2013

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11th Grade Research

Persuasive Essays

You will research pros and cons of your topic and then make a decision on which stance you want to take.

You will then write a persuasive essay that will prove your stance with research evidence backing your opinion up.

What is a persuasive essay?

Persuasive writing, also known as an argument, is used to convince the reader of a writer’s argument(s) relating to a debatable issue. Persuasive writing involves convincing the reader to perform an action, or it may simply consist of an argument(s) convincing the reader of the writer’s point of view. Persuasive writing is one of the most used writing types in the world. Persuasive writers employ many techniques to improve their argument and show support for their claim.

Assignments *Due Dates Subject to Change

Topic Mar.25/26 Daily

Discussion Questions Mar.27/28 Daily

Phase 1 / Phase 2Apr. 2 Daily

Thesis Apr. Daily

Rant Apr. Daily  Outline Apr. Quiz

Rough Draft Apr. Test

Final Draft Apr. 2 Tests

Your Research report with attached MLA Works Cited and all other graded materials should be in a 9x12 Envelope. REMEMBER: Counts as 2 Test grades

IMPORTANT: Any student absent from class on any of the due dates will be expected to turn in the work missed and work due the day they return. Any student absent from class on the due date of the Research Report will be expected to have that final report and all other items reach Mrs. Encino by 4:00 on the due date—4/__ OR 4/__. NO LATE RESEARCH REPORTS WILL BE ACCEPTED! THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS!

mrsencino.weebly.com

Junior English Research Paper Contract DUE: 4/__ OR 4/__

I understand all the deadlines and requirements for my Research Report. I understand that failure to do so may very well result in my failure in Mrs. Encino’s class for the fourth nine weeks, and possibly even for the semester.

*If I do not return this signed form, Mrs. Encino does not have to accept any work for this project.

Printed Student Name:_____________________Period:__________Student signature:____________________________Date:__________Parent signature:_____________________________Date:__________

http://tinyurl.com/6rsa3y

Facts on FileUsername: franklinhs1Password: franklin1Issues and ControversiesDiscussion questions & Activities (bottom left

box)Click on topic link

*Bring money for prints* Have an email ready

Sample Phase 1

• SAMPLE Phase 1 Assignment• This is EXACTLY what your completed assignment should look like. Write,

and Copy/Paste all the required information you research today into a Word document and turn it in for 2 DAILY GRADES.

• Topic: Bottled Water• Preliminary Thesis: The issue: Is bottled water harmful to the

environment and a waste of consumers' money? Or does it present a convenient, healthy alternative to tap water?

• Positions:• Supporters of bottled water say: Bottled water is more convenient to drink than

tap water, especially when people are out of the house and do not have easy access to running water. Bottled water companies have recently made great strides in reducing the environmental impact of their products, and now contribute only minimally to industrial pollution each year.

• Critics of bottled water say: Bottled water is seldom cleaner or healthier than tap water. It is subject to less stringent regulations and not held to as high a standard as tap water. Additionally, millions of gallons of oil are required to package and ship bottled water each year, making it bad for the environment.

•  • My Position: I agree with the critics that bottled water is seldom cleaner or

healthier than tap water and is bad for the environment.•  

Source 1 continued

• Evidence:• Source 1• MLA Citation:  "Bottled Water."  Issues & Controversies On File  17 Oct. 2008. Issues &

Controversies.  Facts On File News Services.  5 Mar. 2009  <http://www.2facts.com>.• Notes/Support: (4 minimum)• Many experts agree that mineral, spring and artesian waters are not inherently different from or more

healthy than the water that comes out of most taps. In 2004, it was revealed that in the United Kingdom, the Coca Cola company had been adding the chemical bromate to its Dasani water during the purification process. Bromate is known to cause cancer when ingested in large amounts.

• Additionally, environmentalists have increasingly protested against bottled water, because the bottles used to package most brands of water are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which requires crude oil to manufacture. According to some estimates, the bottled water industry consumes around 17 million barrels of oil each year, in addition to all the gasoline that is required to ship the water to retailers. Also, according to environmentalists, empty water bottles are rarely recycled, which prevents the reuse of their materials and leads to the clogging of landfills.

