Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____
The following unit includes essay prompts and sample student writing from College Board,
POET strategy from Edutopia, and Activities one through six from Laying the Foundation.
Day
Monday
11/3/2014
Tuesday
11/4/2014
Thursday
11/6/2014
Assignment
Read and annotate the introduction and helpful advice.
Compare and contrast two SAT student essays.
Activity One – Understanding the Prompt
Activity Two: Brainstorming Ideas
Activity Three: Writing a Thesis Statement
Activity Four: Writing the Introduction
 Homework: complete a second draft of the introduction
on line paper or type and print using MLA format (12
Point, Times New Roman, Double Space)
4. Activity Five: Read the sample persuasive essay.
Then, complete the body paragraphs and conclusion in 30
minutes.
5. Activity Six: Evaluate your Argument
Grade
1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduction
Several important assessments such as the CAHSEE, the EAP, the SBAC, the SAT, the ACT
and the AP English exams will require you to write persuasive essays in a very limited time
frame. The good news is that this is your opportunity to use all of the skills and clever tactics that
you have learned from reading established writers all year long. Even more good news is that
steadily over the past few years, the writers of the exam have tried to make the persuasive
prompt more and more “high school friendly;” in other words, you will get a topic that you, a
young adult in high school, can answer.
Helpful Advice
Become a POET. POET is an acronym that stands for Purpose, Organization, Evidence and
Thesis. These are the key components to a successful essay.
P = Purpose
Every strong essay had an unwavering commitment to the purpose. Weak essays deviated from
purpose, often veering down the path of plot summary. I now have students underline and
record the verbs of the prompt (analyze the relationship, connect the devices, distinguish
between) to fully grasp their purpose. Every sentence written must relate to it.
O = Organization
The best essays have a system of organization. They possess a deliberate and pre-ordained plan
of progress. Their body paragraphs develop in one of the following ways:




Chronologically: from the beginning of the piece to the end.
Cause and effect: showing the techniques an author used and the effects they created.
General to specific: look broadly through a telescope, then focus under a microscope,
noticing the small details contributing to the big picture.
Compare and contrast: start with what unites works and move to appreciating
differences between them.
E = Evidence
Weak essays make claims -- and that's it. They leave the reader unfulfilled because they neglect
the evidence needed to substantiate those claims. Well-written essays have an abundance of
evidence in their body paragraphs, so list all evidence before you write.
T = Thesis (with insight)
Repeating the prompt is the refuge of students that lack either originality or confidence. They are
afraid that their opinion is wrong, so they just state what's given. To avoid this, challenge
yourself to answer the question "with insight."
Here's a good example from the SAT exam:

Prompt:
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below.
Even scientists know that absolute objectivity has yet to be attained. It's the same
for absolute truth. But, as many newspaper reporters have observed, the idea of
objectivity as a guiding principle is too valuable to be abandoned. Without it, the
pursuit of knowledge is hopelessly lost. (Adapted from "Focusing Our Values,"
Nieman Reports )
Assignment: Are people better at making observations, discoveries, and decisions if they
remain neutral and impartial? Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Sample student thesis statements
Weak thesis: Some people make better observations, discoveries and decisions than
other people.
Strong thesis: Even though total objectivity can never be reached, people are better at
making observations, discoveries, and decisions if they attempt to set aside their biases.
Explain why the “strong thesis” is better.
_____________________________________________________________
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Read and evaluate two complete student persuasive essays. These essays had a 25 minute time
limit and both have some grammar and spelling errors as a result.
Weak but complete essay (scored a 3 out of 6)
People make better observations, discoveries and decisions when
they are neutral and impartial to a subject while keeping an open
mind.
Better observations are made a point of view is complete and
unskiewed. An observer with a complete view can see the whole
picture and not leave any aspects out of the drawn conclusion. A
skiewed view allows the observer to see the side of a subject that
they want to see which can have misleading side effects.
More discoveries are made when people keep an open mind. If
Columbus said no this isn't India, and went home to try again,
then he wouldn't have discovered America. When people fail at a
task, they often find something they weren't looking for, which
may be greater than the original task.
Effective decisions are made when leaders look at the whole
picture and see an issue from all sides. By seeing different
perspectives it is easier to predict accurate reactions to the
decision. A close minded leader may make a decision that would
help him/herself or one group of people but ignore the needs of
many others. A good decision supports as many people as
possible.
In conclusion, observations, discoveries, and decisions should be
made with a complete view, an open mind and many different
perspectives on a topic.
