Persuasive essay - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Persuasive essay

Pre-AP ISlide2

persuasive ESSAY

The primary purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince readers to think the way that you do about a subject.

To accomplish this goal, you will have to establish a reasonable and thoughtful argument supporting a subject or a position you have strong feelings about.Slide3

Expository

vs

. Persuasive writing

The following chart shows the difference between expository and persuasive subjects.

Creatine

—typically bought in flavored powders and mixed with liquid—increases the body's ability to produce energy rapidly. With more energy, you can train harder and more often, producing faster results.

Subjects for an Expository Essay

Subjects for a Persuasive Essay

How

creatine

works as a diet supplement

High school athletes should avoid

creatine

.Slide4

Gathering details

#

1 Collect Information

#

2 Forming an Opinion Statement

…(This statement will be the thesis of your essay.)#3 Planning and Organizing your thoughts

list the main points that support your opinion.

Example

Opinion

statement: High school athletes should not use

creatine

.

Main Supporting Points: 1: “Loading up” on

creatine

is unnatural.

2. Harmful side effects are possible.

3. It isn’t used wisely.Slide5

Start off strong

In a persuasive essay, you may want to lead off with your

most significant argument to get your reader’s attention

. Or you may want to

save your best argument for last

to solidify your opinion. Slide6

Thinking through an argument

Stating an Opinion: A reasonable and logical opinion statement is at the core of an effective persuasive essay.

Opinion statements fall into

three main categories

: statements of fact, statements of value, and statements of policy.

Statement of fact

: claim that something is true or not true.

Athletes who take supplemental

creatine

can weight-train longer and harder than athletes who rely on natural sources of the nutrient.

Statements

of value

: claim that something does or does not have worth.

In

the long run,

creatine

really isn’t worth the risk to athletes’ health.

Statements of policy

: claim that something should or should not be done.

Adults responsible

for young athletes should forbid the use of

creatine

.Slide7

Using qualifiers

Qualifiers are terms that make an opinion easier to support. Note the difference between the two opinions below:

Creatine

makes athletes stronger, but it won’t make them better.

Creatine

may make athletes stronger, but it won’t

necessarily

make them better.

“May” and “necessarily” qualify the above opinion statement, changing it from an all-or-nothing claim to one the can more effectively be defended. Here are some other useful qualifiers:

Almost usually maybe probably

often some most in most cases

if….then… likely many frequentlySlide8

Adding Support

Support your opinion with effective evidence. The more types of convincing evidence you offer, the stronger your argument will be. Here are different types of evidence you might use:

Statistics

This magazine also states that nearly 200 million children under age five-

40 percent of all children this age – lack sufficient nutrition.

Predictions

This condition

will surely affect the intellectual development of a particular country.

Observation

Samantha appears quiet

and withdrawn when math starts.

Expert testimony

Dr. Michael

Colgan

, a clinical nutritionist, states, “Taken in doses of more than 25 grams per day,

creatine

can crucify your kidneys…”

Comparison

To

understand cerebral thrombosis (a type of stroke), one must imagine a highway, not a large highway, but a busy one.

Experience

Although these cases are rare, a local high

school football player was taken to the hospital for dehydration due to the use of the “power powder.”

Analysis

Realizing their own potential and building on their strong points have helped them

overcome their disabilities, even enabling them to be examples for the rest of us.Slide9

Making concessions

When you make a concession, you identify other valid opinions about your subject. Making a concession often makes your overall argument more convincing. Note the following concession made by a student writer:

I realize that

you are worried about our safety, but there are dangers in nearly all things, including driving cars and playing sports.

The phrase, “I realize that” introduces this concession in a way that shows respect for the other side of the argument. Here are some other useful expressions for making concessions:

Even though I agree that I cannot argue with

While it is true that admittedly granted

I will admit you’re right I accept the factSlide10
Slide11

Creatine

Crazy

Walk into almost any fitness club today, and you will find someone who is taking

creatine

, a training supplement that has become popular with athletes from high school on up. For the last decade, athletes around the world have been taking it to gain muscle mass. If athletes work out regularly, follow a good diet, and take

creatine, they’ll get results. But are bigger muscles worth it? For high school athletes, the answer is no because creatine presents too many risks.

One of the many concerns with high school athletes is the overload

creatine

use creates. To help build muscles, the body actually produces

creatine

naturally- at the rate of 2 to 3 grams a day. The problem is that athletes who take supplemental

creatine

start with a loading-up phrase, taking 20 to 25 grams a day for a week. They then follow with an eight-week cycle of 5 grams a day. In other words, athletes on the supplement start by taking more than seven times the natural daily amount before dropping down to twice the daily amount.