• The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental group, asserts that, although the public's apprehension about the cleanliness of tap water has largely fueled bottled water sales, bottled water is subject to less stringent safety regulations and is more likely to be polluted than tap water. Indeed, the organization notes that about one-quarter of bottled water brands, including Coca-Cola's Dasani and PepsiCo's Aquafina, are merely bottled tap water. The NRDC notes that bottled water is not required by the FDA to be disinfected or tested for bacteria and viruses nearly as often as tap water is.

• Additionally, some critics note, fluoride, a chemical added to most U.S. tap water, is often absent from bottled water. Though toxic in high doses, fluoride has teeth-strengthening properties; small doses of fluoride are especially beneficial to children in this respect. Many sources of municipal water began adding fluoride to water in the 1950s. Some dentists have argued that families that use bottled water exclusively should try to find a brand that includes fluoride.

Source 2

Topic:My Position: write same one from source 1EvidenceSource 2Citation: Copy and paste the MLA citation

from the bottom of the articleNotes: 5 facts that support your position

Creating a thesis statement:

• A thesis statement is ONE sentence stating the specific idea or opinion being addressed in a paper or essay, and is usually located in the first paragraph. It gives focus to your writing, answers questions your paper may evoke, and reflects your clear analysis of a subject, which are elements your reader requires. (Yours will be last sentence of introduction paragraph)

• The role of a thesis statement is to support your research; consequently, it develops after you have conducted your initial research. Framing too specific a thesis statement before conducting preliminary research may weaken your paper's foundation. A thesis statement may also change after preliminary research has begun. However, be certain to have your teacher approve of your newly formulated thesis statement.

• Not every thesis is a statement of fact. Your opinion and views on a subject are very much infused into the thesis. For example, an English assignment asking if John Proctor was a good character in "The Crucible" can inspire different student statements.

• The thesis statement should be a clearly stated position or purpose that is specific, rather than general. Here are some examples.

Examples of rights and wrongs of a thesis:

• TOO GENERAL: • • "Weekends should be for relaxing, not working."• STILL TOO GENERAL: • • "Sundays are supposed to be for recreation and rest, and

stores and businesses should not be open."• SPECIFIC: • • "Americans should be spending Sundays in recreation, rest,

and restoration after a long work week; stores and businesses should not be open for the sake of the workers, as well as the consumers."

• To create a strong thesis statement, you should first have a good command of your collected research or notes. Create a list of related words or phrases from your research, or write your opinions and observations of a subject. This will help you connect ideas in a unique way, and perhaps reveal an idea you hadn't considered before. These are all essential tasks you should perform before you set down your thesis and fashion the body of your paper.

Facts vs. Opinions

FACTS Facts are statements that can be proved true

or false. Facts tell what actually happened. Facts tell what is happening now. Facts state something that can be easily

observed or verified.

• OPINIONS • Opinions are statements that cannot be

proved true or false because they express a person's thoughts, beliefs, feelings or estimates.

• Opinions express worth or value. • Opinions tell what should or should not be

thought or done. • Opinions are based on what seems true or

probable.

Examples of facts and opinions:

• Fact: In 2006, a constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration failed to pass in the Senate.

• Opinion: Prohibiting flag burning would compromise our principles far more than the action itself.

• • In this example, the opinion is a personal estimation of the relative impact of flag burning and a prohibition on flag burning, something that is not possible to accurately measure or prove.

• Fact: The First Amendment protects freedom

of speech.• Opinion: Many people interpret freedom of

speech to mean freedom of expression. Flag burning is a form of expression and should therefore not be banned.

• • In this example, the opinion states a personal belief that is open to debate.

More on facts…

• A fact is a statement that can be proved true or false,

and usually performs one of the following functions:• • Facts tell what happened. Example: "When the

U.S. Congress designated the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), it set aside a small coastal section to study its oil potential."

