THE ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

HIGHER BROADLY DISCURSIVE WRITING UNIT

In this Unit you will:

1. Understand what is required to achieve success2. Learn where to find information and how to research3. Planning your essay4. Learn about discursive/persuasive techniques5. See examples of students’ work and learn why it was given a

particular score by the SQA6. Learn how to develop your analysis and evaluation of

Discursive and Persuasive writing and transfer those skills to achieve success both in Coursework and in Paper 1 UAE

1. Achieving Success

What you need to do

Like N5 Discursive Writing, the Higher piece is compulsory. The maximum word count is 10% over the upper limit (1300) so that works out as 1430 (not including your bibliography).

The essay is worth 15% of your final mark. You will be expected to do more research than you did for N5 and demonstrate a more sophisticated use of persuasive/discursive language features. In most cases, the most successful essays are about subjects the candidates care about. The best piece of advice is to choose your topic early, read widely on the subject (saving the links to the articles as you go) and work on the redraft regularly once you get the first draft back.

Additionally, it is crucial that you understand the Marking Instructions that SQA markers are guided by when they have to give your essay a score out of 15. Your teacher at RHS will not give you a score when they mark your first draft but will be using the Marking Instructions and referring to them in your feedback, so you need to understand them. Here they are below, with explanations of the main concepts below the document.

Deadline for 1st Draft to be submitted on your OneNote Homework Tab:Monday 15th June

Understanding the Marking Instructions

Audience and PurposeMake sure you know who you are writing for. For example, you might be writing for people your own ages – your peers. Alternatively, you might want your local MSP or school management to hear your opinion. Who you are writing for will influence the style and tone of your piece.

Why are you writing the piece and what do you hope to achieve? If you want to raise awareness about an issue that you think is misrepresented in the media, you may want to be more informative and discursive, considering all sides of the issue. If, however, you are writing to change a reader’s mind on an issue, you might deploy more persuasive techniques and directly appeal to your reader to take action; to sign a petition, for example. Your purpose needs to be made explicitly clear to your reader.

Understanding and EngagementThe reader and markers need to feel confident that you have a deep understanding of the issue you have chosen. A good understanding is developed by plenty of background reading (see the next sub-heading) and your engagement is often demonstrated by techniques such as emotive language, allied to the diligent research you have done.

Evidence of Skilful Research and SelectionRead widely, making sure that you read about the different sides and opinions around the issue. Take a record of all the articles you read. It is strongly recommended that you create a folder with links to all the articles you read. Even if you only see a headline but don’t have time to read it then and there, copy the link to the article and save it for later. Build a resource of your research reading.

Skilful selection will involve using a good breadth of information, hopefully from a number of different sources. The information you select should ALL be directly relevant in supporting your ideas and/or arguments.

Strong and Sustained Line of Thought/Convincing StanceYour ‘line of thought’ is reflected by how you stick to the main purpose of your essay. You need to make your purpose clear near the beginning of your essay and every topic sentence and following pieces of evidence, analysis and evaluation are ALL directly linked to this. Everything else is superfluous (not needed). Your stance is how you feel about the issue and needs to be made clear through your own deployment of discursive writing techniques. There is an entire section about these later in this document.

Linguistic Features…There are examples showing the wide range of language skills you can choose to deploy in your writing in Section 4 of this guide. The marker will want to see a variety of different discursive and/or persuasive techniques in your essay. This demonstrates that not only do you understand these techniques when you read them but also that you can use them yourself for particular effects.You should identify a number of these features to use in your planning stage.For example, you may wish frame (‘top and tail’) your essay with an extended metaphor. You may want to use a lot of emotive language and a series of rhetorical questions. The best way for you to get used to these features and their effectiveness to do your weekly reading homework EVERY WEEK. More information about homework can be found in Section 6 of this guide.

Confident and Varied ExpressionNothing exposes a weak or rushed piece of writing more than lazy vocabulary.The weeks (and indeed months when you consider redrafting) gives you the perfect opportunity to ensure that not a single word or expression is wasted.

Unless you are using repetition for effect in places, you should be finding a variety of ways to express things or ideas that occur repeatedly in your essay.For example, instead of saying ‘eating meat’ repeatedly in your essay, why not use ‘gorging on fellow sentient beings’, if that this kind of tone you want to adopt?Your expression will come across as ‘confident’ if you take the time to really consider the very specific words and images that will express your ideas precisely.

Effective StructureThe structure begins with the title. Hopefully you’ll be able to link it in with the main purpose of the essay and create something that grabs attention. Perhaps it will link in with the conclusion of your essay.

Your opening needs to make the reader want to continue. It’s a first draft so why not try something a little bit different? You can always change it later.

