Writing Benchmark 2
Persuasive Writing ~ Guided Teaching Lessons
Persuasive writing aims to convince others to agree with the writer’s opinion or position. We all learn the skill of persuasion early as children learn to persuade their parents when they want a later bedtime or a larger allowance, and students persuade their teacher to extend recess or plan a field trip. Persuasive writing is how thoughtful citizens communicate to their community, local school board, city council and government representatives what they are thinking and what they believe should be done. Persuasive writing is an important tool to influence decisions in the classroom, in school, in the larger community and beyond. Letters to the editor and persuasive essays can bring about changes.
5th Writing Application Standard 2.4
Write Persuasive Letters or Compositions: a. State a clear position in support of a proposal. b. Support a position with relevant evidence. c. Follow a simple organizational pattern. d. Address reader concerns.
Steps for Writing a Persuasive Essay
(a) In persuasive writing, the writer expresses his or her opinion as a clear position on the topic or proposal. This is the thesis of the essay. For example, “Our schools need art classes even in times of budget cuts.” “Bike lanes will make Vacaville safer, healthier, and greener.” (b)The writer must back up the position with 2-3 solid reasons presented in the topic sentence of body paragraphs. (c) In turn, each reason must be supported with relevant evidence, (facts, examples, quotes from experts and interviews, etc.) to make the reasons believable. (d) Writers arrange the reasons following a simple organizational pattern, such as from least to most important, to have the biggest impact on the reader. (e) A good persuasive writer will recognize reader concerns and offer possible solutions (also called counter arguments). (f) Finally, the persuasive