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Learning Experience/Unit

Persuasion by St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES


Course, Subject

English Language Arts (9-12), Math, Science & Technology, English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core)

Grade Levels

Commencement, 12th Grade


Learning Context/ Introduction

Students need to understand and implement the components of a successful persuasive paper as required by College Now guidelines for the concurrent English 12 and EN 111 courses.  After instruction on what constitutes an effective argument using ethos, logos, and pathos, and avoiding fallacies, students will select a topic and brainstorm pros and cons for their essay. To aid in this topic selection and brainstorming process, students will research information using the International Debate Education Association (idebate) site.

Once they have chosen a topic from the Complete Topic Index of the idebate site, they will evaluate the pros and cons according to teacher guidelines established during instruction. These include judging a pro or con to be sufficient, distinct and valid. Students will integrate the pro or con, depending on their stand on the issue, into a body paragraph. Writing this initial paragraph in the TEA format(topic sentence, evidence, analysis) will aid in writing the successive paragraphs in completing the persuasive essay.  The paragraph must include an in-text citation and a works cited according to current MLA guidelines.

Essential Question

What does an effective persuasive body paragraph look like incorporating a pro or con?

Duration

Two 45-minute class periods. One class period to research and evaluate; one period to write.

Procedure

  • Using the LCD in the computer lab, the teacher will introduce the International Debate Education Associate (idebate) site and show how to navigate the topic list from the home site for access to pros and cons
  • Students will choose a topic and read the pros and cons from the Complete Topic Index (Section C) of the site.
  • Students will evaluate the pros/cons avoiding fallacies and considering the value of each in ethos, logos, and pathos according to guidelines established from teacher instruction written down in students' notes.
  • Students will select one effective pro or con to write one body paragraph as the first step in composing the longer essay with multiple paragraphs.
  • Students will compose a topic sentence and incorporate the pro or con in composing the first body paragraph and concluding with an analysis, clincher sentence.
  • To document the research (for in-text citation and works cited) students will access https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/for current MLA style.
  • Persuasive writing topics.doc

Vocabulary

fallacy, logos, ethos, pathos, topic sentence, analysis,

Assessment

  • Student will compose a body paragraph with a minimum of 70% accuracy according to the rubric for persuasive writing (See attached).
  • Student will use current MLA documentation style guidelines to cite the source.
  • persuasive paragraph rubric.doc

Student Work

Students will produce a coherent body paragraph of at least 75 words with a topic sentence and using information (one pro or con) from the idebate site; concluding the paragraph with an analysis statement (TEA format).

  • High range.pdf
  • average range.pdf
  • Low range.pdf

    • Related Resource

    Instructional/Environment Modifications

    None

    Reflections and Feedback

    My students loved using the idebate site. There was a wide variety of topics to choose from when this stage of the writing process can be particularly difficult. Evaluating the pros and cons for the respective topics generated lots of discussion and some real critical thinking. This was the first year I have used this site and I will continue to use it each and every year.


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