The Persuasive Essay
Name: __________________________________________________
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Bath Haverling Plagiarism Policy
Page __________ of the student handbook
Plagiarism – Plagiarism occurs when a person presents other
people’s ideas, information, or words as if they were his or her
own. Plagiarism is a form of theft, as well as a form of cheating.
When a person copies a passage from a published source, such
as a periodical, an encyclopedia, a book, or the internet, and
presents that passage as if it were his or her own creation, then
that person has committed plagiarism. Even if the wording is
slightly changed, a little plagiarism is still plagiarism. If a person
has someone else write a paper, or any part of a paper for him or
her, then that person is guilty of plagiarism (and the other person
is equally guilty). Any act of plagiarism will result in a failing
grade for that paper or project and could result in the student
failing the course. Documented acts of plagiarism will be kept on
record. A repeated act of plagiarism will have more serious
consequences.
Rule of Tumb: When turning in an assignment to
be graded, it is expected that the work in your
own original thoughts.
Consequences: The student who plagiarizes, or students
who assist in plagiarism, will receive a 0% on their research
project. The student will be expected to complete the
assignment from the beginning to be considered for passing
the class. If the assignment is not completed, the student
may fail the course.
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What is a Persuasive Essay?
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The Persuasive Essay
Your Task:
Write a persuasive essay in which you argue perspectives
(cultural, religious) on life and/or death.
Guidelines:
 Determine a stance on perspectives of life or death, based on the research and
information available to you. Is there a positive or negative view? Is there a connection
between fear or happiness and death? Is there a stronger influence on life or death?
This will become a part of your assertion for your thesis statement.
 Create a clear thesis statement. Persuade your audience to believe you!!
 Use research to prove your assertion to be true. Use at least 3 reliable sources. Only 2
may be from websites.
 Utilize a multiple paragraph structure. Do not limit your essay by not writing enough
(Your essay should be several pages long by the time you are done).
 Include a Works Cited page. A project that is missing the Works Cited, or Works Cited
that is incorrectly formatted, will result in an overall grade reduction.
 Follow the Writing Process – checking in with me for credit for your prewrite and rough
draft.
 Follow the standards of written English.
THESIS STATEMENT:
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The Order of Events:
1. Select a topic (cultural perspective to research).
2. Do some prep work and preliminary research; nothing formal yet.
3. Narrow topic and work on your thesis statement.
4. Select your first source. If it’s a website, evaluate the source first.
5. Fill out bibliography card. DO NOT TAKE ANY NOTES YET!!
6. Begin note-taking by writing the source number at the top of the card. Follow the
directions for note-taking on the next few pages.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 for at least 4 sources. You may only use 2 website from the
Internet. Try a database article or book (no encyclopedia).
8. Create Works Cited.
9. Work on your outline. Include where you will add quotations.
10. Rough Draft. Insert quotations and parenthetical citations.
11. Revise/Edit. Type, if you haven’t already.
12. Final Copy
Order to Turn In
Top – Cover Page (MLA Style)
Second – Final Copy with no heading
Bottom – Final Copy of Works Cited
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Prep Work
1. Spend some time just Googling for specific cultures and their views on life/death.
Words to Search For (possibly use a thesaurus)
2. Pick a perspective to follow through with for your project.
3. Before you even think about searching for any articles or writing any notes, use a
site like Wikipedia to simply write some questions to help focus your search. Note
that Wikipedia is not a reliable source, but is good for getting a general idea of the
topic.
For Example:
4. Is it worth it to continue with this project? Are there enough questions to move on to
the next step?
5. Write a thesis statement.
6. Start your research. Use note cards!!
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Thesis Statements
1. Your persuasive essay should include a thesis statement that is direct.
2. The thesis must contain a direct assertion (an argument someone could disagree
with).
3. Your evidence (literature + research from history) must support and explain your
thesis statement.
Examples of Weak Thesis Statements:
There are many perspectives on death.
Some cultures view life differently.
Books and history prove different views on life and death.
Examples of Strong Thesis Statements:
The concept of death can be viewed as a fearful, evil event or as a great moment of change, as seen in
the Mayan culture beliefs.
Even though death is a part of every living thing, some people are afraid of death because of how
uncomfortable the discussion can be, and the unknown.
If you want some
puzzle pieces to cut,
let me know. I
wouldn’t cut these or
you’ll lose the notes
on the back side.
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Bibliography Cards:
There must be a bibliography card for each source you use. The information you have on
your bibliography card will become your Works Cited page. A card must be prepared
BEFORE you begin recording notes from the source. If you choose to do it your own way,
you will have a really hard time locating the information again. If you come to me saying
that you are missing information, I will not be able to help you.
