A Sense of Doubt blog post #1948 - The Tower Persuasive Essay Writing Video Series - part eleven
Welcome. There have been ten posts before in this series, all text. In this one, I present videos along with notes on writing persuasive essays. However, at the time of writing these words and posting this blog entry, I have not completed all the videos in the series. Once I do, I will update here and revise this text.
The video series on persuasive essays in college classes starts with an overview video of general principles for writing such essays. The second video covers creating and revising thesis statements, and the third video describes best practices for writing introductions, especially by keeping in mind the three appeals of Aristotle's rhetorical triangle.
The final two videos of the initial plan for the series (because I may make more) are for part four to focus on building paragraphs with claim-first, topic sentence driven structure and what my colleague Amber Lemiere coined as PIE format (Point-Information-Explanation). The fifth part will supply writers with advice for identifying oppositional arguments, usually called counter arguments, and refuting them in strengthening the writer's own position.
Parts four and five are not done yet; however, I wanted to post this entry for students in one of my composition classes to have access and explore the contents of the first three parts.
AND I may make more videos for the series. I have a great deal more to say about thesis and how it drives the overall argument construction in the essay. I would like to explore set argument structures, like Toulmin and Rogerian forms. I have an essay on writing essays -- "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words" that I plan to detail in a video and provide the essay via GOOGLE DRIVE. Also, I have sketches for further investigating using and evaluating sources as well as maybe adding to the plethora of "grammar" videos on You Tube (there's lots), such as those I posted here:
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1841 - Commas need help - Comma Splice - TAMU Writing Center
I have other posts of my own on grammar, which you can find via the grammar category. Categories are listed along the right side bar of this page under the heading of "Labels."
Speaking of former posts, there's also this video series, which I will admit I have not watched all fourteen parts, but what I did see I felt was reasonable.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1808 - How to Plan and Write a Paper for English Class
And so to my content.
Writers and English teachers often describe writing with construction analogies because the building metaphor helps people visualize the process of moving words around to convey meanings in an organized fashion. Here we go.
Build the wall. Build it strong!
image- https://sensedoubt.blogspot.com/2015/10/hey-mom-talking-to-my-mother-107.html
Greetings writers!!
THE PERSUASIVE WRITING SERIES
This is the video series for writing persuasive essay and contains stand-alone videos that do not reference specific assignments and so they work well for both English 101 and 102.
The first video reviews general principles in overview mode for constructing a persuasive essay followed by individual videos focusing on thesis statements, introductions, the rhetorical triangle, paragraph structure, working with sources, and counter arguments. Or at least that’s my initial plan, and I reserve the right to alter it as needed.
Following you will find the videos and descriptions and/or notes that pertain to each.
ENGLISH 102: Though these videos are primarily intended for English 101, since your research projects are essentially arguments at their cores nearly all the content applies to work as well just with a few adjustments that you know about from other course content.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1798 - 102 stuff, lumen, Toulmin Model. etc.
Persuasive Writing Video #01 - Overview and audience - BANG!
This is the first part of the series. Its content is based all on power point: parts of the research paper; even though this is aimed primarily at persuasive essays in a first series composition course, the lessons also pertain to research papers that share arguments.
This video explores the importance of intended audience, rhetorical appeals, and counter arguments.
Some of the content fits with Toulmin argument structure in terms of claim-warrant-backing connected to counter arguments. In addition to considering how counter arguments are refuted in a persuasive essay, the video content shares a pro-con and an if-then examination of potential subjects. And then shares four diagnostic questions:
- What is the opposition’s argument?
- What would your reader most like to hear you acknowledge?
- What is your reader’s most likely fear in response to your argument?
- How is the reader likely to dislike you for what you’re saying?
Following these there are seven clean up tasks for persuasive writing.
And that’s about it for the overview.
PERSUASIVE WRITING - LUMEN PAGE- good stuff here
Next video, THESIS.
Persuasive Writing Video #02 - thesis
Thesis: it’s just one sentence.
BECAUSE-SHOULD THESIS
Construct a statement to persuade the intended audience framed as a problem-solution dynamic: BECAUSE of this problem, the intended audience should solve the problem this way.
This video is the short version of the instruction about thesis statements. Stay tuned for an additional part or parts detailing more ideas, guidance, and concerns.
All the notes are here: main posts from my blog:
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Four - Here, in part four, I begin a two part discussion of my because-should thesis formula. I describe basic ideas about thesis, how my because-should form works, and then deliver several thesis examples with the form and without the form.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Five - Part five continues to describe my because-should thesis formula. I share the benefits of the formula and the five tests of a good thesis.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Eight - In part eight, I share more samples analyses for essay ideas with rough outlines of topic sentences and paragraphs.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Nine - In part nine, I share more ideas on thesis and a roundup of ideas on persuasive writing.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1666 - Tests of a Good Thesis Statement and examples - How to Write Persuasive Essays part ten – In part ten, the author (that’s me) describes the tests of a good thesis and presents a master list of these persuasive writing articles plus cool photos.
