1. Can you CONVINCE your reader?

2. Step 1: Read the prompt carefully before you begin. Writing Situation: Most schools have some kind of dress code. Some schools require students to wear uniforms. Other schools do not require uniforms, but they will not allow some kinds of clothing. What do you think is the best dress code policy for your school? Use reasons, details, and examples to convince your readers to agree with your opinion. Write your response in a way that is polite and appropriate for an audience of students, teachers, parents, and school administrators.

3. Step 2: Take a stand. Think about the stand that will provide three reasons for YOUR argument. This will be your STANCE!

4. Step 3: Prepare the graphic organizer. Now fold your paper into 4 squares.

5. Step 4: Complete the graphic organizer. Unfold the paper and draw a box in the center. Your planning sheet should now look like this!

6. Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. FIRST YOU SHOULD write a sentence to convey your stand Example: Our students' crazy outfits make it hard to learn. Write another reason you think there should be a dress code. Write one sentence with objection or refutation Stance: I firmly believe that we should implement a uniform policy as our dress code. Write one reason you think there should be a uniform policy. Write another reason you think there should be a uniform policy Example: Having a uniform means our school will be safer. Although, some say that more security affects safety instead of clothing, I still maintain that using uniforms is key to school safety. Example: Our students need to find another way than clothing to show their individuality.

7. Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. Example: Our students' crazy outfits make it hard to learn. STANCE: I firmly believe that we should implement a uniform policy as our dress code. Example: Having a uniform means our school will be safer. Example: Our students need to find a way to show their individuality other than crazy clothes. Now write your thesis statement here!

8. Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. Example: Our students' crazy outfits make it hard to learn. STANCE: I firmly believe that we should implement a uniform policy as our dress code. Example: Having a uniform means our school will be safer. Example: Our students need to find a way to show their individuality other than crazy clothes. THESIS STATEMENT: By doing this, more learning will take place, students will have to show their individuality in other ways than clothing, and it will be safer for our students.

9. Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. Example: Our students' crazy outfits make it hard to learn. STANCE: I firmly believe that we should implement a uniform policy as our dress code. Example: Having a uniform means our school will be safer. Example: Our students need to find a way to show their individuality other than crazy clothes. THESIS STATEMENT: By doing this, more learning will take place, students will have to show their individuality in other ways than clothing, and it will be safer for our students. Notice the STRONG language! There's no doubting your stance!

10. Step 5: Transfer ideas from your graphic organizer to your paper. This will be in your INTRODUCTION This will be the main idea of your FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH This will be the main idea of your SECOND BODY PARAGRAPH This will be the main idea of your THIRD BODY PARAGRAPH This will be the main idea of your THIRD BODY PARAGRAPH This will be REWORDED in your CONCLUSION

11. Step 5: Transfer ideas from your graphic organizer to your paper. Begin your INTRO with a hook. Sadly, this is the situation in many high school classrooms. Girls are dressing too provocatively, and the boys are dressing like thugs on the street. Something has to be done, or the little time we do have to learn will vanish into thin air. Mrs. Rodriguez has finally settled our tenth grade class. She begins her lesson on similes, and our eyes and ears are zoned in to her every word. All of a sudden, Ana strolls in dressed in something that resembles J-Lo’s plunging, green Grammy outfit. All learning has come to a screeching halt…thanks to Ana and her “get up”! Add relevant details that will connect to your STANCE!. Therefore, I firmly believe that we should implement a uniform policy as our dress code. Include the STANCE from your planning sheet. By doing this, more learning will take place, students will have to show their individuality in other ways than clothing, and it will be safer for our students. Add in the THESIS from your planning sheet. With a uniform policy in place, we will all win! Add in a justifier sentence if you can!