Sample Black Card
Source #
Find this
on pages 9,
10, 11
_______
Ask yourself
if this is a
book,
website,
periodical,
etc.
MLA Citation of Information
(see next few pages)
Call # (if information comes
from a library book)
Additional notes to yourself
Example Card
Source # 1
Crick, Bernard. George Orwell:
A Life. Boston: Little,
1980.
PR 6029.R8 Z627 1980
Book on front book cart.
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Citing Works in the MLA Style:
(what you write on the bibliography card.
WRITE EXACLTY AS IT SHOWS YOU HERE!!!)
All of the below information was taken from the MLA Handbook of Writers of Research
Papers, 6th Edition.
Print Sources
Citing Books:
Author’s Last, First name (or Authors’ names in alphabetical order). Title of the book. Place of publication
(city): Name of publisher, Year of publication.
Examples:
Kaku, Michio. Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey through Parallel Universes, Time
warps, and the Tenth Dimension. New York: Oxford UP, 1994.
Jakobson, Roman, and Linda R. Waugh. The Sound Shape of Language. Bloomington:
Indiana UP, 1979.
For a reference book:
Mohanty, Jitendra M. “Indian Philosophy.” The New Encyclopedia Britannica:
Macropaedia. 15th ed. 1987.
“Azimuthal Equidistant Projection.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed.
1993.
Citing Periodicals (information from an article in a magazine):
Author’s Last, First name. “Title of article.” Title of magazine Date of issue (Day Month Year):
Pages on which article appears.
Examples:
Bazell, Robert. “Science and Society: Growth Industry.” New Republic 15 Mar. 1993:
13-14.
Frank, Michael. “The Wild, Wild, West.” Architectural Digest June 1993: 180+.
Note: Use the “+” when an article is NOT printed on consecutive pages.
If no author is given:
“The Decade of the Spy.” Newsweek 7 Mar. 1994: 26-27.
Note: Ignore any initial A, AN, or The when you alphabetize the entry.
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Citing Works in the MLA Style (continued)
Citing a Newspaper Article
Author’s Last, First name. “Title of article.” Name of newspaper. Date of issue (Day Month Year),
Edition (if available): Page Number(s) on which the article appears.
Example:
Feder, Barnaby J. “For Job Seekers, a Toll-Free Gift of Expert Advice.” New York Times 30
Dec. 1993, late ed.: D1+.
Citing an Opposing Viewpoints Book or Pamphlet
Author’s Last, First Name (the author of the specific article). “Title of Article.” Title of Book (Pamphlet).
Ed. Name of Editor(s). Opposing Viewpoints. City of Publication: Name of
Publisher, Date of Publication.
Example:
Chucker, Harold. “There Is An Energy Crisis.” Is There An Energy Crisis?. Eds. Judy Smith
and Bruno Leone. Opposing Viewpoints Pamphlet. St. Paul: Greenhaven Press, 1981.
Electronic Sources
Citing an Article Accessed through a Subscription Service
Author’s Last, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Date of Issue (Day Month Year):
Page Numbers (if available). Name of Database. Name of Service. Subscribing Library. Date of
Access (Day Month Year) <Web Address (URL) of Service>.
Example:
Frank, Michael. “The Wild, Wild West.” Architectural Digest June 1993:180+.
Masterfile Select. EBSCO. Haverling H.S. Lib. 25 Jan. 2001.
Citing a Webpage
Author’s Last, First Name (if available). “Title of Web Page.” Title of Web Site. Date of Electronic
Publication. Sponsoring Organization (If Available). Date of Access (Day Month Year) <Web
Address (URL)>.
Example:
Thomas, Michael. “Driving While Black.” Current Racial Issues in America. 2000. NAACP.
24 Jan. 2001. <www.raceinamerica.com>.
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Citing Works in the MLA Style (continued)
Citing an Entire Website
Title of Web Site. Name of Editor (if available). Date of Electronic Publication or Update. Date
of Access (Day Month Year) <Web Address (URL)>.
Example:
Current Racial Issues. Ed. Brett A. Smith. 2000. 24 Jan. 2001 <www.race.com>.
Presentation Notes
Presenters Last, First Name. “Title of Presentation.” Class Name. Place, State. Day Month Year.
Atwood, Margaret. "Silencing the Scream." Boundaries of the Imagination Forum. MLA Convention.
Royal York Hotel, Toronto. 19 Dec. 1993.
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Note-Taking:
Follow the directions below in order to create useful and organized notes. If done
correctly, your note cards will become your outline.
1. Write the source number at the top of the card. The source number is determined
by what you wrote on your bibliography card. All information from the same source
(book, article, website, etc.) has the same source number. This way if you need to
find the source sometime in the future of the project, you have the information you
need.
