November 14th-19th

THE (PERSUASIVE) ESSAY: INTRODUCTION AND BODY

November 14th-19th

THE ESSAY

The thesis statement formula will help you write your essay too:
Topic/Opinion + 3 Reasons = Thesis Statement
Because Your 3 Reasons (expanded) = 3 Body Paragraphs Body Paragraph 1+ Body Paragraph 2 + Body Paragraph 3

The Five Paragraph Essay

1
Introduction Include thesis statement at the end of the introduction Body Paragraph 1 Corresponds with the first reason in your thesis statement

Body Paragraph 2 Corresponds with the second reason in your thesis statement
Body Paragraph 3 Corresponds with the third reason in your thesis statement Conclusion Re-iterate main points

Planning the introductionP.1. Example: Katie and Jessica

Topic: winter vs. summer Hook: get the reader thinking about snow days,

hot chocolate, Christmas presents, getting to see family Opinion: winter is better than summer Three reasons: no bugs, snow days, Christmas Thesis: winter is better than summer because there are no bugs to carry us away, we get at least one week of school cancellations, and best of all, we get to celebrate Christmas.

Planning the body

Body Paragraph 1: no bugs no itchy bug bites no mosquitoes when you are trying to sleep no wasps or bees to sting you Body Paragraph 2: Snow days get to sleep in day off to relax can finish up homework that did not get done the night before Body Paragraph 3: Christmas presents family food

Good types of support to include in your body paragraphs:

Anecdotes (personal stories) Examples (short stories about others i.e. news stories, characters from books or movies) Facts and statistics Information from experts (quotes, summaries, etc) ****if you do get specific information from somewhere: book, internet, etc. Keep track of

where you get it from. You will need to give that person credit (more on this later)

Planning the conclusion...we will come back to this next week

Recap three reasons : no bugs, snow days,

Christmas Make sure the reader is aware of the so what factor...why should they care?

Task 5: (on your own) this goes in the under construction folder or section of your binder
1. Choose a topic from the following list:
Agree or Disagree:
A. B. C. D. E. F.

Alcohol is a dangerous drug. Living in a small town is better than living in a big city. Teenagers should be allowed to drop out of high school. Addictions are everyones problem. Parents are the most influential people in a teenagers life. The best way to stop a bully is to stand up to him/her.

2. Write a thesis statement for your topic 3. Plan out your essay (using the template or a graphic organizer of your choice)

Some other ways to organize your thoughts:

Or:

Introduction
The point of the introduction is to attract the

reader's attention , give them an idea of the essay's focus, and state your position. Begin with an attention grabber (sometimes called a hook), add a couple more sentences if needed, and end it with your thesis. You should always revisit your introduction after finishing your essay as it may need to be changed a bit (some people even prefer to write it last)

Introduction Dos:
Begin with one of the following: Interesting or summary information a few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can lead the reader gently to your thesis. Anecdotea story that illustrates a point. Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point, and relevant to your topic. Quote from an expertbut be sure to explain how it relates to your thesis.

It is a good idea to present the other side of the issue

before stating why your position is better REMINDERS: If the attention grabber is only a sentence or two, add one or two more sentences that will lead the reader from your opening to your thesis statement. Finish the paragraph with your thesis statement.
Adapted from http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/intro.html

Introduction Don'ts:
Remember the point of the introduction is to attract the reader's attention, give them an idea of the essay's focus, and state your position. Be careful not to make these common mistakes: Introducing too much background or factual information. Making it too long. For this assignment, a paragraph is all you need. Starting your introduction with a dictionary definition (uninteresting) or a grand generalization (i.e. since the beginning of time...also uninteresting).

Example for why body checking should not be allowed in hockey:

Body-checking has always been a controversial issue. However, the recent decision of Hockey Canada to allow some hockey associations to permit body-checking among players as young as nine years of age, on an experimental basis, has caused some controversy in recent months. Transition Perspectives fall into three main categories: viewpoints of fans, the official standpoint of Hockey Canada, and positions held by the scientific community. Evaluation of the main arguments shows quite clearly that Hockey Canadas decision Thesis to allow body-checking in some junior games, even on an experimental basis, is a serious mistake as it leads to injuries, violence, and even depression among players.
Hook
Adaptedfromwww.yorku.ca/rkenedy/.../how_to_write_an_introduction.ppt

Task 6: (this goes in the under construction folder or section of your binder)

Write an introduction for your essay

Be sure to keep in mind the dos and donts discussed in class

Body
Anecdotes (personal stories) Examples (short stories about others i.e. news

stories, characters from books or movies) Facts and statistics Information from experts (quotes, summaries, etc) ****if you do get specific information from somewhere: book, internet, etc. Keep track of where you get it from. You will need to give that person credit (more on this later)

Writing Patterns
See Writing Pattern Handout

Task 7: (this goes in the under construction folder or section of your binder)

Begin writing the body of your essay

Keep in mind the writing patterns we discussed in class

You should have two body paragraphs by the

end of the week

Common Transition Words

See Common Transitions Handout

The week in review...

You reviewed the format of the five

paragraph essay You chose a topic for your essay project, planned it out and wrote a thesis for it You learned strategies to help you write an effective introduction and drafted your own introduction You learned strategies to help you write effective body paragraphs and wrote at least two of your own

You should have the following in the under construction folder or section of your binder
Task 5: Your essay outline and thesis Task 6: Your introduction Task 7: A minimum of two body paragraphs