ELA – Opinion Essay Persuasive Writing Ideas to Essay Organizer: 1.1 Turning Opinions & Ideas into Sentences 1.2 Turning Sentences into Paragraphs 1.3 Turning Paragraphs into an Essay 1.4 Editing your Essay Persuasive writing is one of the most useful tools we learn in ELA. It not only teaches you how to form an opinion, but also how to support & defend it. Being persuasive can have many benefits in your life. Can you think of a few? In order to develop your persuasive voice, you will read about controversial hot topics in today’s society. The following 10 articles are all meant to engage & challenge your ideas on things you either are interested in or opinioned about. 1.1 Choose 3 of the titles that interest you below (by clicking on the Hyperlink). As you read through the article notice the different persuasive techniques that the author uses. Such as citing facts, studies, and statistics, or pulling at your heart strings with an emotional story, or maybe even being aggressively assertive about a point they are passionate about. When you finish reading try and develop your own thoughts, ideas, & opinions on the topic in order to complete the tasks below. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Does technology make us more or less alone? Do violent video games make people more violent in real life? Do we give children too many trophies? If hockey concussions/injuries are so dangerous to players, should we be supporting it by watching it? Should video games be considered a sport? Should the school day start later? Can money buy you happiness? Is school designed more for girls than boys? What should be done to stop cyberbullying? Which is more important for success: talent or hard work? 1.1 Turning Opinions & Ideas into Sentences Now that you’ve read through the different articles it’s time to start developing your opinion in a persuasive way on each topic. For this exercise take the point form ideas that you think in your head & turn them into fully developed sentences. Go back & reread the article if you need more ideas or want to quote a certain point that you agreed with. Topic 1: Click or tap here to enter text. ELA – Opinion Essay Persuasive Writing My opinion (briefly restate the topic & explain your yes or no opinion in 1 sentence): Click or tap here to enter text. 1st fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion (write briefly in a single sentence): Click or tap here to enter text. 2nd fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion: Click or tap here to enter text. 3rd fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion: Click or tap here to enter text. Topic 2: Click or tap here to enter text. My opinion (briefly restate the topic & explain your yes or no opinion in 1 sentence): Click or tap here to enter text. 1st fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion (write briefly in a single sentence): Click or tap here to enter text. 2nd fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion: Click or tap here to enter text. 3rd fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion: Click or tap here to enter text. Topic 3: Click or tap here to enter text. My opinion (briefly restate the topic & explain your yes or no opinion in 1 sentence): Click or tap here to enter text. 1st fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion (write briefly in a single sentence): Click or tap here to enter text. 2nd fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion: Click or tap here to enter text. 3rd fact/idea/reason that supports my opinion: Click or tap here to enter text. 1.2 Turning Sentences into Paragraphs Now that you’ve just explored your opinion on many different topics it’s time to start refining our ideas & turning them into the persuasive essay format. We do this by expanding one idea and breaking it down with examples & explanations. ELA – Opinion Essay Persuasive Writing But first you need to choose 1 of the previous topics (the one you believe you have the strongest opinion on and best arguments for) to write your essay on. I am choosing the topic: Click or tap here to enter text. Second, go back up to the Topic that you’re choosing from part 1.1 & copy and paste your ideas for that topic into the charts below. (Only copy & paste the parts YOU wrote – not what already existed in the Word doc.) These charts will each comprise 4 sentences that will each make up of the Body Paragraphs for your Essay. 1st fact/idea/opinion Give an example to support this opinion Explain how this example supports the opinion Give additional supporting evidence Paste here Click or tap here to enter text. 2nd fact/idea/opinion Give an example to support this opinion Explain how this example supports the opinion Give additional supporting evidence Paste here Click or tap here to enter text. 3rd fact/idea/opinion Give an example to support this opinion Explain how this example supports the opinion Give additional supporting evidence Paste here Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text. CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve just turned opinions & ideas into paragraphs! 1.3 Turning Paragraphs into an Essay Now that you’ve completed your body paragraphs we need to learn about introductory sentences & concluding sentences. ELA – Opinion Essay Persuasive Writing Introductory sentences: introduces the topic of the paragraph by stating the main point you will be trying to make throughout the remainder of the paragraph. e.g. Video games should not be considered sports because they do not involve physical activity. e.g. Technology has made teenagers more alone because they are locked behind a screen. The sentences that you wrote above, in part 1.1 – which stated the fact/idea/reason for your opinion are examples of introductory sentences. Concluding sentences: do 2 things – (1) Summarizes the points you’ve made throughout the paragraph (2) Transitions your reader to the next topic you will discuss in the following paragraph e.g. Summarize According to these facts it should begin to be obvious that physical activity is a necessary component for something to be considered a sport, therefore video games are not a sport. Transition Another component for something to be considered a sport is requiring commitment to a team practice. (Then the next paragraph would start with an introductory paragraph about team practices in