2. Put ONLY 1 piece of information on a card at a time. I realize that this seems
tedious, but understand that it will save you a headache when you go to organize
your notes for the outline. Also, only write on one side of the card. The opposite
side should always be blank.
3. Write the page number at the bottom of the card where you found the information.
Only include the page number that actually had that fact on it. You will use the page
number when you use parenthetical citation in your essay. If your source doesn’t
have page numbers, do not fret.
4. Types of note-taking:
a. Summarize-This allows you to record the general idea of a large amount of
information.
b. Paraphrase-i.e. put the information into your own words-This should be used
when you desire detailed information, but you do not require the author’s
original phrasing.
c. Quote- This should only be used to capture author’s individual ideas, unusual
style, etc. Direct quotes would not normally be appropriate for basic facts or
commonly held knowledge. Do attempt to find at least 2 quotes for the essay
that are worth noting in your essay.
It is important, no matter what type of note-taking you choose, to be sure to
write the information in your own words. Unless you are copying a direct
quote (putting it into quotation marks and recording the page number),
writing the information in your own words will keep you from being questioned
about plagiarism.
Sample Note Card
Source #1
His work demonstrated his
intense dislike for
totalitarianism.
Page 342
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Evaluating a Website:
There are a few key factors in evaluating a website from the World Wide Web. Be sure to do the following:
1. Begin your search on a Search Engine such as Google or Yahoo.
2. Check the titles of the search options that appear, as well as their addresses. By checking the address
you can do a preliminary search of the website to be sure that it meets the criteria of a professional
document. If it was a webpage with and address such as
www.totallyradfreewebpages.com/6th_grade_student_Johnny, then you may assume that the person
is not a professional in the field that you are researching.
3. Evaluate the site on the following topics:
a. Website address
b. Website title
c. Possible sponsors (a company that is helping to pay for the publication of the material) of the
information.
d. Authors of site – Who his/he? What education does he/she have?
e. Date created
f. Kinds of links – if the links take you to strange places completely unrelated to the search,
such as barginhut.com coupons, consider how professional the website is.
g. Possible tables or charts that give factual information.
Practice:
Select a website on transcendentalism. Use a Google or Yahoo search to do so.
Website address
Website Title and
Sponsors
Author
Date created
Kinds of links
Tables or charts?
When you complete this sentence, does it sound
intelligent?
I learned everything I know about __________ from
________________________________________________.
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Accessing the Database
What is a DATABASE?
How is it different than a website?
Why can you only access it from a library with an ID and password?
What is the advantage of having access to a database?
Steps:
Go to www.bathcsd.org.
Click Haverling High School.
Click H.S. Library on left side.
Click Research Resources on the left side.
From here you can access several forms of search options. Click Databases on the
left side.
6. From here you have several databases to choose from. Consider what you are
researching and the kind of database that it is (from the title). Click on the one you
choose. You can always go back later and pick a different one.
7. Type in the User ID and/or password according to the worksheet you have.
8. Use the Advanced Search option in your database’s search menu. Consider 2-3
keywords to help narrow your search. If there is a box to check for Full Text
documents, be sure to check it. This will help you access an entire document, and
not just its abstract (or summary).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
You need to be sure that you are getting your hands on something more than an
abstract. The abstract is there to help you preview the information, but it is not a
source that you can use for research.
9. If you choose to print a document, check the number of pages first!!! Do not print a
document if it is more than 7-8 pages. If it is, see if there are specific page numbers
that you need more than others. You can always read the entire document straight
from the computer.
**Don’t forget that you need to record the information on the bibliography card before
you begin taking notes. Also, even though you have a hard copy that you can highlight,
you still need to write you information on the note cards.
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your Works Cited Page
Organizing your Works Cited...
1: Double check that you have written all bibliography cards in MLA style correctly.
Check punctuation!
2. Alphabetize and put the bibliography cards in order by the first letter in the information.
Notes:
1. A comes before B; etc.
2. If two have the same letter, move on to the second letter in that word. Which
comes before the other?
3. Make sure that your document is in 12pt. font, Times New Roman font, with 1 inch
margins. Format the paragraph for double spacing.
4. Type: Works Cited. Center it.
5. Press ENTER once. Justify the document to the left.
6. Type the first entry information in MLA style. If you need to go to the second line, press
TAB.
7. To start the second one, be sure that the cursor is back all the way to the left again.
See example.
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Possible Outline Suggestions
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Introduction
Body Paragraph
a. Present background information on life/death
b. Typical customs/beliefs
c. Present controversy
Body Paragraph
a. Common traditions/beliefs/perspectives associated with a particular culture you researched
presented in a logical order.
b. Include quotation.
