How to prepare 1. Choose your position.

Which side of the issue or problem are you going to write about, and what solution will you offer? Know the purpose of your essay.

2. Analyze your audience.

Decide if your audience agrees with you, is neutral, or disagrees with your position.

3. Research your topic.

A persuasive essay must provide specific and convincing evidence. Often it is necessary to go beyond your own knowledge and experience. You might need to go to the library or interview people who are experts on your topic.

Vocabulary Claim: The overall thesis the writer will argue for.

Evidence: Data gathered to support the claim.

Reasoning: Explanation of why or how the data supports the claim, the underlying assumption that connects your data to your claim.

More on ReasoningIncluding a well-thought-out bridge is essential

If you present data to your audience without explaining how it supports your thesis you readers may not make a connection between the two or they may draw different conclusions.

VocabularyCounterclaim: A claim that negates or disagrees with the thesis/claim.

Rebuttal: Evidence that negates or disagrees with the counterclaim.

Thesis and premiseThesis will be whatever side of the argument you are going to take

Include your premise (the because part)

Generally your claims will be included in your thesis

Skittles are the best candy because millions are sold a year and they come in a variety of flavors.

Thesis can’t be too broad…Bad- Drug use is detrimental to society.

What “drugs”? Illegal drugs? Recreational Drugs? Medication?

“Society"? America? Global population? Children? Adults?

There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open

The author could not cover all of the topics listed above

Being so general in the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate within the paper

A better thesis…Illegal drug use is detrimental because it encourages gang violence.

The premise helps narrow your thesis

The paper will focus specifically on the aspects of drugs and gang violence

Claims of fact or definitionThese claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact.

Example- What some people refer to as global warming is actually nothing more than normal, long-term cycles of climate change.

Claims of cause and effectThese claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur.

Example- The popularity of SUV's in America has caused pollution to increase.

Claims about valueThese are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something.

Examples- Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today.

Claims about solutions or policiesThese are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem.

Example- Instead of drilling for oil in Alaska we should be focusing on ways to reduce oil consumption, such as researching renewable energy sources.

What claim is right for you?Likely use multiple types of claimsDepends on your position and

knowledge of the topic and audience Imagine your audience- pinpoint

where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints/ opinions may be

Identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper

Types of EvidenceFirst hand research - research you have conducted yourself such as interviews, experiments, surveys, or personal experience and anecdotes.

Second hand research - research you are getting from various texts that has been supplied and compiled by others such as books, periodicals, and Web sites.

Evidence Use evidence to support your

claims Facts, Statisitics, QUOTES

You can use first or second hand evidence

Evidence should appeal to your audience

Is the source credible?Who is the author? Respected/valued in their field of researchSources will beHow recent is the source? Depends on your topic – history vs. technology

Sources on information technologies, or other areas that are experiencing rapid changes, need to be much more current.

Is the source credible?What is the author's purpose? Purpose or point of view Is it a neutral, objective view of a topic? Or

is the author advocating one specific view of a topic?

Who is funding the research or writing of this source?

A source written from a particular point of view may be credible; however, you need to be careful that your sources don't limit your coverage of a topic to one side of a debate.

Is the source credible?BE CAREFUL OF Internet sources!Be careful of Web sites where an author cannot be determined

Look for sites associated with a reputable institution such as a respected university, a credible media outlet, government program or department, or well-known non-governmental organizations.

Beware of Wikipedia

More on CounterclaimsDon't avoid the opposing side of an argument

Find out what the other side is saying and respond to it within your own argument

Allows you to find common ground with audience

Helps CredibilityKeeps you from looking biased or uniformed

Rhetorical Strategies- AristotleLogos (Logical) Persuading by the use of reasoningDeductive and inductive reasoningFactsStatisticsExpert sources or interviewsAnything that can be proved

Rhetorical Strategies- AristotleEthos (Credibility), or ethical appeal

Believe people whom we respect Project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to

Make yourself into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect

Rhetorical Strategies- AristotlePathos (Emotional) Appealing to the reader's emotions

Language and word choice affects the audience's emotional response

Emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument

YOUR Persuasive Paper Will either be a three prong style essay (I will

tell you three reasons why you should do what I want)

OR

Problem- Cause-Solution (Here is the problem, Why or how was it

caused, How do we fix it?)

Topic Options Should students have to wear uniforms? Should college athletes be paid for playing? Should the elderly receive free bus rides? Should state colleges be free to attend? Should all American citizens have to complete a year of community service? Should students be required to take Spanish classes? Should marijuana be legal for medicinal purposes? Should the voting age be lowered to thirteen? Should the driving age be raised to twenty-one? Should students be paid for having good grades? Should illegal immigrants be allowed to get drivers licenses? Should not wearing a seat-belt be illegal? Should student’s textbooks be replaced by notebook computers? Should students have to pass a basic skills test to graduate high school? Should schools raise money by selling candy and sugary soft drinks to

students?

Topic Options Should schools serve french-fries and fried potato products to students at lunch? Should students’ grades in gym affect their grade point averages? Should girls be allowed to play on boys sports teams? Should teens be able to buy violent video games? Should boys and girls be in separate classes? Should teenage girls be allowed to get birth control without the permission of their

parents? Should our country have a universal health care program? Should immigration laws be reformed? Should the federal government recognize civil unions? Should people who download music and movies illegally be punished? Should school athletes have to be on the honor roll to play in games? Should music with curse words be allowed at school dances? Should public schools begin the day with a silent prayer time? Should students be able to listen to MP3 players on headphones during study hall? Should schools offer fast food options like McDonald’s or Taco Bell? Should smoking be allowed at parks and other outdoor public venues?

Topic Options Should cities offer free public Wi-Fi? Should the government place a tax on junk food and fatty snacks? Should the 2nd amendment give citizens the right to own assault weaponry? Should people traveling in airplanes have to undergo intensive security

screenings? Should restaurants be allowed to sell genetically modified chickens under the

name “chicken”? Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals like chimpanzees or tigers? Should people be allowed to keep pit-bull dogs? Should the city offer a bike sharing program? Should there be an ordinance citing people who fail to recycle $50? Should there be an ordinance citing people who play music too loudly $50? Should celebrities who break the law face stricter penalties? Should the government increase spending on the space program? Should larger passengers have to pay for two plane or movie theater tickets?

Topic Options Should sexual education be taught in public schools? Should students who commit cyber-bullying be suspended from school? Should corporations be allowed to advertise in schools? Should more be done to protect and preserve endangered animals? Is it appropriate for students and teachers to be friends on Social Media? Should students have open campus lunch periods? Should the death penalty be used to punish violent criminals? Should students learn about world religions in public schools? Should schools start later in the morning? Should the USA end overseas military operations? Should politicians be allowed to accept campaign contributions from corporate

lobbyists? Should people with terminal illnesses have the right to doctor assisted suicides? Should stem cell researchers be able to use stem cells from aborted babies to cure

diseases? Should school athletes have to take drug tests? Should professional athletes have to take drug tests? Should America convert to the metric system?