The entire list in the Persuasive Essay series is shared farther on, keep reading.
Persuasive Writing Video #03 - introduction and rhetorical triangle
Here's some stuff on the rhetorical triangle, though with an emphasis in videos on analysis not simple use of appeals.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1809 - Rhetorical Triangle and Analysis of Advertising part one
Catchy hooks for introductions
***************
INTRODUCTIONS ********************
Paragraphs are five-eight sentences (or longer)
around 150 words
INTRODUCTIONS
- hook (the
first single or first several sentences)
- context -
overview
- thesis
statement (last sentence of the paragraph)
THREE PURPOSES FOR AN
INTRODUCTION
- Grab the reader's attention - "the hook" -
get the reader's attention, hook her on the paper
- Deliver "context" of subject (six Ws),
what does the reader need to know?
- Deliver the thesis - best as problem/solution in
because/should form
PARTS OF THE
INTRODUCTION
- THE HOOK - how do you start the introduction and
grab the reader's attention?
- not a question (lame) - it's weak sauce
- startling fact are great!!
- start with a story - breakdown patience
STRATEGIES FOR
INTRODUCTION- the hook
See FILE linked above and here –
—you can ask a question: (weak sauce but might be
okay)
*Did you know that there is no proven link between
dietary cholesterol levels and blood cholesterol levels?
--present an interesting fact,
* Only 2% of all gun crimes in the US in the last five
years were committed by people with permits to carry concealed weapons.
-- begin with an anecdote,
* start with story
In a paper on drunk driving, if I have been in a drunk
driving accident or know someone who has, I should tell the story - showing the
broken glass and shattered lives of the families involved
-- lead with a quotation,
-- offer a statistic, etc.
These are all great ways to GRAB your reader.
- CONTEXT AND
OVERVIEW
- Six Ws - why, what, where, when, who, and HoW =
context
- IF a characteristics style, like good parent,
describe all the qualities that you can think of and then why you chose your
three
- Why are you writing about this subject? for instance,
parenting: why are you writing about parenting? What are qualifications?
- An example or two that illustrates
TO INTRODUCE YOUR SUBJECT, ANSWER THE SIX Ws
What, Where, When, Why, Who, and hoW?
- CONTEXT IS what the reader needs to know before you
deliver your thesis and begin the essay developing your argument.
- Story of paper about budget cuts to bus program:
missing one W
- INTRODUCTION: Fulfill the proper contextual cues
while building to thesis. Think of setting a stage or of providing the answer
to the 5 Ws as you revise and expand your introduction. It all serves to
introduce your topic and lay the groundwork for the thesis-argument.
Google search: introductions academic papers
- THESIS
- A STATEMENT OF AN OPINION about your subject - best
if phrased as a problem with a solution
- Traditionally, the thesis statement (is a statement
not a question) is the last sentence of the introduction
SAMPLE ONE
Today’s employers are presented with a question of how
to keep their employees engaged and motivated.
Through
the simple act of positive verbal reinforcement and a genuine appreciation for
the employees, they have discovered how to increase morale, productivity, and
the overall well being of the employees.
[G1] “Sticks
and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” as the old saying
goes. That is not always the case. Words are very powerful. They have the ability to lift up or tear down.
Words can encourage hard work or create
failure. Words from an employer can
elevate a company or devastate it, one employee at a time. In the same respect, if words can harm, what effect
will the lack of words have on others? Saying nothing
at all can be just as detrimental as saying something negative.[G2]
SAMPLE TWO
We are now living
in an age of technology that is advancing faster than we can realize some of
the potential dangers caused from it. Distracted driving, caused by the use of
cell phones while driving, is among the top of the list of potential dangers of
new technology. New phone plans including unlimited texts along with smart
phones that can perform many operations at once have only increased the
likelihood of these dangers among all drivers. Because of the increasing
dangers associated with cell phone use while driving and the fact that more and
more people are using them, the government should implement new laws regulating
the use of cell phones while driving.
