This week, we will formally begin writing a persuasive essay on the minimum wage. On the Language Arts: Writing section of the exam, you will be expected to develop a persuasive essay in response to a prompt (meaning they will give you the topic).
It's all about the ideas!
Among a few other components, the graders of your essay will focus a lot on how well you create, develop, and support the ideas in your essay. In other words, it's more important that you take a good position and make a strong argument than spell every word correctly. So although spelling and grammar are important, we are going to focus our energy on developing good ideas and presenting them well through quality essay organization.
Module 3 Objectives
Understand the importance of establishing multiple, unique ideas in your persuasive essay;
Review the format for a persuasive essay;
Research and identify at least 2 reasons why people support raising the minimum wage.
To get started, check out this short, mini-lecture on how to build a persuasive essay. What you should notice is how important it is to develop unique ideas. For example, do you support the minimum wage because workers should get paid more and because people need more money? Notice how these are the same arguments, just phrased differently?
I support raising the minimum wage because employees should get paid more.
I support raising the minimum wage because workers need more money.
Although stated differently, these are essentially the same argument. What we will focus on practicing this week is developing at least 2 different ideas (because we shouldn't repeat the same argument over and over).
As another example, check out these pro and con arguments for TABLETS vs. TEXTBOOKS in school. Notice how each argument is unique (different). In this week's assignment (and online research), focus your energy on finding at least 2 unique arguments for why people support raising them minimum wage.
After you watch the video, continue on to Module 4.1 (using the link at the bottom of the page).