Sarah Menger
Writing Unit
The Fine Art of Persuasion: Identifying and Creating Critical Arguments
Unit Plan
Grade Level: This unit was created with a 7th grade Language Arts classroom in mind however, the unit
itself and individual lessons certainly could be adapted for any secondary classroom.
Concept: The Fine Art of Persuasion: Identifying and Creating Critical Arguments
Essential Questions:



What is an argument? How do you recognize one and create your own?
How does the media use persuasive techniques to convince its audience?
How can we use persuasion to convince a particular audience? (peers, members of society, etc…)
Rationale:
Knowing how to persuade and recognize when one is being persuaded, is a valuable skill in our
society. In this unit, students will come in contact with and create several different forms of persuasion.
They will critically view advertisements for persuasive techniques, create their own advertisement, learn
about and participate in a structured debate, and write a persuasive essay. All of these different forms
have persuasive conventions of their own but by learning each type, students can transfer knowledge from
one mode to another. In their lives, students will encounter these and many more forms of persuasion and
my hope is that after these lessons they will be more critical and more confident in dealing with
persuasion. In my opinion, learning about persuasion goes hand-in-hand with being critical. In asking
students to look at exactly what strategies and techniques the media or their peers use in everyday
encounters, they will be able to look at the world around them with a more critical eye. The quote
from Aesop which says, “Persuasion is often more effectual than force.” Is worthy of noting and
I hope that students will be more critical of the ways in which they are persuaded everyday in
both positive and negative ways. If they are at least aware of these persuasive techniques, they
can make a more educated decision about whether or not to ‘buy-in’.
Note: This unit is designed to be used in the middle or end of the school year. The
activities and lessons planned, like the advertisement using MovieMaker and the debate, will
require that students have been scaffolded and introduced to these activities prior to this unit.
Objectives: Students will…
 Be able to view media like advertisements critically and be able to recognize and identify persuasive
techniques.
 Demonstrate effective use of persuasive techniques and the conventions of persuasive language with
competence.
Michigan Standards Addressed:

L.CN.07.01 distinguish facts from opinions and question their validity when listening to
or viewing a variety of speeches and presentations.
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Writing Unit

L.RP.07.07 identify persuasive and propaganda techniques and analyze the effect on
the view of images, text, and sound in the electronic media (e.g., television, movies), and
determine if the techniques used achieved their intended effects.

R.IT.07.01 analyze the structure, elements, features, style, and purpose of informational
genre including persuasive essay, research report, brochure, personal correspondence, autobiography and biography.

S.DS.07.01 engage in interactive, extended discourse to socially construct meaning in
book clubs, literature circles. partnerships, or other conversation protocols.

L.RP.07.04 ask probing questions of speakers, focusing on claims and conclusions
presented.

S.DS.07.04 plan and deliver a focused, coherent informational presentation using an
informational organizational pattern (e.g., theory/evidence, persuasion, sequence) that
incorporates persuasive, non-verbal techniques, and provides explanations and descriptions
supportive of the presentation’s focus and the backgrounds and interests of the audience.