Markers look for a structure that ‘enhances purpose/meaning’. If you are making a case for one side of an issue, why not present that with a structure that may contain an emotive anecdote (true or fictionalised story); very much like a lawyer’s opening statement? You can then present evidence - as you might during a trial - that is structured in a way that summarises your four most powerful arguments, supported by statistics, expert witnesses, emphatic language, etc.

Keeping the ‘flow’ of a discussion or argument going also depends heavily on continuity; connectives. Connectives help you structure an argument in a way that gives it fluidity. There is a useful list of these words for you in Section 3.

How do you want to conclude? Do not simply summarise your main points again. Again, think of the lawyer’s closing statement; you want people to agree with you. In a discursive essay, perhaps you want to describe a solution- a way forward – and inspire your readers to follow you. Your conclusion should resonate…

2. Finding Information and Researching

Anyone can find information. Unfortunately, a large proportion of students will do only a little reading online and often pick two or three articles from the first page of Google results. If you are one of these people, you’re well on the way to a mediocre mark. So…the difference between finding information and researching? Well, you need to do both! ‘Finding’ implies a search, not just one click on a search engine. Rad from different sources; if you take evidence from just one publication you are likely to be reading a narrow focus on an issue.Understanding an issue deeply means reading arguments from different sides.This also allows you to unpick the opposing argument to yours, if you are writing persuasively.

Where to Look

Pressreader is an excellent resource, particularly if you are tackling a global issue. There are English language newspapers for a round the world for you to look at – for free – available on a daily basis.

Academic articles are often a god idea to skim and scan, particularly if you would like to include discursive techniques such as the use of statistics, data or expert opinion. They are often lengthy, but numbers and quotation are often easy to skip to as they’re easily identifiable in a text.

Online Newspapers are a good source too. Most – if not all – national newspapers have a website. Some are free, some are behind a paywall.Here are some free ones:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/commentisfree https://www.independent.co.uk/voices https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/

The site Debatingmatters.com can be very useful indeed. If you are really struggling for a topic, their Topic Guides Archive is superb. Each Topic Guide has an extensive list of hyperlinked related articles.

http://archive.debatingmatters.com/topicguides/

You are living in a time when there has never been such incredible access to free information. If you keep putting your research reading off – and let’s face it, it’s just sitting on your butt and keeping your eyes open – you are losing potential marks. Be reading. Always.

Building a LibraryIt’s a good idea to create a folder from the beginning with hyperlinks to all the articles that you read. You don’t have to read them all immediately but can still store them for later in this way. It will also save time later when you want to write your bibliography to demonstrate your wider reading. A quick summary of the article written next each hyperlink is also good practice.

3. Planning Your Essay

Consider the following:

A title and opening that provoke some sort of reaction from the reader An unequivocal statement ("Put an end to the cruelty of blood sports"), if

you are writing a persuasive piece. Perhaps a rhetorical question if your essay is more discursive (“Should we consider an end to blood sports?”)

Rationale - a brief explanation of what your argument is 4 (ish) main points of your argument/areas for discussion Links to any articles you are considering Identify the tone(s) you are planning adopt and all of specific persuasive

techniques you are going to use.

Creating an Effective Opening to a Discursive Piece Like any piece of writing, this essay has to draw the reader in, to engage them, to create a 'hook'. There are many ways to do this and often a combination of traditionally persuasive techniques and more creative techniques can be very effective. Ultimately, you are looking to try and AVOID THE MUNDANE and elicit a response from the reader. Some techniques to consider are: Minor sentences A question Exclamation mark Figures of speech Facts Data Stats Anecdote Shock or surprise Emotive language Hyperbole/ exaggeration Expert opinion A quote Repetition

Read this exemplar of an opening that demonstrates a variety of techniques and read the notes attached. “Power.

It separates them from us. It gives people a sense of themselves that excuses them from the moral boundaries that keep us all in check.

Democracy.

“For the people, by the people”. The guardians of our rights and expectations are chosen by us to look after our interests. So how is it that we are constantly, unfailingly disappointed in the selfish, boorish and morally bankrupt behaviour of our Members of Parliament? If we can’t trust those at the top to use the power we give them, isn’t it time to recognise that the system is broken?”

There are notes in earlier in this guide about progressing your essay and concluding it. You will receive specific feedback on this in your class teacher’s initial marking of your first draft.

4. Discursive/Persuasive Techniques.

The following documents contain an extensive – but by no means exhaustive – resource of linguistic techniques you can choose from to deploy in your essay. Your class teacher will no doubt supplement these with other resources and in direct teaching in class throughout the year.

Transitions and ConnectivesThis category of words and phrases is extremely useful in balancing an essay and/or creating a flow in your persuasive writing.

The following pages contain a wealth of ideas for you to consider when adding variety in discursive/persuasive writing.

