?
Malala Yousafzai is passionate about female education. Where she grew up, sometimes young women were not allowed to go to school and she fought for their rights. This video shows clips from two of her more famous speeches.
Choose a topic you know A LOT about.
Read about what other people have said. You can find arguments that people have made on BOTH sides. This will help you build a strong argument.
Ask yourself: Why do I feel so strongly about this? What do YOU have to say about this topic that is important? What makes your ideas different? If everyone has said it already, why do you need to say it?
Concentrate on to what feels important to YOU.
Share your passion with your audience.
Listen to the Persuasive Monkey. As he talks, fill out the organizer. Does he do everything? Did he persuade you?
*Be careful. People may be very good at making persuasive arguments, but it doesn't mean they are right. Always think for yourself!
Introduction
Hook your reader. You can use an anecdote (short story), a surprising fact, or ask your reader a question.
Tell your reader what you will be talking about. Give a summary of the issue.
Then tell us what your opinion is. This is your position statement.
Body
Next, think of at least three main arguments to back-up your opinion (one in each paragraph).
In each paragraph, try to give at least three details and/or examples to support your argument.
Defend Your Opinion
Before you finish, think of how someone might refute or question your argument. This is the opposing point of view. Tell us what it is. This is your counterargument.
Say why it is wrong.
Conclusion
Summarize what you said in a couple of sentences.
Give your position statement again.
End with a strong last sentence.
Not every topic fits into the pattern we learned last class. This is another way to write a persuasive piece.
Michiel Vandeweert is an honest and funny young man who has progeria. In this speech he talks about the problems this diagnosis presents in his life and he gives us the solutions he has discovered for making the most out of life.
Introduction
Hook your reader. You can use an anecdote (short story), a surprising fact, or ask your reader a question.
Problem
Describe the problem. (Everyone has problems, but life is short.)
Give evidence that there is really a problem. (Michiel has less time to live because he has progeria.)
Solution
Say what the solution is. (You have to make the most out of life.)
Give reasons to support your solution. (family, sports, challenge yourself, making a difference)
Use evidence. (lots of examples)
Conclusion
Summarize what you said in a couple of sentences.
Give your position statement again.
End with a strong last sentence.
anecdote: a very brief story (like a summary) that can be used to introduce an argument or support a point with personal evidence. It often makes it memorable and adds emotion.
1 - What information do you need to support your point?
2 - Can you demonstrate that point that with an anecdote?
3 - What details do you need in that anecdote? Don't get off topic! Cut the details you don't need.
Examples:
The bleachers in the gym are unsafe. Some of the boards are cracked, which makes them hard to climb. Just last a week, a student was walking up the bleachers when she tripped on a crack, spilled her popcorn, and banged her wrists. She wasn't seriously hurt, but the next person who trips on the bleachers might not be so lucky. https://k12.thoughtfullearning.com/minilesson/using-anecdotes-formal-writing
You see it every day, especially in freeway traffic. A car is weaving back and forth, speeding up then slowing down, or suddenly stopping. No, it’s not a drunk driver. It’s a cell-phone driver. Cell phones are used everywhere, but on the road they are a dangerous distraction to drivers.
Partner 1: Tell your partner your position statement.
Tell your partner your main points and supporting details.
Read your partner any anecdotes you are using.
Tell them what you think the main counter argument will be.
Partner 2: Listen to your writing partner.
Is the position statement clear and strong?
What are the most important points that your partner said?
Can you offer more points to help them?
Did your partner's anecdote help explain their points or introduce their topic?
Can you give them a counter-argument they hadn't thought of?
Make your reader feel like we are all affected by this issue.
Use the pronouns we, us, our, and you.
Which feels more personal?
Clean up messes. or Let's keep our class clean.
Show kindness. or We will be kind to our classmates.
Be respectful. or Show respect for yourself and others.
Example:
We can help solve our energy crisis if we are willing to act now. You can start by using less energy everyday. If you do simple things like turn off the television when no one is watching it or walk to the park instead of driving, you are starting to help already.
You have written a draft of your arguments, but can you make them more specific and more clearly defined? We want your writing to be strong.
underline your main points
rewrite them in several ways
look at your rewrites and ask: Which is the strongest, clearest, and most true?