SAMPLE THREE
The Internet has
helped many people to become entrepreneurs. Web cartoonists have found an
innovative business model. They post their daily comics on their websites for
free and then sell books and related merchandise. But what about the people who
never buy anything and just read the free comics online? Scott McCloud, a
writer and cartoonist himself, came up with a way to get cartoonists paid at a
very low cost to the consumer: Micropayments. Micropayments are traditionally a very low
sum of money, usually less than a dollar. If every reader were to pay
twenty-five cents to read a cartoonist’s comic online, then the cartoonist[G3]
would be able to make a living doing what he or she loves. However, there are
many pitfalls to this theory. Even though micropayments would benefit the artist and the
consumer, it’s not viable in today’s market because of the powerful
psychological lure of ‘free’, and because it could also potentially deter new
readers. [G4]
[G1]this
the thesis, which would be better positioned as the last sentence of the
introduction.
[G2]Put
thesis here: should be problem-solution statement with an essay map.
[G3]Defines
key term. Essential!!
[G4]This
is the thesis. It is not quite a because should, but it is a problem solution
style argument for NOT doing something rather than doing it.
*****************************************************************
The remainder of the content is currently under production. Check back for more videos. I will announce when the entire series is complete.
Persuasive Writing Video #04 - paragraphs - PIE and SIP (some work with sources)
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1719 - PIE paragraphs - via Amber Lemiere
Persuasive Writing Video #05 - counter arguments
Stay tuned.
****************************************************************
THE MUSIC
“Prairie Rose” - Roxy Music
In solidarity, safety, health, and wellness,
peace in our times,
-chris tower, LCC Lang&Lit faculty,
your friend in learning
“Always look on the bright side”
https://sensedoubt.blogspot.com/
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #162 - Best raincoat ever; best wife ever
THESIS, THESIS, THESIS!
Here’s an introduction to core ideas for writing an academic, persuasive, thesis-driven essay with a topic-sentence structure.
What is a thesis statement?
Simply put, it’s a statement of an argument. It’s a statement sharing the ideas you have in mind about which you would like to convince the reader. A thesis also serves as preview of the content of your essay but written in the form of an argument without narration, IE. no need to write things like “I am going to write about...” or even “I think...” because these are self-evident.
Sounds challenging?
Maybe. That’s why this is your first draft. We’re going to work on the thesis statements together.
Following, I will direct you to several entries on my blog that you can read to learn more about essay writing and thesis statements in particular.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, either plan to attend class as this is my best delivery method for material on thesis statements.
There’s also my blog, as I have been advertising. I have been writing about a thesis format on my blog. Here's the link to all the posts; dial backwards for the ones about thesis:
http://sensedoubt.blogspot.com/search/label/persuasive%20essays
I will share another post about the blog tomorrow with a list of links and the target for the because-should thesis form, but this link will get you started if you want to do homework RIGHT NOW. :-) Because homework is fun...
SUBJECT: How to Write a Persuasive Essay a blog series & "because-should thesis" – READ ME!
Hi Class,
Thesis statements are an acquired skill. They do not come naturally or easily without PRACTICE. You will be writing them all semester.
Consider taking a first step of study and homework to prepare to write thesis statements by reading my blog!!
Make learning happen!
HOMEWORK: To really be successful in this course, you have to study the subject of writing. This is your homework. Studying all we share with you about writing a thesis will pay off in huge dividends in your own work as you build these skills, which will help you be successful in this class as well as all your future courses that feature writing (which will be nearly all of them).
I have written a series of posts for my blog on how to write persuasive essays that collect much of my lecture material from my years of teaching this course and courses like it at many universities throughout the country. I continue to add new posts every term, but at this time, I am at nine posts total.
I encourage you to read them all. If you do not have time to read them all, the best two to read are the ones devoted to the BECAUSE-SHOULD THESIS FORMULA, a thesis method I invented to help you create strong thesis statements that will work in any type of persuasive essay regardless of your subject.
THE ENTIRE LIST OF THE PERSUASIVE ESSAY BLOG SERIES
Here are the links and descriptions to the previous installments of this feature.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part One - First post in the series. Features a general introduction and the basic step-by-step process for developing a persuasive essay. There are also an assortment of helpful links to resources. Also, my clarification on the words subject and topic appears here.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Two - This one covers finding a subject for a persuasive essay and some brainstorming ideas - research first!
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Three - Part three discusses analyzing a subject to produce the problem-solution structure that works best for persuasive essays. The post considers how audience impacts this work and then an example of the process is shown.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Four - Here, in part four, I begin a two part discussion of my because-should thesis formula. I describe basic ideas about thesis, how my because-should form works, and then deliver several thesis examples with the form and without the form.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Five - Part five continues to describe my because-should thesis formula. I share the benefits of the formula and the five tests of a good thesis.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Six - In parts six and seven, I bust myths related to essay writing and English composition in general. Part six tells the truth (negates stupidity) about use of first and second person pronouns in essays, and the stand against using Wikipedia.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Seven - In part seven, I tear off the cover on the concept of "maximum lengths" in essay writing and the use of tired, old summary conclusion.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Eight - In part eight, I share more samples analyses for essay ideas with rough outlines of topic sentences and paragraphs.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Nine - In part nine, I share more ideas on thesis and a roundup of ideas on persuasive writing.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1666 - Tests of a Good Thesis Statement and examples - How to Write Persuasive Essays part ten – In part ten, the author (that’s me) describes the tests of a good thesis and presents a master list of these persuasive writing articles plus cool photos.