W.GN.07.02 write a research report using a wide variety of resources that includes
appropriate organizational patterns (e.g., position statement/supporting evidence, problem
statement/solution, or compare/contrast), descriptive language, and informational text
features.
Possible Texts:
“I have a dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
Commercials from PBS “What’s in an ad?” found at:
http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/advertisingtricks/whatsinanad.html
Radio spots to encourage people to quit smoking found at :
http://www.quitnow.info.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/Content/radio
Selected current newspaper articles from local newspapers and The New York Times
The Great Debaters. Dir. Denzel Washington. Perf. Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker. DVD. 2007
Todd Hering model of classic debate found at:
www.mdta.org/CGI-BIN/File/classicdb.pdf
Formative Assessments:
- Create your own advertisement writing assignment
- Video of advertisement
- Participation in Debate (research & preparation, use of conventions of debate)
- Handouts along the way
Throughout the course of this unit, I will have several different ways to assess my students’ understanding
of the material. During the very first week, the creation of their own advertisement and their participation
in discussion of effective persuasive techniques will help me to gauge their understanding of the
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conventions of persuasion. I will continue to check in with my students’ understanding by looking at their
notes and graphic organizers, observing their participation in discussion (Are they asking questions? Are
they synthesizing material? Do they effectively use the persuasive techniques that they were taught?).
Summative Assessment: Persuasive Essay
I want students to realize the power of writing for social justice. Persuasive language is not only used to
persuade parents or peers to agree with you, but it can be a powerful tool to bring about change in the
world. For their final essay, students will choose a global issue and write a 3-5 page persuasive essay in
which they not only bring attention to the issue, but persuade the US or their local politician to get
involved. They will need to issue a call to action for whatever global issue they choose and use persuasive
techniques they have learned in the past four weeks. This idea came from a webquest created for Francis
Howell North High School which can be found at:
http://cms.fhsdschools.org/agunnell/OprahHome/tabid/6823/Default.aspx.
See assignment description for more details.
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Writing Unit
The Fine Art of Persuasion: Identifying and Creating Critical Arguments
Monday
Tuesday
Watch clips from
advertisements.
Use drama activity
as introduction,
"three blind
mice"/Argument
Discuss what goes
into an ad, what
persuasive
techniques are
used.
Lesson on “Show not
tell”: action verbs &
descriptions
Monday
Film clips from "The
Great Debaters" with
guided note-taking
sheet.
Monday
Thesis statements
lesson plan
Write a class thesis
statement for
advertising.Modeling
(day 1)
Monday
Peer revision day
I collect papers with
peer comments
Wednesday
Persuasive
language
lesson(day 1)
Thursday
Persuasive
language lesson
(day 2)
Students will
write their own
advertisement
for a product of
their choosing
Friday
Persuasive language
lesson (day 3)
Record podcasts
and create
advertisement on
MovieMaker.
Fact vs. opinion
Tuesday
“Time to Debate”
lesson plan (day
1)
Wednesday
“Time to Debate”
Lesson plan (day
2)
Homework: Begin
research for inclass debate. Use
t-chart template
to compile info.
Time in class for
research.
Tuesday
Model a
persuasive essay
(day 2). As a
class, we'll write
one together.
Wednesday
Prewriting
activities
Students will
choose topics for
essay
Tuesday
Mini grammar
lessons based on
patterns I noticed
in their writing.
Research time at
the lab.
Discuss creation
of rubric
Introduce writing
for social justice.
Wednesday
Warm up
activity.
Think aloud:
Model me
grading a paper
& do it as a
class.
4
Thursday
Research time
at computer lab.
Friday
In-class debate full
hour. Randomly
assign students as
“for” or “against”
heavier regulation
of advertisements.
Thursday
In class
writing.Time to
conference with
me if needed.
Students have
guidelines and
tentative rubric.
Friday
Find some kind of
fun activity that will
get students moving
around.
Thursday
Computer lab to
type ‘final’
drafts.
Friday
Final draft of
persuasive essay
due.
Transition to next
unit (Possibly dealing
with contemporary
social issues since it
would transition nicely
from the essay)
Sarah Menger
Writing Unit
The Elements of Persuasion:
A three day lesson plan
Grade level: Created for 7th grade, could be adapted for 6-12.
Unit: The Fine Art of Persuasion: Identifying and Creating Critical Arguments
Guiding Question: How do we persuade others? What are the conventions of persuasive
language? Michael Bernbach once said, “Advertising isn't a science. It's persuasion. And
persuasion is an art.” What does he mean by “persuasion is an art”?
Objectives: Students will:



Understand the structure and conventions of persuasive language.
Be able to identify elements of persuasive language in advertisements, news articles, music,
and the world around them.
Demonstrate their understanding of persuasion by writing their own advertisement and
presenting to their peers.
MI State Standards Addressed:

L.CN.07.01 distinguish facts from opinions and question their validity when listening to
or viewing a variety of speeches and presentations.

L.RP.07.07 identify persuasive and propaganda techniques and analyze the effect on
the view of images, text, and sound in the electronic media (e.g., television, movies), and
determine if the techniques used achieved their intended effects.