Body Paragraph
a. Consider using the next paragraph for an example found in your research or to further
explain the cultural perspective.
b. Or consider this paragraph as a transition between the perspectives you are presenting.
Using contrasting transition phrases and informing your reader reasons or causes for
differing perspectives.
Body Paragraph
a. Present your second perspective demonstrating his view, or the American cultural view
presented in the literature in a logical order.
b. Include quotation.
Body Paragraph
a. Consider using the next paragraph for an example found in your research or to further
explain the cultural perspective.
Conclusion
Another Suggestion:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Introduction
Body Paragraph
a. Present background information on life/death
b. Typical customs/beliefs
c. Present controversy
Body Paragraph
a. Common traditions/beliefs/perspectives associated with a particular culture you researched
presented in a logical order.
b. Include quotation.
Body Paragraph
a. Consider using the next paragraph for an example found in your research or to further
explain the cultural perspective.
b. Or consider this paragraph as a transition between the perspectives you are presenting.
Using contrasting transition phrases and informing your reader reasons or causes for
differing perspectives.
Body Paragraph
a. Outline the similarities or differences, like you would in a comparison essay.
Conclusion
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Parenthetical Documentation Information
Remember as you take notes (and later when you do your rough draft and final copy), you will need to
document the following:
1. Direct quotes
2. Paraphrased information
3. Summarized information
You do not need to document commonly accepted knowledge. An example of common knowledge would
be that dogs are mammals.
How to Document Information in a Research Paper
Note: There are other methods by which you can document information, but this is the most commonly
used in most high schools and colleges. It is referred to as MLA style.
The parenthetical documentation should be included right in the text of your paper. Its basic form is
(author’s last name page #). Note that there is only a space separating the author’s last name and the page
number. Also note that the end punctuation falls after the parenthetical reference.
Example:
…due to scientific basis (Smith 43).
If there is no author simply use the title of the source in place of the author’s last name:
…due to scientific basis (“Society’s Problems” 43).
If there is no page number, finish with end parenthesis.
…due to scientific basis (Smith).
Where to put the parenthetical documentation:
1. If you have a specific point from a specific source, put it right after that sentence.
2. If the majority of your paragraph is from one source, put it in the last sentence of that
paragraph.
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Successfully Incorporating Quotations in Your Writing
One of the more difficult aspects of writing a research paper is the successful incorporation of quoted
material. First, it is important to understand that the bulk of the information in your paper should be
paraphrased or summarized. I would recommend no more than 20% of your information be quoted. Second,
it is important to remember that a quotation should never form a complete sentence in and of itself. Consider
the following examples:
Incorrect:
“There are already 700,000 arrests each year in the U.S. for marijuana offenses” (Thomas 67).
Correct:
According to a recent U.S. government report, “There are already 700,000 arrests each year in the U.S. for
marijuana offenses” (Thomas 67).
Quotations must be integrated smoothly into your own writing and have a clearly established context.
Correct Quotation and Connection in a Paragraph:
What part of the body paragraph am I talking about???
Simple Body Paragraph Outline:
1. Topic Sentence.
2. Background information and furthered explanation.
3. Passage – Where you will add the quote. There needs to be 3 parts to this sentence.
See below.
4. Passage analysis
5. Possibly more information.
6. Connection to your point.
Today, this is all I am talking
about!
Requirements of adding a passage and analysis:
Now that we know how to find a passage and where to put it, we need to practice writing it
correctly. Each passage of analysis should include:
 A lead-in to the passage
One Sentence
 The passage in quotations marks
 Citation (see parenthetical citation).
 Another sentence to connect to your point.
Second Sentence
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Example of Correct Use of a Quotation:
A lead in to the passage
The passage in quotations marks
Citation (see parenthetical
citation)
Another sentence of analysis of
passage
Final product:
According to statistics from the FCC,
“Fighting, shooting guns and murder were common and were on
more than half of the television programs that children watched”
(Powers 23).
Powers demonstrates that children are subject to watch violence if
they watch TV.
According to statistics from the FCC, “Fighting, shooting guns and
murder were common and were on more than half of the television
programs that children watched” (Powers 23). Powers
demonstrates that children are subject to watch violence if they
watch TV.
Note: This is not a complete paragraph. This is merely 2 sentences
within the body paragraph. Your topic sentences will need to be
developed before a passage is added. There will also need to be several
sentences afterward.
Practice:
A lead in to the passage
The passage in
quotations marks
Citation (see
parenthetical citation)
Page _____ - Write correctly please
________________________________
Another sentence to
connect to your point
Final product:
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Additional Notes:
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