Comment on each
paragraph
Excellent Essay (6 out of 6)
Objectivity by researchers has not, and probably never will be
attained. People will always have biases; some will be created by
cultural values and others by personal views. The search for
objectivity lies in the realm of philosophy along with the search
for reality. Even though total objectivity can never be reached,
people are better at making observations, discoveries, and
decisions if they attempt to set aside their biases.
As I have learned in my Theory of Knowledge class, perception
and thought are intimately connected. While the same rays of
light may enter two different peoples eyes, what they see may be
very different. The brain takes the input from the eyes and
processes it to form an image. That image is not the only thing
the brain produces; it also provides extra information based on
generalizations and bias. This unconscious addition of
information changes the observation of an object. By attempting
to reduce the addition of extraneous information being added to
the observation, by being objective, a true observation of an
object can be more closely approximated.
Discoveries, especially in the scientific realm can be doubly
affected by a lack of objectivity. Since scientific discoveries are
based on observation, all of the problems associated with
observation apply as well to discoveries. Additional problems
occur in the analysis of data collected by a scientific experiment.
In a recent experiment in physics class, almost all of the students
in my class analyzed the data incorrectly. However, armed with
the knowledge that zero percent error is never possible, we were
satisfied with the results. Our personal belief in the validity of
the method of analyzation we chose, and lack of objectivity, led
to our incorrect discovery in the field of energy. A lack of
objectivity can clearly be seen to be a problem in my last student
council election as well. The most popular person was chosen for
president, not the objectively best candidate. Since then, the
president has done nothing for our school. If the people involved
had attempted to set aside their biases and pursue the goal of
objectivity, it is less likely that errors would have been made.
Bias will always be a part of human life. It can, however, be
limited in how much we let it affect us. The less we allow bias to
influence, the more objective we are, the less likely we are to
come to false opinions, discoveries, and bad decisions.
Comment on each
paragraph.
Persuasive Essay Rubric for SAT and ACT Test
a = response to the topic
b = understanding and use of the passage
c = quality and clarity of thought
d = organization, development, and support
e = syntax and command of language
f = grammar, usage, and mechanics
(A / 100%) Score of 6: Superior A 6 essay is superior writing, but may have minor flaws.
a. addresses the topic clearly and responds effectively to all aspects of the task
b. demonstrates a thorough critical understanding of the passage in developing an insightful response
c. explores the issues thoughtfully and in depth
d. is coherently organized, with ideas supported by apt reasons and well-chosen examples
e. has an effective, fluent style marked by syntactic variety and a clear command of language
f. is generally free from errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
(A- /B+ 90%) Score of 5: Strong A 5 essay demonstrates clear competence in writing. It may have some errors,
but they are not serious enough to distract or confuse the reader.
a. addresses the topic clearly, but may respond to some aspects of the task more effectively than others
b. demonstrates a sound critical understanding of the passage in developing a well-reasoned response
c. shows some depth and complexity of thought
d. is well-organized and developed with ideas supported by appropriate reasons and examples
e. displays some syntactic variety and facility in the use of language
f. may have a few errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
(B-/C+ 80%) Score of 4: Adequate A 4 essay demonstrates adequate writing. It may have some errors that distract
the reader, but they do not significantly obscure meaning.
a. addresses the topic, but may slight some aspects of the task
b. demonstrates a generally accurate understanding of the passage in developing a sensible response
c. may treat the topic simplistically or repetitively
d. is adequately organized and developed, generally supporting ideas with reasons and examples
e. demonstrates adequate use of syntax and language
f. may have some errors, but generally demonstrates control of grammar, usage, and mechanics
(C-/D+ 70%) Score of 3: Marginal A 3 essay demonstrates developing competence, but is flawed in some
significant way(s).
a. distorts or neglects aspects of the task
b. demonstrates some understanding of the passage, but may misconstrue parts
c. lacks focus, or demonstrates confused or simplistic thinking
d. is poorly organized and developed, presenting topic sentences without adequate and appropriate support or presenting details
without topic sentences.
e. has limited control of syntax and vocabulary
f. has an accumulation of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that sometimes interfere with meaning.
(D 60%) Score of 2: Very Weak A 2 essay is seriously flawed.
a. indicates confusion about the topic or neglects important aspects of the task
b. demonstrates very poor understanding of the main points of the passage, does not use the passage appropriately in developing a
response, or may not use the passage at all
c. lacks focus and coherence, and often fails to communicate its ideas
d. has very weak organization and development, providing simplistic generalizations without support
e. has inadequate control of syntax and vocabulary
f. is marred by numerous errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that frequently interfere with meaning
(F 50%)Score of 1: Incompetent A 1 - It may be unfinished, illogical or off topic.