Persuasion

The Researched Argument
English 11 Lancaster High School
10/28 - 11/01

The Argument is also called Persuasive Writing.

The goal is to persuade the reader/listener to agree with you.

Have you written persuasive essays previously?

​Persuasion

​Our plan for this week

​Hopefully, this week, we will craft a 5 or 6 paragraph argumentative essay.

We will do it step by step, so you shouldn't be overwhelmed if this is a first for you.

I hope to award you a few grades .... a grade for each step along the way. Some Formatives and a Summative.

Remember, I believe writing is a large revision/editing process... so Redoing is a good thing.

​Monday DAY ONE

​Let's look at Procon.org

In the world of research and documentation, credibility is key. We must always use reliable, credible sources. This means that .gov and .edu sources are generally very good. Others need some investigation, and we must make judgment calls. Sorry... Wikipedia, blogs, timelines are not always reliable.

​Bookmark Procon

​Remember Procon. It will come in handy in many educational projects you will have in the future.

Reliable? Procon's Daddy is Encyclopedia Britannica

It's an amazing resource:
Many current controversies (good topics to argue)
Presents both sides of the argument
Gives reasons and sources for both sides
Gives you reliable sources... almost does the
assignment for you.
Counterclaim?

​Step One.... Day one

Go to Google Docs ..... find MLA Report... correct your heading.... share with me.


Read through topics on Procon... look at a few. Choose one. Pick a "working" title (so I know your topic is) and put it in the title spot on your Doc. You may not know which side yet.

Look at your sources and start looking at them. 3 per side. Choose 5 that you think you can work with and put the link or info in the Works Cited area of your doc.

Write a short annotation of each source.

Don't close Quizizz..... shrink it.... we're going to Google Docs.

​By classtime tomorrow (Tues) I will look for these things

​After our instruction..... while you're working on the next step, I will check for the following. This is a graded assignment.

1. Shared MLA report
2. Updated the heading
3. Topic or title in the title section
4. links or info for 5 sources
5. short annotation for each source.

​Tuesday Day Two

​Today you will start your research. Go into your sources and read the information.

It will be easier for you if you take notes. You can put your notes under your sources on your Works Cited page so you remember where your information came from.

After you have taken notes... look at the information you have gathered. You can now make a statement and pick a side.

​The Claim

​The point of your essay is your claim. In other types of writing we call it a thesis statement, but in persuasion, we always call it the claim.

Remember that your claim states your position. It must be arguable, meaning there is an opposing side, and defensible, meaning you can find supporting information.

My claim for my spider essay will be: Spiders are not just scary creatures; they make considerable contributions to mankind.

The claim always comes in the Opening/Introductory paragraph.

​Organize your Thoughts

​All students hate the word OUTLINE. But we need to organize our thoughts. Even though it is very brief, the following still classifies as an outline.

I. Introduction with Claim -
II. Point 1 -
III. Point 2 -
IV. Counterclaim -
V. Conclusion -

​By classtime tomorrow (Wed) I will look for these things

​Evidence of notes from your sources.

New sources if the ones you originally chose didn't work out.

Basic, very brief outline. It's not meant to be a pain. It's meant to help you stay organized. This way your body paragraphs stay tight and specific, and your writing will not be "all over the place."

​Wednesday Day three

​Today we start drafting. Remember it doesn't have to be perfect the first time. Do no stress!! You can always catch things on the revision.

Remember that in the drafting process, you can write wherever you feel like it. You don't have to start with the Introductory paragraph. If your brain keeps going to one of the points you're planning for a body paragraph..... scroll down a bit and start there. Come back to the intro later. You left space for it.

So if you're not "feeling" that introduction and a hook yet.... skip it... save it for later.

​The Introductory paragraph

​Hook -- Not everyone is a willing reader. If you want people to read your work, we sometimes have to lure them in. We're going to hook 'em with something that snares them right at the jump.

Background info --- This is information that gives your reader knowledge that will help them connect with what you're writing about. Maybe they will understand better with the knowledge you offer them here.

Claim --- Close this paragraph with the claim... the whole point of the essay.

​Body Paragraphs -- in this case 2 or 3

​The body paragraphs house the points that prove your argument. Along with your points you will give your evidence from sources as well as an explanation of your evidence.

Each body paragraph must have:
One of the points that supports your claim.
Introduce a piece of evidence from research.
Explain that piece of evidence
Introduce a second piece of evidence.
Explain the second piece of evidence.
Concluding sentence for the paragraph.

​Stay on track
Don't get lost

​Tomorrow, I won't be grading your rough draft. But to stay on track....

Try to have your Introduction and 2 Body Paragraphs completed. They don't have to be perfect. You can catch that on the revision.

​Thursday Day four

​Today we will finish our rough draft. We will write our counterclaim and our conclusion.

They are both integral components of a well written argument.

Remember this is the rough draft, so it doesn't have to be perfect. We will have opportunities for revision and editing. That's where the fine tuning comes in.

​The Counterclaim

​This paragraph showcases the best argument the other side would use. We must anticipate what we think they would say.

We state it gracefully. But then we refute it. We give evidence proving their point is ineffective.

We always explain any evidence we offer. We don't just put it out there expecting immediate understanding.

​The Conclusion

​Now we sum up everything we have said in our essay. This is a way to recap things for our reader. But we never say everything the exact way twice. How boring that would be. And our job is to please our reader and keep him or her engaged.

Mention our points that prove our claim.
Restate our claim.....say it differently this time.
No repetition.
End with something for the reader to think about.

​Tomorrow....

We will look at


Transitions

Documentation... intext citations
Works Cited page

​Friday Day 5

​Let's add an extra day into our schedule.

We will use today to work on our rough draft.

Please be mature and responsible! Use your time wisely

This is a chance for you to make great progress.

If you need some guidance, we can talk.

Break out rooms available.

​Monday Day Six

​We have finished our draft..... remember it is ROUGH!

Now we move to REVISION.... What we look for:

Paragraphing.... Make sure we have 5 paragraphs

Introduction....Hook; Intro information; Strong, clear claim
Body Paragraph.... Topic sentence identifying a supporting
point, evidence (2), documentation, explanation,
closing thought.
Second Body Paragraph
Counterclaim..... Opposition's strong point, refutation,
evidence, explanation
Conclusion

​Revison contintued

​Read through for clarity

Make sure your explanations are thorough enough.

Are your points in the right order.... need to shift anything?

Your evidence offers more paraphrase than quotes

Documentation---
Run your sources through a citation assistant. Put them on
Works Cited page... alphabetically..... check indentations
Formalize your in-text citations. Always use the first part of
the Works Cited citation.
Maybe swap a few for introduction rather than parentheses.

​Editing

​After we have checked out the big things and have reworked and rewritten some things... we move to Editing:

Make sure we have no fragments
Word choices
Spelling
Punctuation
Capitalization

Remember.... we are intelligent people. Careless mistakes hinder us as we showcase our intellect.