• • Facts tell what is happening now. Example: "The U.S. uses about 20 million barrels of oil a day."

• • Facts state something that can be easily observed or verified. Example: "Alaska is home to two national forests."

More on opinion…

• An opinion is a statement that cannot be proved true or false because it expresses a person's thoughts, beliefs, feelings or estimates. It usually performs one of the following functions:

• • Opinions express worth or value. Example: "ANWR is a national treasure."

• • Opinions say what should or should not be thought or done. Example: "Congress must open ANWR to oil and gas discovery operations."

• • Opinions predict that something will happen. Example: "Tapping into ANWR's oil will create hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the United States."

Evaluating more on facts and opinions

• • Ask if a statement can be proved true or false. If a statement can be proved true or false, it is a fact, if not, it is an opinion. Because opinions cannot be proved true or false, they must be evaluated in other ways.

• • Does the author support his or her opinions with facts and statistics? If not, you may want to quote the author if he or she says something in a memorable way, but make sure you support the opinion with facts.

• • Do the facts and statistics the author uses logically support his or her opinion? If not, the result is more likely to confuse the reader than to persuade. Make sure your own opinions are supported by facts.

• • Does the author's experience, affiliations or worldview influence his or her opinion? If the author is obligated to reach a specific conclusion on a given topic, he or she is less likely to consider facts that oppose that conclusion. You should seek additional information.

Mixing facts and opinions to persuade

• • Persuasive statements often contain both fact and opinion. Example: "Because U.S. reliance on foreign oil is increasing and U.S. oil production is declining, Congress must approve oil and gas exploration in ANWR." The statements about oil consumption and production can be proved, but the conclusion drawn from these two facts is the author's opinion.

• • Persuasive statements can be opinions disguised to look like facts. Example: "The world's scientists no longer doubt the fact that we are changing our atmosphere." It is almost impossible to prove anything about a group of people as large and diverse as "the world's scientists," but stating an opinion in definite terms can be persuasive. Paying close attention to the ways authors use fact and opinion will give you insight into the many ways, subtle and not so subtle, that they are trying to influence you.

Practice writing a thesis statement

Write a thesis statement (one sentence) for this prompt:

Convince your reader whether school uniforms should be mandatory in public schools.

BAD Examples

Weak Thesis Examples:Too broad: It is outrageous for students to be

forced to wear school uniforms.Too narrow: Students who are forced to wear

school uniforms have their creativity stifledOff topic: When kids grow up, they will have

bad memories of school.

Here is a GOOD, STRONG Example

School uniforms should not be mandatory in public schools because it would stifle students’ creativity, take away students’ rights, and cause students to lose interest in school.

More examples:

Weak: The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

Why is it considered weak? This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional

information. You will expand on this new information in the body of the essay, but it is important that the reader know where you are heading. A reader of this weak thesis might think, "What reasons? How are they the same? How are they different?" Ask yourself these same questions and begin to compare Northern and Southern attitudes (perhaps you first think, "The South believed slavery was right, and the North thought slavery was wrong"). Now, push your comparison toward an interpretation—why did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong? You look again at the evidence, and you decide that you are going to argue that the North believed slavery was immoral while the South believed it upheld the Southern way of life.

Better: While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

Why is it better, but not great yet?Included in this working thesis is a reason for the war

and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason. As you write the essay, you will probably begin to characterize these differences more precisely, and your working thesis may start to seem too vague. Maybe you decide that both sides fought for moral reasons, and that they just focused on different moral issues.

Strong: While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

Why is this thesis statement considered strong?Compare this to the original weak thesis. This final

thesis presents a way of interpreting evidence that illuminates the significance of the question. Keep in mind that this is one of many possible interpretations of the Civil War—it is not the one and only right answer to the question.

There isn't one right answer; there are only strong and weak thesis statements and strong and weak uses of evidence.

Now… write your own thesis statement for your topic!

Once you have completed your thesis statement go back over your notes and make sure you followed each step/rule. Check with Mrs. Encino or Mrs. Summers to make sure you have created a STRONG thesis!!