Writing Persuasive Essays

How to write thesis statements, identify and communicate assertions, and develop clear and

convincing conclusions...

Do Now:

Take out your assignment sheet for the upcoming writing assessment due Tuesday 10/13. Please present any questions you may have.

Writing Lessons Agenda: 10/6 - 10/7

By the end of Wednesday, we will have learned the following skills…

1)How to write effective thesis statements

2)How to identify logical assertions

3)How to substantiate assertions with proper evidence and analysis

4)How to develop clear and convincing conclusions

Thesis Statements

What is a thesis statement?

- Every paper you write should have a main point, a main idea, or central message. The argument(s) you make in your paper should reflect this main idea. The sentence that captures your position on this main idea is what we call a thesis statement.

How long does it need to be?

- A thesis statement focuses your ideas into one or two sentences. It should present the topic of your paper and also make a comment about your position in relation to the topic. Your thesis statement should tell your reader what the paper is about and also help guide your writing and keep your argument focused.

Argumentative Thesis Statements

- An argumentative paper takes a position or makes an assertion or a claim and supports or justifies the position, assertion, or claim with reasons and evidence.

- An argumentative paper seeks to convince the reader that your position, assertion or claim is true.

- An argumentative thesis tells your reader what your argument is and what supporting evidence or reasons you will present.

Thesis Statements

Where is your thesis statement?

You should provide a thesis early in your essay -- at the end of the introductory paragraph- in order to establish your position and give your reader a sense of direction.

Tip: In order to write a successful thesis statement:

Avoid burying a great thesis statement in the middle of a paragraph or late in the paper (the thesis statement should be the final sentence of the introductory paragraph)

Be as clear and as specific as possible; avoid vague words.

Indicate the point of your paper but avoid sentence structures like, “The point of my paper is…”

Do Now:

In order to address the question and formulate a thesis statement, please answer the following questions:

1)Are there more themes similar or dissimilar between the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Story of the Flood?

2)What themes can you identify? (locate 5)

3)What themes can be best supported through evidence and analysis?

Possible Themes

- Love and Friendship

- Death

- The hero's Journey or Quest

- The Wrath of the god(s)

- Gateways

- Responsibility

Thesis Statements and Assertions

What is an assertion?

- Assertions should provide specific rationale (reason why) your thesis statement is valid.

- You should identify three (3) assertions (or reasons why) and include them in your thesis statement.

EXAMPLE: This paper will prove that students who complete homework assignments consistently have better study habits, perform better on tests, and participate more often in class discussions.

Topic Sentences

This paper will prove that students who complete homework assignments consistently have better study habits, perform better on tests, and participate more often in class discussions.

Assertion 1: students who complete homework assignments consistently have better study habits

Topic Sentence: First, studies show that students who complete homework assignments on time develop better study habits than their peers who do not turn in assignments on a consistent basis.

Body Paragraphs

1. Assertion: This is also sometimes called a topic sentence. This will be your way

of announcing the main focus of your paragraph; it should tell the reader what

your paragraph will be about.

2. Evidence: This is how you support, or back up, your claims. The evidence will

help to "prove" each claim to the reader.

3. Analysis/Concluding Observation: Your analysis or concluding observation is

your way of "wrapping up" the information presented in your paragraph. It should

explain why the evidence supports your claim and why this supports the main

thesis in your paper.

Conclusions

It is important to have a strong conclusion, since this is the last chance you have to

make an impression on your reader. The goal of your conclusion isn’t to introduce

any new assertions, but to sum up everything you’ve written. Specifically, your

conclusion should accomplish three major goals:

Restate the main idea of your essay, or your thesis statement

Summarize the three assertions (topics) of your essay

Leave the reader with an interesting final impression