R.IT.07.01 analyze the structure, elements, features, style, and purpose of informational
genre including persuasive essay, research report, brochure, personal correspondence, autobiography and
biography.
Materials:
 Enough Kit Kats and Snickers for marketing representative activity
 Graphic organizer for marketing representative activity
 Outline of persuasive argument and effective usage of it
 Graphic organizer for creation of advertisement
 “I have a dream speech” by Martin Luther King
 Various current newspaper articles
Agenda:
Day One
1. Kat/ Snickers prewriting activity. Students will respond to the following prompt, “If you
were a representative for your assigned candy bar’s company, how would you persuade
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potential customers to buy your candy instead of the other? Use both facts and opinions.”
(15 minutes)
2. Kit Kat/ Snickers Activity
a. Students will be in groups according to their candy. There will be a few groups of
Kit Kats and a few groups of Snickers. They will compare their prewriting notes
and brainstorm effective ways to convince the class that their candy is better. (10
minutes)
b. Students will be assigned groups where Kit Kat representatives will debate with
Snickers representatives about which candy is best. (10 minutes)
3. Students will go back to their seats for large group discussion. Teacher will facilitate
with questions and students will write their own comments about persuasive language on
the board in categories of “Effective Strategies” and “Ineffective Strategies”. ( 15
minutes)
4. Homework : Students will work in pairs and each group will find an object for which
they will create an advertisement. They can either bring it in physically (if possible) or an
image of it.
Day 1 Assessment: Students will be assessed based upon their participation in the Kit
Kat/Snickers activity. I will consider the following questions when gauging their understanding
and synthesis of the material: Did they articulate their argument using persuasive techniques
discussed in class previously? Did they clearly differentiate between a fact and an opinion?
Day Two
1. I will put an image on the board and the students will free write for 5 minutes to come up
with a list of descriptions. Then, we will share as a class and compile a list of varied
adjectives and descriptive language they would use. (10 minutes)
2. With their individual objects they want to advertise, students will brainstorm a list of
descriptions they might use. (5 minutes)
3. Groups will use the graphic organizer provided to help develop an effective advertisement.
The following questions will help guide students’ thinking: Who is your product for? Why
does your target audience need/want this? What makes this product unique? What are its best
qualities? (15 minutes)
4. After groups brainstorm and prewrite with their graphic organizers, students will write a brief
advertisement script that a radio announcer would say for their product. They will work for
the rest of class and create a podcast the next day of the advertisement. (15-25 minutes)
Day 2 Assessment: The assessment for this day is mainly as a scaffold for Day 3’s project of
creating the advertisement video. I will look at the script as a piece of writing on its own and
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how well they followed the guidelines provided on the graphic organizer. Engagement and
discussion during group work time will be another way for me to assess my students’ level of
competence with the persuasive techniques found in advertising.
Day Three
1. Students will go to the computer lab and record their podcast of their advertisement and it
will be posted on the classroom website. (5 minutes)
2. They will be asked to use Windows Movie Maker to create a brief advertisement and use
their podcast as a voiceover to images they have selected from an approved batch (including
those of their product, if possible). (35 minutes)
Note: This is to be an assignment only if students have used and experimented with
Windows Movie Maker prior to this day. My intention is that my students will have used
it several times before this lesson. Therefore, they will be competent in the technical
portion of using it, and will be knowledgeable about copyrights and legal issues of using
images and video for educational “fair use”.
3. Students will view their peers’ advertisements and comment on effective usage of
persuasive language and common advertising techniques. (10 minutes)
Day 3 Assessment: Since students have already been assessed on their written script for the
advertisement, the final portion of their grade for this project will be based on the final product
they created in MovieMaker. Before I assigned this project, I would have given out a clear rubric
with concrete objectives that each movie must contain. I would then evaluate the students’ work
based on that rubric.
References:
The kit kat/snickers idea was adapted from a lesson found at The Educator's Reference Desk. It
was created by Mark A. Schneberger, Adjunct Professor of English, Oklahoma City Community
College. The detailed lesson plan can be found at http://www.eduref.org/cgibin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Debate/DEB0201.html.
Create your own advertisement!
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Writing Unit
You’ve just been hired by BrandNameCompany to create an advertisement for
one of their products. Use this guide to help you create an effective and
appealing advertisement for their product.
 What is your product name? Feel free to come up with a new name for your
product.
Name: _______________________________________________________
 Create a catchy slogan for your product. In class, we talked about how
slogans like “Taste the Rainbow” (Skittles) stick in our memory long after the
product is gone. Try to use alliteration or rhyme to make your slogan memorable.
Slogan: _____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
 Appeal to the target audience. Give reasons why your consumer just has to
have your product. Use the different persuasive techniques discussed in class to
appeal to your audience.
1.
Use Facts. (Obviously, in this case they will be “pretend” facts, but keep in mind what we discussed about
fact vs. opinion)
2. Use Expert/Famous opinions.
3. Reference a personal experience.
4. Appeal to the listener’s emotions or morality.
Use this space to draft/brainstorm these appeals.
Next, you will write your advertisement and record it!
Time to Debate!
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Sarah Menger
Writing Unit
Grade Level: Created for 7th grade, could be used in a 7-12th grade classroom.
Unit: The Fine Art of Persuasion: Identifying and Creating Critical Arguments
Guiding Question: How can we research and deliver an argument in a structured, polite
manner? What are the conventions of academic debate?
Objectives: Students will:



Research evidence and information to support an argument.
Apply knowledge of structured debate and use it in an in-class debate.
Apply what they have learned about advertising and mass media to formulate arguments
both for and against the use of advertising.
Rationale: I realize that this kind of activity in a class full of 7th graders might be somewhat
risky. This lesson plan absolutely could not happen without plenty of scaffolding. Assuming this
unit falls somewhere in the middle of the year, my students will have had experience with
informal debates and structured discussions. For the research portion, they will have already
done research before and I will have instructed them about online safety and legitimacy of online
sources. I do not believe that this lesson is too advanced for 7th graders, I think that they simply
have to be scaffolded and prepared to do it.
There will always be times in students’ lives when they have to intellectually and politely
defend their claims. It will certainly not always be in structured classical debate format, but
knowing the format of the debate could help students to know how to adapt and perform in any
given situation that requires them to persuade. I want students to be able to recognize the
different forms that persuasion takes, and the accompanying language in each form. I hope that
this activity, when supplemented with the advertisement creation and persuasive writing they
will do, will help solidify their understanding of persuasive language and techniques.
Michigan Standards Addressed:
S.DS.07.01 engage in interactive, extended discourse to socially construct meaning in
book clubs, literature circles. partnerships, or other conversation protocols.
L.RP.07.04 ask probing questions of speakers, focusing on claims and conclusions
presented.
S.DS.07.04 plan and deliver a focused, coherent informational presentation using an
informational organizational pattern (e.g., theory/evidence, persuasion, sequence) that
incorporates persuasive, non-verbal techniques, and provides explanations and descriptions
supportive of the presentation’s focus and the backgrounds and interests of the audience.
Day One
Materials:
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Writing Unit
 Transparency or notes on classic debate structure
Agenda:
1. Discuss the film and guided notes from the previous day. Establish a class list of the
structure of debate. (10 minutes)
2. Write on the board/transparency the appropriate format according to the Todd Hering
model of classic debate: www.mdta.org/CGI-BIN/File/classicdb.pdf. Clearly explain to
students. (10-15 minutes)
3. Introduce and give instruction for the practice ‘mini-debate’ in which students will
participate in groups of 4-5. (5 minutes)
4. Students will “debate”, following the guidelines discussed. I will monitor their
discussions and give input where necessary. This is intended to be a very informal
practice version of the formal in-class debate they will have in a few days. Students need
to get used to using the conventions and language of debate here and I will need to
continue to reinforce their use of it. (20-25 minutes)
Assessment: I will assess students based on their participation in the debate. I will be looking for
their use of persuasive language and their practice of using the rules as described in class. It is
not as important to me that students understand it perfectly and use it with complete competence.
At this point, it is important that they get a ‘feel’ for it.
Day Two
Materials:
 Pros/Cons template
 Computer lab/Internet access for all students
Agenda:
1. Explain research process & the kinds of evidence to look for as discussed in week one
with the structure of a persuasive argument. Students will be researching information for
BOTH the “pro” and “con” side of the argument.
2. Ask students to consider in their research the moral, economic, psychological, physical
health aspects of the effects of advertising—remembering to reiterate they need both
positive and negative outcomes. (10 minutes to introduce #1 &#2)
3. Students will research and use t-chart pros/cons template to compile their information.
(40 minutes)
4. Day 3 will be the in-class debate. The class will be divided into 4 teams; two will be
randomly assigned the position of “for advertising regulations” and two will be assigned
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“against advertising regulations”. There will be two debates going on simultaneously in
class and I will monitor both of them. It would be ideal if I could find another teacher or
even a student to start off and facilitate one group while I work with the other.
Assessment: Essentially, today is a “work” day for students. I will monitor and facilitate their
research where necessary but I am giving them this time for researching the assigned topic. I will
be looking for their attention to research, citing their sources, and quality information, which will
support their argument either for or against the regulation of advertisements. The real assessment
of this lesson will be during their actual debate in which I will consider the following things in
determining their grade and their level of understanding with the persuasion techniques and
debate conventions:
 Did the student add to the debate at least once, using evidence from research?
OR
 Did the student ask at least one question to keep the debate moving and to
challenge the speakers to elaborate?
 Did the student use language appropriate for the debate? (Phrases like “I agree
with your statement, but…” or “I have to disagree with that statement because
as ______ suggests…” etc.)
 Was the student actively paying attention during the debate? (Taking notes,
looking at the speaker, asking questions to clarify or challenge, etc…)
See student handout for details.
References:
Hering, Todd. Learning Classic Debate. Apple Valley, MN, 200. 1-27.
http://www.mdta.org/CGI-BIN/File/classicdb.pdf
The Great Debaters. Dir. Denzel Washington. Perf. Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker.
DVD. 2007.
In-Class Debate Guide for Students
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Writing Unit
Use this guide to help you prepare for the debate,
and make sure you have it with you on the day of
the debate to reference.
Our Adapted Classic Debate Format
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1. You have 10 minutes to meet with your randomly assigned
team and prepare an opening argument either for or against heavier advertising
regulations. You should write this down so that one of you can recite it when it is your
turn. Remember the examples we talked about with The Great Debaters. Follow that
format.
The team in favor of advertising regulation speaks first and presents their argument.
Team Against has a chance to ask questions and challenge the Team in Favor.
Team Against presents their argument.
Team in Favor asks questions and challenges Team Against.
You will have 5 minutes to prepare with your team to respond and challenge the other
team’s arguments.
After those 5 minutes, it is anyone’s chance to speak.
Remember: Every argument must be supported with evidence. Use what you have
compiled on your t-chart! Your research IS your participation grade for the day we spent
in the lab.
Evaluation
This debate is a structured discussion. Therefore, if you do not participate at all, you will
not get your participation points for the day. On the flip side, if you take up too much ‘air
time’ you will get points taken away. Here is how I will grade your participation for the
day:




Did you add to the debate at least once, using evidence from research?
OR
Did you ask at least one question to keep the debate moving and to challenge the
speakers to elaborate?
Did you use language appropriate for the debate? ( Phrases like, “I agree with your
statement, but…” or, “I have to disagree with that statement because as _____
suggests...”)
Were you actively paying attention during the debate? (Taking notes, looking at the
speaker, asking questions to clarify or challenge, etc…)
Be Polite and Have Fun!
Modeling a Persuasive Essay
Grade Level: Created for 7th grade but could be adapted for 6-8th grade.
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Sarah Menger
Writing Unit
Unit: The Fine Art of Persuasion: Identifying and Creating Critical Arguments
Guiding Question: What does a persuasive essay look like? Where do we begin?
Objectives: Students will



Define characteristics of a persuasive essay
Identify and know how to create effective thesis statements
Break down a persuasive essay into more manageable parts and develop strategies for
writing a persuasive essay.
Rationale:
In this unit, students will be asked to write a 3-5 page persuasive essay as a summative
assessment. I want to be sure that my students are well-scaffolded and practice writing an essay
before I attempt to assess them on it. In my experience, I have found that students at the middle
school level struggle with writing essays and often claim that they do not even know where to
begin writing. By writing a class essay, all students can be involved in the writing process. It
breaks down the essay into smaller, more manageable parts so that students can see what
happens at each level. I find that this would be especially useful for students with writing
learning disabilities who need scaffolding at each part of the essay, but that ALL students would
benefit from the scaffolding as well.
By using students’ ideas and their own wording, the entire class feels like they created the
essay, not just the teacher. This way, they gain confidence as individual writers and have a
concrete example to look to when they begin writing their own papers. I broke this down into a
2-day lesson plan because on the first day, students are learning thesis statements. It makes sense
to me, that they would write their class thesis statement on that day. Then, the transition into the
modeling activity goes more smoothly as well.
MI State Standards Addressed:
R.IT.07.01 analyze the structure, elements, features, style, and purpose of informational
genre including persuasive essay, research report, brochure, personal correspondence,
autobiography and biography.
W.GN.07.03 formulate research questions using multiple resources, perspectives, and
arguments/counter-arguments to develop a thesis statement that culminates in a final
presented project using the writing process.
Materials:
 Overhead or LCD Projector hooked to a computer with a word processor
 Transparency to create a handout as a class about the elements of a persuasive essay
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 Thesis statement lesson plan and notes from previous day
 Compilation of student research from debate activity (pros/cons of advertising)
Agenda:
Day One
1. After students learn thesis statement strategies, transition to this lesson as a precursor for the
next day’s lesson in which students will write a persuasive essay as a class.
2. Introduction: Ask students to think about what they learned during the debate activity and
during the thesis writing activity. Have them freewrite a list of items which they think are
essential to a persuasive essay.
3. As a class, students will take a stand on a debatable topic. In the context of this unit, I will
ask students to take a stand on the same topic we debated about last week, “Should
advertising be more heavily regulated?”
4. Once a position has been taken, brainstorm possible supporting evidence. Write this down to
model prewriting strategies of outlining, mapping, etc…
5. Use strategies and models to create a thesis statement as a class. Have students provide
suggestions and discuss why one is better than another. Demonstrate rearranging, cutting,
and pasting of parts of thesis statements to show students how thesis formation might result
from the combination or rearrangement of ideas.
Day Two
1. Reference yesterday’s activity and put the class thesis statement and brainstorming on the
projector.
2. Have students decide upon which supporting arguments they will use in this essay. You may
need to guide them in the right direction by asking questions like “Which arguments are the
strongest?”, “How would we support this argument with evidence?”. Introduce main
arguments in introductory paragraph. Right now, it is not as important to play with the
wording as it is to get a skeletal paragraph written. Once the essay has been written, then it
would be good to go back and make it stronger with leads and clarified wording.