sports.) e.g. Summarize In conclusion, the amount of attention screen time takes away from teenagers interacting with their friends is guaranteed to make them lonelier. Transition But, so does creating the “perfect profile” online. (Then the next paragraph would start with an introductory sentence about how creating the “perfect profile” makes teens lonely.) So now, go back up to 1.2 and underneath each of the charts write a concluding sentence for each of your body paragraphs. Once you’ve done this you’ve essentially just created “perfect paragraphs” for your essay. But those aren’t the only paragraphs you’ll need. You also need an introductory paragraph & a concluding paragraph. These are essentially the expanded paragraph format of introductory & concluding sentences. Introductory paragraph: like the body paragraphs you’ve just written – which likely have 5-8 sentences – so should your introductory paragraph. And just like your body paragraphs It also needs an introductory sentence. The introductory sentence(s) for your whole essay is called a hook. The hook is used to capture the attention of your reader & interest them in reading your essay. Examples are: Start with a bold statistic or fact (e.g. Did you know that over 70% of children age 2-5 can use a tablet, but only 10% can tie their shoes? What does that say about society today?) Use a quote (Mark Twain famously said, “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.” Let’s explore how we can apply that to the school system today.) Write an anecdote (Imagine yourself in January 2020, before COVID19. Can you even remember what life was like?) ELA – Opinion Essay Persuasive Writing Tell a brief personal story (It all started when I was 8 years old. I had just read my first chapter book, Harry Potter & the Philosophers Stone, the magic of reading came alive through the magic of Hogwarts. And I haven’t stopped reading since.) Pose a question (Have you ever thought about what life would be like if we had to walk around with masks on everywhere? No?! No one had until it was too late.) Use a definition (The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines success as, “getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.” I would like to rewrite that definition and tell you what it means to me.) “Paint” a picture with words (It is a beautiful, but blustering, fall day. The leaves burn with reds, oranges, and yellows, crunching beneath your feet. You smell fresh cut wood, smoke from nearby fields, and the sweet smell of overripe apples. Are you there? Can you feel it, smell it, hear it? Excellent, now let’s begin.) Writing hooks is a fun way to be creative in a persuasive essay. It allows you to draw the reader in right from the first line. Thinking about the topic that you’re going to write about, write 3 different hooks using some the previous examples. Hook 1 Click or tap here to enter text. Hook 2 Click or tap here to enter text. Hook 3 Click or tap here to enter text. Next, your introductory paragraph needs to outline the topics that you will explore in your body paragraphs. You should give a “mini-summary” of what your audience is about to read. Persuasive writing and the essay format are forms of non-fiction texts, which means that you don’t want any surprises or twists and turns along the way. You want to be precise, thoughtful, and strong as you “pound your points” home. So, introduce the main topic/argument in each of your body paragraphs. Write a “mini-summary” of them to create the body of your introductory paragraph. Click or tap here to enter text. Finally, you also need a concluding sentence in your introduction. Just like the introductory sentence had a special name, hook, so does your concluding sentence. In the introduction your concluding sentence is called a thesis. Your thesis explains the purpose of your essay. Why you care so much about your opinion, or why it matters to the broader world. Brainstorm a few ideas below after reading some examples: e.g. By exposing the truth about how social media and smartphones are making us lonely, teens will hopefully feel empowered to make better choices with their time. (Notice the word exposing emphasizes the purpose of the essay = “to expose the truth.”) ELA – Opinion Essay Persuasive Writing e.g. Determining whether video games are a sport or not is crucial for the health of our future generation. If we don’t, society risks the misinformed idea that children and teens can get their activity from video games rather than “real sports.” (Notice words like “future generation” & “society” = applying your opinion to the broader world.) Option 1 Click or tap here to enter text. Options 2 Click or tap here to enter text. Congratulations you’ve just written your Introductory Paragraph! Up next, Conclusion. Concluding paragraph: if you remember the concluding sentence in the body paragraphs briefly summarizes the main point of your paragraph. It also is meant to transition your reader to the next paragraph. Obviously if you’re writing the conclusion you won’t have any more paragraphs, so this time the idea can be viewed as transitioning the reader to the final thoughts you have on the topic. These final thoughts should not be new – but rather a reiteration of the thesis (purpose/application to broader world) from the introduction. Much like the hook, which is meant to capture your audience’s attention right from the beginning, you want your final concluding sentence to linger in their minds – challenging them, encouraging them, instructing them, etc. Including, facts, stats, stories, or quotes like the hook is also a good idea here. Examples are: e.g. By disincentivizing the opportunity to play video games as a professional sport, we can increase the quality of life for the future generation of children & gamers alike. e.g. With the knowledge that 95% of individuals over age 10 have a smartphone & 50% of individuals will experience mental health complications in their life, we must be compelled to change the relationships we have with our phones and invest more time into the real relationships we have with our friends and family. (Note: those statistics should’ve already been outlined in a previous body paragraph – the writer has just “reused” them to hammer home their main point.) So, now it’s time to wrap it up! Start brainstorming ideas for your conclusion: Click or tap here to enter text.