In the short term,

creatine

use may be more harmful than people believe. The side effects may include diarrhea, dehydration, nausea, cramping, bloating, muscle strains, and increased blood pressure. While these effects are rare, at least one local high school football player was taken to the hospital for dehydration from using

creatine

, or “power powder” as it is often called.Slide12

Doctors are even more concerned about possible long term problems. As Dr. Michael

Colgan

, a clinical nutritionist, states in

Today’s Health

magazine, “Taken in doses of more than 25 grams per day,

creatine can crucify [torture] your kidneys, and there’s also evidence that it can contribute to muscle cramping and the tearing of connective tissues” (67). Experts worry about the kidneys having to filter all that extra creatine, and some believe that the body might actually stop producing creatine

naturally.

Even with these possible harmful effects, more and more high school athletes are using

creatine

. Why? They feel pressure to become bigger, stronger, and faster. George Hurley, a football coach from Newbury Park High in California, said in recent interview in

Sportz

magazine, “Kids come to the conclusion that if the guy next to me in the weight room is doing

creatine

and I’m not doing it, he is ahead of me” (117). The result is that teen athletes believe they must take

creatine

to compete in high school sports, and to have any chance of competing at the next level.

Given the pressure, few young athletes (or parents) take time to weight the pros and cons of their decision about

creatine

. They fail to consider that very few high school athletes go on to play in college and only a tiny minority of those will play professionally. They don’t understand that they are risking a lifetime of health problems for a short term gamble at the big leagues. They don’t listen to the cautions that come their way. For example, the National Federation of High School Sports Medicine has stated in its NFSM Journal that “school personnel and coaches should not dispense any drug, medication, or food supplement except with extreme caution” (42).Slide13

Adults responsible for young athletes should not promote the use of

creatine

in their schools.

Today, teenage athletes are under a lot of stress. There is way too much emphasis placed on performing well in a society that seems to eat, sleep, and breathe sports. Coaches, administrators, and parents should de-emphasize winning at all costs and keep teens away from supplements like

creatine, at least until more is known about them. Young athletes should be encouraged to rely on their natural talents and strength so that sports are fair and safe for everybody. Creatine may make athletes stronger, but it won’t necessarily make them better, and in the long run, it really isn’t worth the risk.Slide14

Assessment rubric

The

writing…

Focuses on a statement of opinion about

a timely subject

Contains a specific facts and details to support the opinion

Maintains a clear, consistent stand from start to finish

Persuasive

Elements

Student uses specific rhetorical elements intentionally that

effectively strengthen

the argument. Contains one or zero fallacies. Arguments are logical and developed through sources.

Counterargument

Student presents an effective counterargument that strongly contributes to the overall success of the essay.

Analysis/Supporting Details/Organization

Strong thesis. Specific, developed analysis and insightful observations.

Maintains focus on topic/subject throughout response.

Organization develops and thoroughly assists argument.

Conventions

No spelling/usage errors present. Student utilizes varied sentence styles and transitions to create a well-written essay that flows.

Formatting

Student follows all MLA citation and formatting guidelines.Slide15

MLA FORMATTING

One Author: With Author in Text

According to Winchester, no English dictionary existed at the time Shakespeare wrote his plays (80).

Without author in Text

No

English dictionary existed at the time Shakespeare wrote his plays (Winchester 80)/

Anonymous Work

When there is no author listed, give the title or a shortened version of the title as it appears in the works cited section. No page numbers are needed for single page articles or

nonprint

sources.

The information Place Almanac states that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person’s total exposure to lead (572).Slide16

MLA FORMATTING CONT.

Indirect Source

If you cite an indirect source – someone’s remarks published second hand – give the abbreviation

qtd

. in (quoted in) before the indirect source in your reference.

Desmond Tutu, speaking of the struggle against South African apartheid, said, “Our cause is just and noble. That is why it will prevail and bring victory to us” (

qtd

. In

duBoulay

223).Slide17

Works-

cITED

LIST: OVERVIEW

The works-cited section lists all of the sources you have cited in your paper. It does not include sources you may have read but did not cite in your paper. The work cited list follows the format below.

The work-cited should be the page after your essay. The title should be centered and the title should be

Works CitedEntries begin each entry flush with the left margin. If the entry runs more than one line, indent additional lines five spaces.

Double-space between all lines on the page of works cited

Single-space between words and after punctuation marks in a works-cited entry.

List each entry alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there is no author, use the first word of the title. (Disregard A, An, The)Slide18

Works cited outline

Format for a periodical entry

Author’s last name, First name. “Article.”

Periodical Title

date: page nos.

Frank, Large. “A Stranger Among Us.” New York Post 11 May 2014: 14-16.

Format for an On-Line Entry

Author’s late name, First name. “Title.” Information on print version (if any).

Site title

. Date posted or last updated. Sponsor. Date accessed <Electronic address>.

Note: In web entries, if certain items are not available, go on to the next item.Slide19

WorkS-CITED CONT.

Web Site (Professional)

Title. Date. <

Url

>.

Article within a websiteLast Name, First Name. “Article.” Website title. Date. <

url

>.

On-Line Government Document

Government Title.

Document Ti

tle: Date <

url

>.