5. Examples of Students’ Work Marked by the SQAThe following essays are taken from the SQA’s ‘Understanding Standards’ website. You will find other marked and pieces of work representing other aspects of the course here;

https://www.understandingstandards.org.uk/Subjects/English/higher

The four essays included here achieved a range of marks between 9 and 15 (out of 15). It’s a good exercise to read each essay first and highlight effective use of language, to see if you can identify it before reading the marker’s commentary. You should try and give each essay your own mark and then read the commentaries here:

https://www.understandingstandards.org.uk/Higher_images/english/portfolio/EnglishHigherPortfolio2019Commentary.pdf

Please scroll down to begin reading the essays.

Candidate A evidence

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 1 of 3

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate A

Candidate D evidence

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 1 of 3

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate D

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 2 of 3

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate D

Candidate F evidence

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 1 of 4

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate F

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 2 of 4

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate F

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 3 of 4

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate F

Candidate H evidence

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 1 of 4

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate H

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 2 of 4

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate H

SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 3 of 4

Higher English Portfolio-writing 2019 Candidate H

7. Transferring Skills; Weekly Homework to Support Coursework and Paper 1You are expected to produce weekly analysis of a piece of persuasive/discursive journalism. You will not necessarily receive feedback every week, but the most important thing is that you read and analyse opinion pieces regularly. Let’s try a wee anecdote to emphasise the importance of this homework…

Many of you will be learning to drive soon. Similar to achieving Higher English, it’s likely to be an important milestone in most people’s lives. So, how do you prepare?Imagine two scenarios:

1. You skimp on the driving lessons and back yourself to wing it, because you’re generally pretty coordinated and you’ve watched your parents drive for years OR you skip a lot of weekly reading homework because you can cram a load in later and you can read, right?

1. You not only take regular lessons many months in advance of your driving test, but you go out for extra drives with a parent and study the Highway Code religiously OR you don’t miss your reading homework once and indeed, supplement and strengthen your skills with extra articles too.

Inevitably, scenario one is more likely to bring you success. We have been monitoring homework and can assure you that the most successful students at RHS in English are doing this reading regularly.

Not only does this prepare you for Paper 1 Reading UAE (arguably the hardest part of the course for most) but it also gives you numerous examples of professional writers using persuasive and discursive techniques. And you can steal them! Don’t copy – just use the same ideas. It’s ok, all writers ‘steal’ ideas from other writers. And you are a writer, don’t forget that. Good writers read!

Exemplar of Weekly Reading Homework

Remember, you want to look for opinion pieces in newspapers (Pressreader - once it is up and running again - or the links provided in Section 2). Upload your response on your Homework tab every week, on a day agreed by your class with your teacher.

Here’s an example of an excellent piece by a student from last yearThe student provides:

A link to the article. A brief summary of the article (own words). Note that it should also

contain what the student thinks the writer’s purpose and opinion are. Three examples analysing word choice. An analysis of the writer’s tone, with evidence. An analysis of the writer’s use of imagery, with evidence. An analysis of the writer’s language, using evidence.

The feedback comments are in bold.

Article. - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/04/child-slavery-county-lines-criminals-provincial-towns Summary- This article details the methods that criminal organisations use in order to force children into a cycle of crime through the “county-lines” drug dealing crime model. It shows us the practices they have in lake in order to allure children and how they force them to conform once they are caught up within the practice. It also discusses the normality that now surrounds these events and how they are infecting almost everywhere within the country. Good. Writer's purpose/opinion? Word choice- “Entrapped” has connotation of the inescapable nature in which these children are pulled into county lines. Almost being sucked in and wrapped up. Good “Sanitisation” has connotations of only being the edge of the iceberg. Showing a diluted version of what actually happens. Representing it in a way that doesn’t seem as bad as it is Good “Lucrative” has connotation of being a very profitable business model, it works well with, low risk and will often have high returns. Good Tone- “I had no choice but to climb a steep and terrifying learning curve” creates a very worrying tone. It refers to how close to home these occurrences this can happen, and families can

unknowingly become entangled in these criminal webs. This worrying tone is repeated throughout the article. Yes. Alarming/ominous… Imagery- “cut to the bone services” creates a strong image in our minds of the violent funding cuts some of our key defence barriers have taken. With policing at a point where it can only provide the most basic of functions. Expand a little. Stripped away…butchered. Language- one interesting feature of language that the writer uses is repetition. The writer repeatedly uses the word “children”. This shows us both the juvenility and immaturity of the children being targeted and how they are still not old enough to fully understand the consequences of what they are getting themselves into or how it could ruin their lives. As well as this it shows their vulnerability to these gangs. It shows how easily that they can be lured into performing these crimes. Well observed