Persuasive Essay 'Flowers For Algernon'

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Write a Persuasive Essay You have been asked to write a persuasive essay about “Flowers for Algernon.” You must take a position or make a claim about whether or not you believe Charlie should have had the operation and then you must persuade your reader to agree with you. You will not be judged on your opinion but rather on how well you persuade your reader to agree with your opinion. Officially, your opinion will be your thesis statement Another way to look at this assignment is that you are being asked to make a claim and provide evidence for that claim.

For this assignment we are going to go through the following process:
1. Outlining/Brainstorming
2. Drafting, paragraph by paragraph
3. Re­reading and revising

PART 1: OUTLINING/BRAINSTORMING STEP 1: DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK.
Do you think Charlie was right to have the operation? Consider what you read in the story as well as your own experiences.
Check the box next to the point of view you will support in your essay. Or write your own opinion in the space provided.

❑
Charlie was RIGHT to have the operation

❑ Charlie was WRONG to have the operation

STEP 2: FIND YOUR SUPPORT.
What are your reasons for your opinion?

1.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Specific quotation from the story that supports this reason:

Note page number here, so you can easily include it in your essay: p.__________________

2.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Specific quotation from the story that supports this reason:

Note page number here, so you can easily include it in your essay: p.__________________

3.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Specific quotation from the story that supports this reason:

Note page number here, so you can easily include it in your essay: p.__________________

STEP 3: CRAFT YOUR THESIS/MAKE YOUR CLAIM:
The thesis statement is where you tell readers what the essay is going to be about. This is your CLAIM for which you will provide evidence in the body paragraphs of your essay. It should be a clear, strong statement of the opinion you stated in Step 1. The rest of your essay should support your thesis:

Your Thesis (or CLAIM):

STEP 4: WRITE YOUR HOOK.
The very beginning of your essay is called the hook because it "hooks" your readers'
attention.
The hook should relate to the topic of your essay, but it can take many forms. It can be an anecdote (very short story), a fact, a quote, or a rhetorical question (a question to which you don't expect an answer). Here are three ideas for hooks that could work for this topic.

Choose one of the ideas below, or use your own idea and write a hook on the lines provided
(1­3 sentences).

ANECDOTE: Describe a story about intelligence or some other topic related to this essay. For example, you could talk about a person in school who is developmentally delayed or about someone you know who is very intelligent for that matter, so long as it has some connection to your opinion about Charlie. SURPRISING FACT: Find a fact that will raise your readers' eyebrows. You could also do some research and find a surprising fact about people with developmental delays or Down Syndrome that is not included in the story. RHETORICAL QUESTION: Ask a question about whether or not people with developmental delays should have the same rights as people without them, or whether or not IQ levels are necessarily all that important.

Your
hook:

STEP 5: SUMMARIZE THE ISSUE.
Let readers know a little about the story and issue you will be writing about. This is not your point of view, it's just a very brief summary of the issue and the story—in this case, the story “Flowers for Algernon” and the fact that Charlie decided to have an operation to triple his intelligence. Be sure to include a T.A.G. statement here.

Your summary of the story and the issue:

PART TWO: DRAFTING, PARAGRAPH BY PARAGRAPH Directions:
Follow the guidelines below to write a strong essay on whether or not Charlie was right to have the operation to triple his intelligence.

INTRODUCTION
● Open with your hook from Step 4, above.
● Write a transition sentence that relates your hook to the question of whether or not Charlie should have had the operation. (See the handout "Great Transitions" for some ways to link your ideas.)
● Write your summary of the issue from Step 5.
● Finish with your thesis from Step 3.

3 BODY PARAGRAPHS

Here's where you write your reasons from Step 2. For each reason you listed, you will write a body paragraph. As always with any paragraph you will begin with a topic sentence, then add specific details from the story (including at least one quotation from the story) that provide additional details, and finally include a concluding sentence for each paragraph. Order your body paragraphs from the weakest to the strongest reason. Readers tend to remember best the details that are presented last. One way to think of this is to follow the TIGER pattern:

T opic sentence that states the reason you believe Charlie was right or wrong to have the operation.
I
nformation given to explain and show the reason. This is very specific text­based details (TBD) to support your opinion.
G
ive a quotation (it does not need to be from dialogue) from the text that shows your topic and be sure to give the page
number.
E xplain the quotation and how it relates to the reason you think Charlie was or was not right to have the operation. (This is a very important step that may NOT overlook!)

