Persuasive Essays
YOU NEED:
1. Your Journal;
2. Something to write with;
3. And the Ethos/Pathos/Logos
handout from yesterday
Journal Write
• Persuasive Baseline Essay Reflection
1. Read over your essay again right now… How do
you feel about your essay overall? Was the
topic easy or difficult for you? Please explain.
2. Where in your essay can you identify Ethos,
Pathos and/or Logos? Did you use these
without realizing what you were doing or were
your tactics purposeful?
3. After looking over your essay, is there anything
at this point you would add/change/remove?
Persuasive Strategies
Handout
Student Fill-In Table
Journal Write
1. Do ANY of the strategies on the fill in
sheet sound familiar?
2. Are any of the strategies totally new?
Persuasive Essay Elaboration
Strategies
Introductory, Body, & Concluding
Paragraphs
Persuasive Essay Introductions
– Taking a Stand: STATE YOUR POSITION. This is
your thesis statement that includes your WHY.
– Scenario/Anecdote: Provide hypothetical or
personal examples to illustrate your topic and
argument.
– Inquiry/Questioning: Ask thought-provoking,
edgy, questions to capture the reader’s interest.
(careful with this one…)
– Preparatory Information/Overview: Define or
explain the subject before discussing it in detail.
Starting with a Question:
to do or not to do…
•
•
•
Ask yourself, isn’t there a better, more
creative, more interesting way to start my
writing?
If the above is actually “no” or you are just
plain stumped (like during the HSPE), make
sure that your question can’t be answered
with a “yes” or a “no.”
If your reader can say “no,” then you’ve lost
them.
Why NOT start with a
question?
Question: Have you ever wondered…?
Answer: No.
Question: Have you ever been…?
Answer: No.
Question: Have you ever thought…?
Answer: No.
Question: Do you like…?
Answer: Yeah. What’s it to you?
Strategy ICONS?
• Brainstorm visual ICONS we can use for the
persuasive intro strategies:
–Taking a Stand
–Scenario/Anecdote
–Inquiry/Question
–Prep Info/Overview
Persuasive Essay Body Paragraphs
• Persuasive Language: Using strong words,
feeling/emotion words, and repeated phrases to
draw your reader into your point-of-view.
• Expert Testimony: Using Voices of authority and
more than 1 argument to support your position.
• House that Jack Built: Illustrating/describing the
cause and effect of one or both sides of your
argument (A leads to B, which leads to C, etc.).
• Concession/Rebuttal: Acknowledge/Anticipate
& Refute opposing arguments.
Journal Write
• Give examples of what you think might
qualify as “expert testimony” in a persuasive
essay.
Persuasive Essay Body Paragraphs
Continued…
• Compromise/Problem Solving: A solution
that meets in the middle or an “ah-ha!”
solution.
• Facts/Statistics: Facts, numbers, percents,
(citation), etc. to support your argument.
• Anecdotes: Including a personal story or
specific experience to give emotional appeal
to your argument.
Strategy ICONS?
• Brainstorm visual ICONS we can use for the
persuasive body paragraph strategies:
–Persuasive Language
–Expert Testimony
–House that Jack Built
–Concession/Rebuttal
–Compromise/Problem Solving
–Facts/Statistics
–Anecdotes
Persuasive Essay Conclusions
– Call to Action: Implore the audience to
change or take action.
– Offer a Solution: Suggests some possibilities
to resolve the problem posed.
– Make a Prediction: Similar to a startling
statement, this can be a warning or an
encouragement.
Strategy ICONS?
• Brainstorm visual ICONS we can use for the
persuasive intro strategies:
–Call to Action
–Offer a Solution
–Make a Prediction
Persuasive Essays Back (AGAIN)
• While you wait, look at all the strategies
we’ve discussed so far…make a little mark
next to ones you might like to try…
Learning Targets (Goals)
• Using your ORANGE list of persuasive writing
strategies, look at your essay again.
• Mark 5 strategies that you might want to
focus on working into a revision of your
essay. Hint: you will HAVE to use Taking A
Stand (Intro) and Call to Action (Conclusion).
• Your GOAL is to use strategies that hit each of
Aristotle’s modes of persuasion: Ethos,
Logos, and Pathos.