Or if you like reading backwards from most recent to oldest posted, click the following.
CATEGORY LINK for all posts in PERSUASIVE ESSAY WRITING:
http://sensedoubt.blogspot.com/search/label/persuasive%20essays
peace, thunder storms, and puppy breath
-chris
Good luck!
Live Long and Prosper!
-chris tower, your LCC guide to learning
See more at http://365-tshirts.blogspot.com/2013/09/t-shirt-185-black-panther-1978.html
Caption for photo below: Yes, this is me. I am teaching an online class in a hotel room in Detroit in 2013.
Let’s review what we learned so far about persuasion with the help of some puppies.
We investigated three key concepts of academic writing:
- WHAT IS PERSUASION?
- WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT?
- WHAT ARE TOPIC SENTENCES?
- USE OF SIGNAL PHRASES
- SIGNAL PHRASES
How about I confuse you and write about the last one first?
I added a PDF to files.
And...
https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/signal-phrases
GOOD VERB LIST FOR THIS ONE -
https://department.monm.edu/english/mew/signal_phrases.htm
- WHAT IS PERSUASION?
We agreed that PERSUASION is the act of convincing others to agree with your argument. Ideally, the audience for such essays are those who disagree with you; however, we also acknowledged that those who agree with your point of view might learn new ideas or may have their convictions strengthened by your arguments, and so they are a secondary audience.
In describing how persuasion happens, we decided that
GOOD REASONS PERSUADE
The foundation of any persuasive essay relies on good reasons.
Like in a court of law, NOT a whodunit, detective story.
ALSO, COUNTER ARGUMENTS.
We discussed how meeting and refuting the objections of others or anticipating their objections allows us to make counter arguments that make our arguments stronger and oppositional arguments weaker.
Though I did not share this material in all classes. So if you’re thinking: “Huh?” then it may be your class that did not get the information. Also, the previous sentence is not a correct way to use a colon, but I am still ill and my brain is not working well.
I shared my Chinese Buffet example.
We discussed that arguments of the opposition can be refuted by showing that the other arguments are weak or have flaws, demonstrating that the arguments are based on faulty research or data that proves invalid when the study methods are analyzed, or by conceding the validity of the opposition’s claims but arguing that our claims are stronger, as in the buffet is often superior to the order off the menu restaurant because
- food is ready immediately - eating sooner
- buffet offers more variety
- buffet is cheaper
- WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT?
If a persuasive essay is meant to argue a claim, then the thesis statement is the single, one-sentence, over-arching expression of that argument. Traditionally a writer positions the thesis as the last sentence of the introduction. Mainly, this placement helps readers inexperienced with spotting a thesis to be able to find and identify the thesis.
I riffed on these themes to follow up persuasive definition that a thesis contains a CLAIM and REASONS.
I expanded this idea by arguing that most (if not all) persuasive essays can be expressed in problem-solution form.
- The claim is the solution: what should be done? What action taken? For what are you arguing?
- The problem provides the reasons: BECAUSE of this problem, these reasons, so-and-so should do X, Y, and Z.
AND THUS, I promoted my
BECAUSE-SHOULD THESIS FORMULA
OTHER STUFF TO EXPLORE
- How is a persuasive essay like a court of law and not like a whodunit murder mystery?
- A thesis statement should contain an essay map - what is an essay map?
- WHAT ARE TOPIC SENTENCES?
Topic sentences lead paragraphs that follow the introduction and provide a keyword connection between the thesis statement’s essay map and the sentences that introduce these topics, paragraph-by-paragraph, and then support these topics with evidence, reasoning, and detailed examples and illustrations.
Typically, topic sentences are the first sentences of paragraphs and act as mini-thesis statements, or sub-thesis statements, parts of the larger thesis, advancing the argument one topic at a time.
When a writer needs more than one paragraph to fully explore a topic, then the writer divides the topic into multiple sub-topics for each paragraph each with its own sub-topic sentence that add up all together to express a complex idea about that topic and all advance one named part of the thesis statement’s essay map.
For further exploration:
- paragraph development
- paragraph unity and/or coherence
- transitions
TTFN!
live long and prosper,
-chris tower your LCC guide to learning and personal growth
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2006.18 - 10:10
- Days ago = 1812 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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