Persuade & Debate

A 5th Grade Persuasive Writing Project

What’s a Proposition?

A proposition is a statement. In this persuasive writing project you will be assigned a position either for or against a specific proposition.

For example, if you are assigned to be against the proposition that “Dogs are better than cats.” Then you would be arguing that the proposition is wrong and that cats are actually better than dogs.

If you are assigned to be for the proposition that “Dogs are better than cats” then you would be arguing that the proposition is right and that dogs are actually better than cats.

Propositions

1. Zoos do more harm than good.2. Medical testing on animals does

more harm than good.3. The United States of America

should rely on alternative energy sources instead of fossil fuels

4. Television is a bad influence on children

5. Schools should ban junk food6. It is unethical to eat meat

Once you have your proposition you’re ready to write your Thesis Statement. This is basically 1-2 sentences stating your position.

Setting the Stage

What should we see in a good persuasive essay?

To write a good persuasive essay, you need to. . .

Step 1: Study both sides of an issue The first thing you need to do is a little

research so that you understand an issue. Make sure to use reliable references:

Who wrote it? Why did they write it? Is it supported by facts & evidence? Does it come from a reputable organization?

.edu & .gov = reputable .org = usually reputable, but could have an agenda .com = sometimes reputable, but be careful

Once you understand an issue you can come up with arguments to support your position.

How to take Notes

Research Writing

Organizing notes for research

Label your notes with the specific date and class in which the research is being conducted

Create a heading that explains your topic. Note that it is not the topic that you are researching that should go here, but an aspect of your topic that the notes you are recording are specifically about (i.e., battles of WWII, foreign policies of President Obama, state bird of Texas)

Think of specific questions that you have before you research to guide you in your searching. (i.e., Which battles of WWII had the most civilian casualties? What effect do uniforms have on student performance on tests? Where kind of climate does the Texas state bird prefer for living conditions? )

How to record information Only copy necessary information to your subtopic in your notes.

Necessary information are details that pertain to the purpose of your writing. For example, if your goal for writing a research paper on World War II is to show the unification of the allied forces, then notes on Germany’s specific alliances and war tactics may not be as relevant. Fight the urge to write down all information.

DO NOT WRITE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES! Notes should be short, incomplete sentences that provide details not sentences.

Paraphrase or summarize information. Read pages or an article and paraphrase (put it into your own words) or summarize (identify the main ideas). Be accurate.

Identify direct quotations with quotation marks and the author of the quotation.

Tips for Easy Note Taking Use different color pens/pencils/highlighters to

signal different information

Summarize your notes when you finish so that you remember what information is on that notes page without having to re-read your notes in their entirety.

Spend at least 15 minutes at the end of each research day to collect your notes, organize them, and evaluate your strategy based on the new material you gathered.

Note Taking Strategies

Three different ways to take research notes.

Method 1: Index CardsTaking notes on index cards gives you the flexibility to change the order of your notes and group them together easily.

• Write the subtopic heading of the note at the top of each note card.

• Write only one main point on a note card. • Cite (or make a note of) the source of the information

immediately to save time later!

Method 2: Cornell NotesDivide a piece of paper into three sections. The large box to the right is for writing notes. Your key points can be translated into the main ideas of each of your body paragraphs. Skip a line between ideas and topics. Use point form. Use abbreviations whenever possible.

Method 3: PatterningThis method could include mind maps, flowcharts or diagrams.

Step #2: Develop Logical Reasons As you research your issue and take your research notes, you should also be developing at least two logical, well-supported reasons why people should either be for or against the proposition.

Once you’ve completed your research, you should be able to support each of your reasons with facts & examples.

Step 3: Present Both Sides

You also need to be thinking about what your opponents might use to argue against you. Think about one argument they might use and present a counter-example:

My opponents might argue that cats make better companions because they are quiet. However, many breeds of dog make very little noise at all. For example. . .

You’ll use this counter-example as your “Main Reason #3”

Step 4: Conclude the argument

Write a quick, 1-2 sentence conclusion that summarizes your position.