R estate in the concluding or clincher sentence what you proved in the paragraph. Start with a transition that signals the paragraphs’ end. (Check out the
GREAT TRANSITIONS handout for ideas!)

CONCLUSION

Now you need to summarize the evidence you have provided for your claim. ● Write a topic sentence which reminds your reader of your central thesis (or claim).
● Then use 2­3 sentences to remind your readers of your main points. ● For a strong final sentence, try addressing your readers directly. Ask a question, or encourage your readers to think about something or do something. Often essay writers return to the same anecdote, surprising fact, or rhetorical question they addressed in the introduction.

PART THREE: RE­READ AND REVISE: First, use the Essay Checklist to evaluate and edit what you have written. My very favorite way to revise is to read my essay aloud to someone else. This allows me to hear confusing sentences that may need revision or to see where my logic breaks
down. Another good method is to share your essay with a classmate and use the list to check each other's essays. In the margins of the essay you are checking, make notes about any thing that needs to be revised. You can make a note by hitting
CTRL+ALT+M at the same time.

Great Transitions

Transitions are like bridges between your ideas—they help your readers move from one idea to the next. Here are some transition words and phrases you may wish to use in your essay. Keep in mind that they can be used at the beginning of a sentence or within a sentence.

If you are adding information or showing similarity between ideas: • additionally
• besides
• so, too
• first of all/secondly,thirdly
• in addition
• also
• likewise
• to begin with
• as well as
• another
• furthermore
• moreover If you are showing that something is an example of what you just stated: • for example
• this can be seen
• to illustrate
• for instance
• specifically
• namely

If you want to show cause and effect: • as a result
• consequently
• so
• it follows that • therefore • eventually

If you want to add emphasis: • in fact • of course • truly • even • indeed If you want to summarize or conclude: • after all
• all in all
• briefly • in brief
• in conclusion
•
on the whole
•
in short
•
in summary
• to sum up
•
to summarize
•
finally
•
all things considered Another great idea! ● There are many websites with additional transition words.
● Try googling “Transition Words” and find a website that you like.

Opinion­Essay Checklist Directions:
Use this guide to check your own essay. My very favorite way to revise is to read my essay aloud to someone else. This allows me to hear confusing sentences that may need revision or to see where my logic breaks down. Another good method is to exchange papers with a classmate and use the list to check each other's essays. In the margins of the essay you are checking, make notes about any thing that needs to be revised.

Introduction ✓ Does the first sentence grab readers' attention?
✓ Does the first paragraph provide a general overview of the topic the essay is about?
✓ Does the first paragraph include a thesis statement that strongly and clearly states the writer's point of view? Does the thesis clue readers in as to what the essay is going to be about? Body Paragraphs ✓ Does each body paragraph address one reason to support the thesis?
✓ Does each body paragraph provide details to further explain the reason addressed in that body paragraph?
✓ Does each body paragraph give a specific quotation from the story, correctly cited, to further support the reason?
✓ Does each body paragraph have a clear explanation of how the quotation relates to and helps explain, prove, or document the claim?
✓ Does each body paragraph finish with a concluding sentence that sums up the reason? Conclusion ✓ Does the last paragraph remind readers of all of the main points of the essay, without going into too much detail and repeating everything readers just read?
✓ Is the conclusion free of any new information (like another supporting point)?
✓ Does the last sentence leave readers with a strong final impression? General ✓ Does one idea flow smoothly to the next?
✓ Do the sentence structures and lengths vary?
✓ Does every sentence relate to the thesis or claim?
✓ Does everything make sense?
✓ Is the essay convincing?
✓ Are the grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct?
● Did use the find and replace function to check on commonly misspelled homonyms: ○ could (should, would) HAVE (not of)
○ your/you’re
○ their/their/they’re
○ its/it’s
○ the dreaded lower­case i!!!! (Never, ever, let this one go!)