Example:
In Ontario, where I used to teach, there is less and less money for school librarians. In some schools, the teachers and vice principal have to do all the work. My friend is a librarian there and I am worried she will lose her job.
In my introduction, I underlined, "We need to protect the jobs of librarians."
Then I tried:
"Librarians are important educators in our elementary schools and they should be treasured."
"Without librarians, our schools would suffer, because we would have less books, no maker carts, and less grants."
"Librarians keep students excited about reading and if we value that, we should keep them in our schools."
Which one is best? Can you write a better one?
You can use a question or a series of questions anywhere in your writing to keep your readers engaged. If we give too many facts in a row, our writing tends to sound robotic and dry. You can get people interested by challenging them to think of the answers or by making them question their own beliefs.
Let’s try it with these sentences from a persuasive piece on why we should have Friday afternoons off.
Some countries have tried shorter work-weeks and found that productivity increased.
Shutting down a few hours early means we can save on electricity and heating costs.
Teachers can use the extra time for lesson planning, marking, and professional development.
In the winter, students would get extra daylight hours for outdoor exercise.
Can you make questions using these facts?
What do you think would happen if we had shorter work-weeks? Did you guess that productivity would increase? Well, that is what happened in several countries that tried a shorter work-week.
Want to save money? Well, if you send us home a few hours early, you can save money on electricity and heating.
Have you wanted some extra time to plan out your day for your students? Shortening the day would give you the extra time you need.
We want to make sure we bring facts to our arguments. Readers will be looking for facts. Check the paragraphs and make sure the facts are directly related to the main idea of each paragraph.
What if you find a cool fact that doesn't fit into one of your paragraphs? Perhaps you could add another paragraph that can use that fact. Or maybe you can use it in your rebuttal.
Think:
What will convince my reader?
What can I say to prove it?
What facts can I give to support my reasons?
Put your reader into a situation to get them using their emotions more than their logical thoughts! It is okay if you use hypothetical situations, as long as they are realistic and clearly supporting your argument. You want your reader to be able to see a picture in their mind. This will help your message stick.
By giving them a detailed scenario, you can help your reader:
feel and remember the argument
understand an unfamiliar situation or different perspective
show the ridiculousness of a counterargument
Examples:
For an argument about climate change:
Imagine you are in your bed on a hot, muggy morning. What would you do? You'd kick off your blankets, get a glass of ice water, and go turn on the fan. But, if you were the Earth, you couldn't do this. There would be no way for you to cool down.
For an argument about cleaning up the oceans:
Picture this. You have flown down to Hawaii for a lovely beach vacation. You run down to the water and splash in, only to find a piece of net wrapped around your leg and a dead fish floating beside a plastic bottle.
For the counterargument "You will forget to walk the dog:"
Think of this. It is after a long day. When you come in the door, you see those warm brown eyes and that wagging tail and your heart melts. Even though you are tired, you take the leash out of your dog's mouth as she jumps up excitedly. Of course, you will take her for a walk. You can't ignore such an energetic reminder; no one could.
Many students have been wanting to write stronger conclusions. Tell your reader to do something with the knowledge you have given them. Remember, this is the point of persuasive writing.
You will also need to restate your position and summarize your main points, which should be proof that the reader needs to act.
Example of a call to action:
So the next time you buy a new laptop, don't just dump the old one into a bin--give it to someone who needs it! You can even contact the company you bought it from. It may take the laptop back and reuse the parts.
~Aanchal Broca Kumar, from Why Should I Recycle?
Transitions show that you are moving from one idea to the next. They are particularly useful at the beginning of new paragraphs. You can use them at the start of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence. They make your writing seem smoother and easier to understand.
Adding Information
additionally
in addition
as well as
to begin with
first of all
thirdly
besides
also
another
furthermore
secondly
finally
Giving Examples
for example
for instance
to illustrate
this can be seen
specifically
Cause and Effect
as a result
consequently
so
therefore
it follows that
eventually
Showing Similarities
likewise
so too
similarly
Contrasting Ideas
even though
despite
in contrast
in spite of
regardless
however
yet
but
still
although
on one hand
on the other hand
some people say
other people say
Adding Emphasis
in fact
of course
truly
even
indeed
Clarifying your Position
that is
in other words
to put it another way
Concluding
as you can see
given these points
in the long run
in conclusion
it follows that
Examples:
Adding Information
I promise to walk, feed, and also clean up after the dog. Additionally, I will do my chores without being asked. Furthermore, if we get a dog, I will not ask for any more pets.