3. Move on to each supporting paragraph. Ask students to reference their list from the freewrite
yesterday. What other elements does a persuasive essay have? Most likely, because of their
prior knowledge in this unit, a student will suggest an argument and evidence for the
argument. Students will suggest ideas how to phrase their argument—be sure to note its
similarity to a thesis statement. Ask students to use evidence from their research for the
debate to support their argument. Write each supporting paragraph like this including the
counterargument.
4. Continue to break down the persuasive essay into its essential elements. Make sure to write
down students ideas with their wording, but ask other students to help make the wording
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Writing Unit
more effective or clearer. It is important that they feel like
they ‘own’ this essay so that they know they can recreate
their own version independently.
5. Throughout the process of writing this essay, take notes
on the transparency or other word document outlining the
structure of a persuasive essay. It will happen verbally as students suggest what to write next
but writing it down provides them with a handout to take home as a reminder of the day’s
lesson.
Assessment: This modeling activity is important to help students at this grade level learn how to
actually begin writing a persuasive essay. I feel that they need to feel safe making mistakes and
experimenting at this point so I don’t want to assess them in a high stakes manner. However, in
order to get all students involved, I would probably mark points for participation in the activity.
It would be a form of participation points, not an assessment of the quality or correctness of what
they said but an assessment of the fact that they are engaged and trying to learn.
Global Issues Persuasive Essay Assignment
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Writing Unit
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.
It is to bring another out of his bad sense into your good
sense.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
For the past four weeks, you have learned how to recognize and use
persuasive techniques in various forms (debate, advertising, news, political
speeches, etc…). Now, it is time to show off your persuasive skills and
bring politicians “into your good sense”!
Your task: Research and write about a global issue that interests you. See
http://cms.fhsdschools.org/agunnell/OprahHome/tabid/6823/Default.aspx for
suggestions or talk with me about your ideas. Your topic MUST be approved by me in
advance.
Possible topics might include…
 Environmental issues
 Homelessness
 Poverty
 Gender equality
 Civil rights
Your Goal: Your goal is to persuade politicians and other political leaders that the
US should take action upon the issue you chose. It is important that you follow the
structure of a persuasive argument as we discussed in class.
Your paper must include:
1. Your position statement in the form of a thesis. Refer back to our thesis lesson
for help in writing a strong thesis statement.
2. At least three arguments in favor of your position with evidence that may include
facts, expert/celebrity opinions, personal experience, or an appeal to audience’s
emotions or morality.
3. A refuted counterargument
4. Conclusion and call to action.
The Process:
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Writing Unit
Once you’ve decided what topic you would like to address, you need to research
and gather information about that topic. Be sure to find information to support your
position, but also find at least one piece of information that you can refute and
create a counterargument for.
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The following resources might be useful to you:
EBSCO server (accessible through MSU library)
GALEnet & Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Portals to the world at:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html
Newspaper articles found at http://www.nytimes.com/ , or
www.chicagotribune.com.
CNN.com
Books and magazines from the library
Be sure to use www.easybib.com to cite and store your citations for ALL resources you
use!!!
Time to Write!
After you have gathered your research, you will begin to write. Use whatever prewriting
strategy works for you (outline, web, concept map, etc…) I have provided you with a
persuasive writing TipSheet that you can consult to make your essay more effective.
You will turn in prewriting, rough draft with peer revision notes, and a final draft.
Do not hesitate to ask or email me any questions you may have during the research and
writing process.
You will have conference time with me on Thursday ________, Peer
Revision of rough drafts on Monday_________ and your final drafts will be
due on Friday__________.
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