Writing a Persuasive Essay

1. Writing a Persuasive Essay

2. YES or NO? • In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR or AGAINST an issue • The writer writes to convince the reader to believe or do something.

3. Persuasive writing follows a particular format: • INTRODUCTION with hook and thesis statement • BODY where the argument is developed • CONCLUSION where main points are summarized and reviewed

4. The Introduction • This is your chance to introduce the topic and give brief background information about it. • You should start the first paragraph with a “hook” or “grabber” to catch the reader’s attention. • You will choose one or two of the following seven methods to include in your introduction.

5. Hook #1 • Opening with an unusual detail. • Did you know that a typical child needs 2,000 calories for an entire day and Burger King’s Whopper with triple cheese has 1,230 calories?

6. Hook #2 • Opening with a strong statement: • Fast food consumption has risen 500 percent since 1970 and today pervades nearly every segment of society, including some public school cafeterias.

7. Hook #3 • Opening with a Quotation: • University of Delaware professer Jayashree Pakhare states, “Advertising, including television ads, billboards, and other advertising, including toys in boxed meals, has had an effect upon children as never before. Children these days are growing up with low concern for their health and more concern for what tastes good.”

8. Hook #4 • Opening with an Anecdote. An anecdote can provide an amusing and attention-getting opening if it is short and to the point. • My hands felt sticky after pulling open the doors to “Big Bobby’s Boisterous Burger Hut”. The odor smelled of fried everything. I ordered a Big Bobby Combo #2. There was enough food to serve a small third world country on my tray. I nibbled at the ¾ pound burger and my chin was covered in a mayonnaise and ketchup concoction. I asked the server if I could have a few fries with my salt. I left the place feeling like my stomach was mad at me.

9. Hook #5 • Open with a Statistic or Fact • Thirty percent of the children in the survey ate fast food on any given day during the survey, and they ate an average of 187 calories a day more than those who did not eat fast food. These additional calories could account for an extra six pounds of weight gain per year, according to Ludwig.

10. Hook #6 • How many times have you eaten fast food this month?

11. Hook #7 • Opening with an Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement. • Fast food is killing America!

12. Remembering the Hooks or Grabbers • Unusual detail • Strong statement • Quotation • Anecdote • Statistic or Fact • Question • Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement

13. Try this… • Under • Some • Quilts • Are • Surprisingly • Quick • Elephants

14. The Thesis Statement • At the end of the first paragraph, you will need a thesis statement. • It says to the reader: • “I’ve thought about this topic, I know what I believe about it, and I know how to organize it.”

15. Creating a Thesis Statement • Choose 3 main focus points to discuss in your essay. These points will become the focus of three paragraphs in the body. Let’s use fast food as an example again. Fast food… • rapidly increases weight • causes high blood pressure • leads to lethargy

16. Writing the Thesis Statement • Now take your three main focus points and summarize them. Put your completed thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph. • THREE MAIN FOCUS POINTS • I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to lethargy. • COMPLETED THESIS STATEMENT • I believe fast food has negative health effects.

17. The Body • The body of the essay is where you develop your three main focus points of your thesis. • We will look at six different ways to develop the body of your essay. The example, again, will be the effects of fast food.

18. Generating Hypothetical Instances • Start by using “Suppose that…” or “What if…” along with your first focus point. • I will use the first point from my thesis • I believe fast food is harmful because itrapidlyincreases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to lethargy.

19. Hypothetical • Suppose that you ate just one meal from a fast food restaurant a week. Typically, you would consume around 1,500 calories at that meal. Your daily intake may be 2,500 calories if you include all three meals. That’s 500 more calories than you need. You may gain ½ a pound a week, which would be 2 pounds a month. Your weight would rapidly increase.

20. Clarifying a Position • This is where you need to think about what needs to be explained. Do students need to know the facts about your issue to make a judgment? • I will use the next focus point to clarify • I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to lethargy.

21. Clarifying • Do you know what high blood pressure is and what it does to your body. Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure). If you consume foods high in cholesterol, the cholesterol clings to your arteries and builds up over time. This raises your blood pressure and forces your heart to work harder to pump the blood through your veins.

22. Thinking Through a Process • This is where you take someone through each step of the problem. • I will use my third focus point for this. • I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to lethargy.

23. Think Through the Process • Eating fast food can also lead to lethargy, or extreme tiredness. When you eat foods that are high in fat and low in protein, you tend to have less energy. People eat fast food, feel tired, and end up sitting on the couch doing nothing. Then they decide that they don’t want to make dinner the next night because it takes energy. The easiest solution is to get fast food again. They end up feeling even more lethargic and the dangerous cycle continues.

24. Drawing Comparisons • This is where you choose something similar or an alternative to your topic. • I will use the lethargy example again.

25. Drawing Comparisons • Increased fat content in fast food leads to lethargy. There are alternatives to the typical fast food. Let’s compare typical fast food meals (burger and fries) to a meal higher in proteins and vitamins.

26. Comparison

27. Making an Analysis • You can make an analysis by looking at all the parts to help the reader understand. Break down all elements of your topic. • Fast food for example could be analyzed by looking at how each type of food contributes to high blood pressure.

28. Drawing an analogy • This is where you identify significant likenesses between two objects or ideas when otherwise they are quite different. • I will use the lethargy point for this.

29. Analogy • The food you eat is a lot like the fuel or oil you put in your car. A car that has clean fuel and an oil change runs smoothly and efficiently. Race cars use only the best fuel and oil to perform at top speeds. Cars that aren’t tuned-up, haven’t had an oil change, and use poor fuel, struggle to make it down the road. Your body is the same way. Feed it the energy it needs and stay away from excess fat and cholesterol and you will perform at your greatest. Feed it fast food high in fat content and it slows to a stop. Do you want to be a race car or a clunker that will end up in the mechanics hands.

30. The Other Side of the Story • This is where you should explain why your opposition believes what they believe. • For example, a fast food company would be furious with me presenting you this information. They would have lots of reasons why fast food is good. They may say…

31. Fast food is… • FAST! • Convenient • Tastes great! • Offers lots of choices • Eaten on the go! • For the whole family!

32. Last paragraph of body • State what the claims are of your opponent. • Dispute as many as you can! • Win the fight by stating what you know is right.

33. Conclusion • Restate your thesis. • End with… • A comment (Don’t make your body suffer!) • A question (Are you willing to risk your health?) • A call to action (I highly recommend you consider your options the next time your faced with a decision about what to eat.)