12. Step 5: Transfer ideas from your graphic organizer to your paper. First and foremost, implementing a uniform policy would benefit the learning environment in the high school classroom. I cannot express the number of times I have been distracted by someone’s fashion concoction. Just yesterday I was listening to Mr. Harrington’s lecture on obtuse angles, and I could not take my eyes of Juan’s t-shirt. The colors of it were so loud that it SCREAMED! Basically, it looked as if a million neon highlighter markers exploded onto his shirt. Because of this clown’s clothes, I have no clue what Mr. Harrington was talking about! However, if we adopted a uniform policy, the clothes we see in school would no longer distract us from vital lessons we need to grasp! Body Paragraph #1 (this idea comes from the top right of your planning sheet) Notice the TRANSTION! Notice the VIVID EXAMPLES! Notice the SPECIFIC DETAILS! Notice how the last sentence goes back to the stance!

13. Step 5: Transfer ideas from your graphic organizer to your paper. Another reason I feel we should have school uniforms is because it would force students to show their individuality in other ways than the clothes they wear. To illustrate, students wear bright colors, name brand items, or “hoochie mama” outfits to get noticed by their peers (like Juan and Ana). Instead of using their brains, personality and talents to define themselves, they resort to wearing outlandish or over-priced clothing. Sometimes students are embarrassed that they are poor, so they spend their last dime on pair of the latest Nike sneakers just to fit in. As a matter of fact, girls like Ana (who are really innocent girls) wear “slinky little numbers” because they are tired of being labeled as “good girls.” I mean, Sandra Dee & Danny Zuko did it at the end of Grease. She changed her clothing from prim to provocative to fit in and be accepted, and Danny went from leather to sweater for the same reason. It happens all the time in schools. If there were uniforms, though, students would have to show their uniqueness in classroom discussions, their classwork, and their personalities. That’s what matters anyway! Body Paragraph #2 (this idea comes from the bottom left of your planning sheet) Notice the TRANSTION! Notice the VIVID EXAMPLES! Notice the SPECIFIC DETAILS! Notice how the last sentences go back to the stance!

14. Step 5: From the graphic organizer to the paper. Most importantly, uniforms would make it safer for all students at our school. “Why?” you ask. Well, we have gang members at our school. There are kids who wear red and black for one gang, while their rival gang wears blue and gold. It’s frustrating because I was accidentally labeled as a “La Cruz” gang member because I wore their colors. I almost got a “beat down” that day! I was afraid for my life, and school should not be that way! Not to mention, there are constant fights over gang affiliations. If we took colors out of the equation, it would help. Let’s stick to our school colors of green and grey! Green polos and grey pants would work just fine, and it would help our school be safer! Body Paragraph #3 (this idea comes from the bottom right of your planning sheet) Notice the TRANSTION! Notice the VIVID EXAMPLES! Notice the SPECIFIC DETAILS! Notice how the last sentences go back to the stance!

15. Step 6: Your conclusion As you can see, everyone wins if we create a uniform policy as our dress code. Removing the distraction of fashion violators means that learning would be our focus. Students would also be able to show their peers who they really are through their ideas, not their dress. Even better, there would be fewer kids who fear for their life! Therefore, I strongly urge you to take action. We’ll be a smarter, stronger, and safer school. Our learning and lives depend on you! Reword your thesis (Don’t RESTATE it!) Notice the ending PUNCH! There’s a call to action and an appeal to the reader’s emotions. Notice the TRANSTION!

16. Step 7: Vocabulary Review your paragraphs. Can you add adjectives (describing words) and interesting adverbs (describing action words)? ADJECTIVESADVERBS

17. Step 7: Vocabulary BEFORE: If we took colors out of the equation, it would help. AFTER: If we took colors out of the equation, it would benefit us immensely!

18. Step 7: Vocabulary Remember: The more vivid vocabulary you use, the higher your score. bad dreadful

19. Step 8: Visual Expression Use metaphors, similes or hyperbole to give your essay more visual expression. It was a very colorful shirt. It looked like a million neon highlighter markers exploded onto his shirt.

20. Step 9: Reread Your Work Reread your work to make sure you have:  Taken a stand and stay on the topic  Given your reasons in the introductory paragraph  Have paragraphs that support each reason  Elaborate on a reason in each paragraph  Have a conclusion that REWORDS your reasons  Begin each paragraph with a transition word  Include ALIVE adjectives, adverbs, as well as similes, metaphors, or hyperbole.