Standards  Writing  1.0 Writing Strategies: Students write coherent and focused texts that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing demonstrates students' awareness of the audience and purpose and progression through the stages of the writing process.  Organization and Focus: 1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of discourse (e.g., purpose, speaker, audience, form) when completing narrative, expository, persuasive, or descriptive writing assignments. 1.3 Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained, persuasive, and sophisticated way and support them with precise and relevant examples.  Research and Technology: 1.7 Use systematic strategies to organize and record information (e.g., anecdotal scripting, annotated bibliographies).  2.0 Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)  Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text : 2.4 Make warranted and reasonable assertions about the author's arguments by using elements of the text to defend and clarify interpretations. 2.5 Analyze an author's implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs about a subject.  Expository Critique 2.6 Critique the power, validity, and truthfulness of arguments set forth in public documents; their appeal to both friendly and hostile audiences; and the extent to which the arguments anticipate and address reader concerns and counterclaims (e.g., appeal to reason, to authority, to pathos and emotion). Objectives  Students will be able to:  identify the purpose, argument, persona, audience, and rhetorical strategies of a given piece.  effectively write in the passive voice and identify change in sentence focus from active to passive.  write a persuasive essay by meeting all requirements presented.  effectively identify modals and use modals in their own writing.

PAPA Squares  Get back with your groups and into the same roles from last class (recorder/writer, speaker, materials manager, and time enforcement).  Get your poster and other materials needed.  You and your group have 10 minutes to finish up.  Each group will have their speaker briefly present their square.

Grammar: Passive Verbs  Take out your grammar homework and switch with a partner.  Write corrected by and your name. Be sure to put a score out of 18 on the paper when your finished correcting.  Pass back to your partner so they can see their score.  Pass them up to the front of your row, then to the front of the class.

Outside Reading  Take out and pass up your First Impressions Outside Reading Assignment.  Next Assignment: Check Up  Due 10/18 - Per. 3 and 5, 10/19 - Per. 2  You should be about half way through reading your book by this time.  Final Assignment: Movie Poster  Due 12/12 – Per. 3 and 5, 12/13 – Per. 2  You will be presenting this poster to the class. Make sure that if your book has already been made into a movie that you create a new tagline, image, and cast.

Writing a Persuasive Essay  Follow these guidelines:  1. State your opinion on the topic in your thesis statement.  Remember: You need to take a stand, no fence sitting, and it MUST be debatable.  2. Find out as much about your audience as you can before you write.  Who is your audience?  How much background do they need?  What is the better approach to persuade your audience?

Writing a Persuasive Essay  3. Choose evidence that supports your thesis statement.  Evidence is probably the most important factor in writing an argument/persuasive essay.  Without solid evidence your essay is nothing more than opinion. Evidence is what persuades people, you must PROVE your point, not just state it.  Types of evidence to use:  facts  statistics  statements from authorities (on the subject you are writing about)  Examples, personal stories, anecdotes

Writing a Persuasive Essay  4. Anticipate opposing points of view  What are the counterarguments to your point?  Anticipating and responding to these counterarguments is important and will make your essay stronger and more persuasive.  In this essay you must include at least one counterargument and your rebuttal to it.  5. Find some common ground  This is an effective strategy when used correctly. If you can point out some common ground between you and the opposing view you are bridging the gap, finding an agreement, and showing the opposing side that you are fair and reasonable.  This makes your essay more persuasive and increases the likelihood that the opposing side will listen to your argument.

Writing a Persuasive Essay  6. Maintain a reasonable tone  This just makes sense. How likely are you to respond positively, listen to, or be persuaded by someone shouting, making nasty or insulting comments, or being rude? Not likely, so don’t do the same to your readers when you write an essay or whoever you are talking to in an argument.  Keep your tone calm, sensible, and reasonable and you will meet with success more often.

Writing a Persuasive Essay  7. Organize your essay so that it presents your position as effectively as possible.  Your goal is that your readers will agree with you by the end of your essay so you need to make sure you organize it in a way that is easy to follow. This is a common, effective organization strategy for a persuasive/argument essay:  Intro-  background information  Introduction of the subject  Statement of your opinion  Body Paragraphs-  Common ground  Lots of evidence (logical and emotional)  Opposing points of view  Response to opposing points of view  Conclusion  Restatement of your position  Call for action or agreement

Citations and Format  Don’t forget to cite your sources of information and evidence, both in text and on a works cited page.  Follow MLA format for your citations, as well as for the format of your essay  Remember the MLA powerpoint and web resources are posted for you on my teacher page  USE THEM!

Thesis Peer Edit  If you have your thesis today, switch with a partner who also has theirs. On their paper answer the following questions:  Is the thesis debatable? Why or why not? If not, offer some suggestions.  What are some possible counterarguments you can think of? List at least two for your partner.  What evidence would you need to see in order to be persuaded? List at least three specific types of evidence that you think your partner should include in their essay to support their thesis.  If you DON’T have your thesis today, you will write it now. You will not leave class today without a thesis.

Essay Specifics  Prompt: Write an essay that presents your opinion on a controversial issue of your choice. You must include a debatable thesis, support and evidence, at least one counterargument with rebuttal, MLA in text and works cited citations, and it must be about 700 words minimum- 900 words maximum.  For homework complete your first rough draft to be brought to next class.

Homework  First rough draft of essay- must be brought to next class.