PROJECT: PERSUASIVE ESSAY
OBJECTIVES
Apply knowledge of effective arguments when writing one of your own.
Support a thesis with relevant and sufficient evidence.
Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text and create cohesion.
Use rhetorical devices to persuade.
Adapt writing content to task, purpose, and audience.
Use writing process to develop and strengthen writing for a specific audience and purpose.
Consult references as needed to support the variation of syntax in writing.
Thomas Paine's The American Crisis pamphlets were written during the American Revolution and its immediate aftermath. These pamphlets were written to persuade the American colonists to support the rebellion against British rule. Click here to read an excerpt from The American Crisis. Paine used persuasive techniques such as specific language, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical devices to communicate issues of national importance. These techniques are still used today on many different levels. In fact, it is likely that you have used persuasive language yourself- not only for academic assignments, but perhaps even when you were attempting to convince your parents to allow you to buy a new product or go out with friends on a Friday evening.
Read through The American Crisis again, this time annotating the text as you read. Focus on highlighting words or phrases that jump out at you as being especially persuasive. This will help you begin to understand how you can use similar techniques when you are authoring your own persuasive piece.
Part of this project will be prewriting, also called prethinking, to help you think about ideas for your essay. The first step of prewriting is to thoroughly read the writing prompt. Then, you can begin brainstorming ideas that are relevant to the prompt. Your writing prompt for this project is:
Choose a contemporary issue that is of national concern. Write an essay of at least 750 words that persuades readers that they should be concerned as well. Use rhetorical appeals similar to those used in The American Crisis. Make sure you provide evidence to support your argument.