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Writing PersuasivelyWriting Persuasivelyin High Schoolin High SchoolBarbara Leilani Brazil KeysESOL Coordinator/ Teacher

Albemarle High School

9-12 Expectations for Persuasive Essays

• Students will generate, gather, and organize writing to address a specific audience and purpose.

• Students will produce arguments in writing that develop a thesis to demonstrate knowledgeable judgments, address counterclaims, and provide effective conclusions.

• Students will clarify and defend a position with precise and relevant evidence.

• Students will use computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing.

• Students will Self- and peer-edit.

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SOL Progression of ExpectationsSOL Progression of ExpectationsPersuasive Essay WritingPersuasive Essay Writing

Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

•Communicate clearly the purpose of the writing using a thesis statement where appropriate.

•Arrange paragraphs into a logical progression and use transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

•Write clear, varied sentences using specific vocabulary and information.

•Elaborate ideas clearly through word choice and vivid description.  

•Synthesize information to support the thesis.

•Organize ideas into a logical sequence using transitions.

•Write clear and varied sentences, clarifying ideas with precise and relevant evidence.

•Elaborate ideas clearly through word choice and vivid description.

 •Produce arguments in writing that develop a thesis that demonstrates knowledgeable judgments, addresses counterclaims, and provides effective conclusions.

•Organize ideas in a sustained and logical manner.

•Clarify and defend position with precise and relevant evidence elaborating ideas clearly and accurately.

•Adapt content, vocabulary, voice, and tone to audience, purpose, and situation.

 •Produce arguments in writing that develop a thesis to demonstrate knowledgeable judgments, address counterclaims, and provide effective conclusions.

•Clarify and defend a position with precise and relevant evidence.

•Create arguments free of errors in logic and externally supported.

•Use a variety of rhetorical strategies to accomplish a specific purpose.

•Adapt content, vocabulary, voice, and tone to audience, purpose, and situation.  

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Issue: Should there be video Issue: Should there be video cameras in school classrooms?cameras in school classrooms?

• Audience and Purpose: Persuasive Audience and Purpose: Persuasive essays are perfect opportunities for essays are perfect opportunities for

authentic writing! authentic writing!

• How can students come up with their How can students come up with their own persuasive essay topics so that own persuasive essay topics so that

the writing is more meaningful to the writing is more meaningful to them?them?

The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process

Writing Apprenticeshi

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Pre-Writing Tools to Pre-Writing Tools to Develop ArgumentsDevelop Arguments

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Drafting SuggestionsDrafting Suggestions• Give students ample class time to free-writeGive students ample class time to free-write• Make computers available for students who want to type Make computers available for students who want to type

their drafts.their drafts.• Provide a variety of MENTOR TEXTS in the form of Provide a variety of MENTOR TEXTS in the form of

newspaper editorials, articles, previous student worknewspaper editorials, articles, previous student work• Students may be at different places in the writing Students may be at different places in the writing

process at different times. Allow students to revise as process at different times. Allow students to revise as they progress through the process. Students will need they progress through the process. Students will need to talk ideas out with others- allow a space for a writing to talk ideas out with others- allow a space for a writing conference.conference.

• Provide mini-lessons on grammar, thesis development, Provide mini-lessons on grammar, thesis development, and organization at the beginning of each writing and organization at the beginning of each writing workshopworkshop

• As students draft, use the persuasive essay rubric to As students draft, use the persuasive essay rubric to discuss and score sample papers.discuss and score sample papers.

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Scoring Sample Scoring Sample Papers as a ClassPapers as a Class

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Sample Persuasive Essay Rubric

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Peer Revising and EditingPeer Revising and Editing

• Use peer and self-revision tools like Use peer and self-revision tools like Google docs Google docs

• Pick a student paper and have a debate Pick a student paper and have a debate based on the arguments and counter-based on the arguments and counter-arguments presented in the paperarguments presented in the paper

• Organize Peer Revision Conferences Organize Peer Revision Conferences that are goal-orientedthat are goal-oriented

• Pinpoint the editing needs of each Pinpoint the editing needs of each student and do topic-centered skill student and do topic-centered skill review with small groups review with small groups

Contact InformationContact Information

Barbara Leilani Brazil KeysBarbara Leilani Brazil Keys

bkeys@k12albemarle.org

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Reference within this presentation to any Reference within this presentation to any specific commercial or non-commercial specific commercial or non-commercial product, process, or service by trade product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply an otherwise does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Virginia Department of favoring by the Virginia Department of Education.Education.

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