Interdisciplinary Writing Persuasive Writing on the CAPT Test By Mrs. Albertelly and Mr. Batch

About the Test Write a persuasive letter based on 2 articles on one issue Take a strong position on the issue and support it using BOTH articles.

Discover Your Audience Possible audiences Newspaper editor Political representative Someone who can change the problem Show an awareness of your audience by using the appropriate tone, background information, and reasoning.

What to Do…

You Must Show: You can gather ideas (Brainstorm) Put your ideas in logical order (Plan) Write your ideas in paragraph form (Draft)

Essay Quality Your essay is going to be the FIRST DRAFT Do not worry about small mistakes – it does not have to be perfect

Take a position Make a clear and convincing statement of your position based on what you read Use your thesis statement as your guide

Supporting your Argument Give details, examples, data, and quotes from both articles Support must be accurate and relevant Use personal experience to provide reality to your understanding of the problem (relate it to your life or life in general) Avoid emotional arguments and slang (i.e. “the worst”, “the best”, “stupid”, “dumb”, “biggest”)

Organize your thoughts Ideas must follow a clear pattern that is easily understood Focus on the main idea; do not get side-tracked Relate all points back to the main idea Use the Sample Organizational Format provided on the test

How to Save Time Remember purpose and task Review title, publisher, and section headings for hints about topics and possible bias Look for and highlight key words and phrases that indicate the pros and cons of the issue Should, must, never, always,problematic, cure cause, result Look for and highlight key facts, including numbers and percentages Take notes while you read Use the graphic organizer provided to you to brainstorm

How to Structure Your Essay

How to structure your essay Your essay should have 6 paragraphs: 1. Introduction 2. Body Idea (#1 + support) 3. Body Idea (#2 + support) 4. Body Idea (#3 + support) 5. *Rebuttal (identifying the opposing side) 6. Conclusion * This is what earns you a score of 6!

Writing your Introduction Your introduction should always have at least 4 parts, usually in this order: 1. Hook – This “hooks” the reader into your essay Quote Anecdote Statistics Fictional Story/Situation 2. Background Information shows you have previous knowledge on the subject give the reader a chance to better understand the topic 3. Thesis Statement – The direction of your essay 4. Statement of Arguments – Identifies your three main ideas

Writing a Thesis Statement Your thesis statement is the answer to the essay’s question Examples (you do not have to write these): Question: Should the death penalty be legal? Thesis: The death penalty should be illegal because…. Question: Should schools educate teenagers about the potential dangers of gambling? Schools should not have to educate teens about gambling because….

Writing a Thesis Statement (cont.) Your thesis statement gives you (and the reader) your plan and direction of the essay Your thesis statement should: be specific cover only what you will discuss in your paper should be supported with specific evidence NEVER say “I” The thesis statement usually appears as the last or second to last sentence of your introduction

Writing a Rebuttal Your rebuttal paragraph: Shows you understand the other side of the argument Gives opposing ideas with support Allows you to counter these ideas Examples (you do not have to write them): “This opposing view is false because…” “Although this is a popular view, it can be countered with…..”

Writing a Conclusion The conclusion synthesizes (fuses, blends, integrates) your essay Restate your thesis statement (from intro) Restate your statement of arguments (from intro) Answer the question “So what?” Show your readers why this paper was important Show that your paper was meaningful and useful Review your most important points Give your reader a call to action Something to think about A way to use your paper in the "real" world What they can do to put your ideas into action Think globally *A conclusion NEVER brings up new information, support, or topics about the topic!

The End !