Compare & Contrast
Birds are fantastic, but cats are terrifying. House cats murder mice and songbirds. Similarly, lions and tigers are dangerous predators. On the contrary, birds, such as sparrows and warblers, give us songs and eat insects.
Cause & Effect
Since you took the babysitter's course, you are now qualified. Therefore, you can get a job. You will have more money as a result.
When we are writing, we are thinking about how we want the reader to react. That is why we think a lot about our arguments and our word choices. You can check to see if you will get the reaction you want by consulting your writing partner. Then, you can make changes (additions or cuts) to perfect your piece.
Tell how it made you feel.
Tell how it seems the writer feels based on their writing.
Was anything surprising? Did you learn anything new about the topic?
What do you think the purpose of the piece is? What does the writer want the reader to do?
Ask the writer: What do you think you will change before you finish it?
Ask the writer: Did my feedback help?
Think carefully about what they are saying.
Is there a way for you to be clearer or more passionate?
Are there more details you could provide so your argument stands out?
Try not to use vague words. You want to say exactly what you mean. Look for words that you can improve. Here are some examples.
Vague Description What do you really mean?
So smart intelligent, brilliant, genius, clever
Very kind thoughtful, helpful, generous, compassionate
Nice house beautiful, elegant, comfortable, simple
You have spent a lot of time writing and rewriting your piece. Now it is time to check to see if your verbs are happening at the same time in your sentences.
Past Present Future
assigned assign will assign
thought think will think
Example:
Wrong: The next time you assigned homework, you will think of the poor students doing it. (past/future)
Correct: The next time you assign homework, think of the poor students doing it. (present/present)
Face your audience.
Look up. If you can't look at their faces, look at different parts of the room.
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. You will look confident.
Keep your hands as still as possible. If you are behind a table, put your hands on it to steady yourself.
TIP 1: Practice your speech while lying on your back. Put your hands on your belly muscles. Try to project your voice to the ceiling.
TIP 2: Practice your pronunciation. Go over the most difficult words and phrases many times. Practice how to breath with these words.
Take deep breaths.
Open your mouth, don't mumble.
Use your belly muscles, not your throat.
Make sure you are saying the ends of your words. Sometimes people run out of breath at the end of words and it makes them difficult to understand.
Use emphasis! Don't read like a robot!
Talk more slowly than you think you need to (when people are nervous, they tend to speak quickly).
Avoid using fillers: like, um, er, ah, etc.
Memorize the first few lines.
Practice your speech many times.
Smile and take a breath before you start.
If you stumble, take a breath before you try again.
Take a drink of water (it calms your body down.)
Think about how important your topic is to you.
Think of how good it will feel to be finished.
Remember...everyone gets nervous. You can do this!
Make the font big enough for you to read when it is on the table in front of you.
Make marks where you will take a big breath (so you can read the whole sentence.) Make double marks to give a pause to let your audience think.
Underline or circle words or ideas that you want to emphasize.
Write pronunciation notes over words you find difficult.
Highlight the beginning of sentences or main words where you get lost.
Leave yourself smiley-faces where you think it would be good to smile at the audience or other notes on body language.
Number your pages in case they get mixed up.
Can they hear you? How do you know? (Are they looking at you? Are they leaning in or cupping their ears?)
Do they seem to understand? (Do they look confused? Are they nodding or shaking their heads?)
If something seems to be wrong, what can you do to help your audience? (Ask!)
Is your whole body facing the speaker? (Make sure you are not distracted.)
Are you interested? (Why or why not?)
Are you thinking about what the speaker is saying?
Have you made any connections to the topic?
Do you have any questions for the speaker?
“I see what you’re saying but…”
“I understand where you’re coming from, but…”
“That’s a valid point, but…”
“I’m sorry to disagree with you, but...”
“I’m not sure I agree with you about this. I think...”
"What a great question!"
"Thank you for asking that!"
"I'm glad you asked that!"
"So what you're asking is..." (rephrasing their question to check if you understood)