Persuasive Writing

Persuasive Writing

Daron KennettMonica Murdock

Agenda• Levels of Writing• Elements of Rhetoric and Writing

Process• DWA WebsiteLunch• DESK/SMARTS• Writing to Persuade: Jigsaw• Writing Software

Writing Prompt

• I am a writer who…

Writing Prompt

• I am a teacher of writers who…

Church Bulletin Messages

• Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

• The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

• A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

Don't let worry kill you, let the church help.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

• At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

• Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

• The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."

Writing is a process of:o Selecting, Organizing, Developing o Arranging ideas in logical

sequenceo Expressing ideas in effective

languageo Presenting ideas in standard

forms

Research on Writingo Fluent writing requires frequent practiceo Writing becomes purposeful when on topic of

interest, for varied audiences, and range of purposes

o Need exposure to different modeso Writing should occur in all content areas

Levels of Writing

1. Writing to get ideas down2. Writing to exhibit knowledge on a topic3. Writing to be read and reviewed,

revised and edited4. Writing to be critiqued, revised and

edited5. Writing to be published

1. Writing to get ideas on paper - idea generating, recollecting, data gathering, exploring, questioning

o Students should do tons of this level of writingo Free write, listing, note taking, outlining,

exploring o Not usually read or evaluated (effort or

participation)o Spontaneous – requires little teacher

preparation & little class time

1. Writing to get ideas on paper- idea generating, recollecting, data gathering, exploring, questioning

o Opportunity to stop and think to develop questions based on schema

o Pre-assessment for teaching guideo Promotes writing fluencyo Advantage for quiet, less verbal studentso Does not focus on specific writing trait

o Students should do a lot of this level of writingo Journals, writing prompts (key: clear

prompt/question with definite answer)o More constructed than level 1o Not worried about conventions (grammar and

usage)o Spontaneous – little teacher preparation

2. Writing to exhibit knowledge on a topic- making meaning, translate concepts into own words

o Quick assessment of student knowledgeo Promotes active learning by requiring

production of informationo Promotes content-rich writing and writing

fluency

o Does not focus on specific writing trait

2. Writing to exhibit knowledge on a topic- making meaning, translate concepts into own words

3. Writing to be read & reviewed, revised & edited

- meets up to three specific standards of focus correction areas with substantive content

o Students should do some of this level of writing

o Use writing levels 1 & 2 to begin level 3

o Begin correcting – focusing on correction areas (FCA)

o Draft, read aloud, review to meet criteria: Completes assignment, easy to read, avoids

problems in FCA

3. Writing to be read & reviewed, revised & edited

- meets up to three specific standards of focus correction areas with substantive content

o Revising and editing are done on drafto More time consumingo Easy to evaluate and grade based on mastery of

FCA’so Excellent preparation for essay testso Improves writing skills

o Requires disciplined, skillful teacher designed assignments

4. Writing to be critiqued, revised, and edited

- Requires two draftso Students should do a couple of this level of

writing o Polished level 3 writingo Read aloud and critiqued by anothero Most effective and efficient of all levels for

improving writing skillso Produces fair, objective evaluations

4. Writing to be critiqued, revised, and edited

- Requires two draftso Promotes sharing and exchange of ideas, insights, and informationo Creates a community of learnerso Requires disciplined, skillful teacher designed

assignments, selected FCA and structured oral reading & self-editing process

o Time consuming: peer editing/oral reading can double the amount to complete

5. Writing to be published - Requires multiple drafts & considered a major project

o Students should do this level of writing once o Publishable quality outside the classroomo Requires multiple drafts, therefore, major

projecto Results in an appreciated product (real world

standards)o Provides opportunity to use all skills and talents

to fullest

5. Writing to be published - Requires multiple drafts & considered a major project

o Time consuming for teacher (final editor) and student

o Evaluation difficult because final product in publishable quality

Levels of Writing

1. Writing to get ideas down2. Writing to exhibit knowledge on a topic3. Writing to be read and reviewed,

revised and edited4. Writing to be critiqued, revised and

edited5. Writing to be published

Level 2 Writing

In your learning log, reflect on the 5 Levels of writing and your teaching practice.

Writing Fluency

• The ease, speed, and automaticity with which students can transfer ideas and expression from thought to paper

• All skilled writers are fluent writers; not all fluent writers are skilled writers

How do we develop students’ writing fluency?

• Write daily for a variety of purposes and audiences: writing to learn

– Quick writes– Writing in response to reading– Writing to solve problems– Writing to complain– Writing to summarize

How do we develop students’ writing fluency?

Classroom Environment• It’s not how much we write, it’s how

long• Students must not be afraid to take

risks• High expectations

How do we develop students’ writing fluency?

Sharing• Students have to talk before they

can write• Idea generation• Informal sharing of writing

Level 1 Writing

• Create a T-Chart in your notebook. – On the left side list all the Level 1and 2

writing you already do with your students.

– On the right, list ideas to work more of this fluency-building writing into your instruction.

• Share with a partner

Expository writing is meant to inform the reader.

Examples:• Tell what happened when…• Write a report on…• Explain how to…• Describe…

Persuasive Writing is meant to convince the reader.

Helping students draft

1. Model is a verbo Move beyond the Grecian Urn

Benefits of Writing with Your Students

o Teachers understand the writing task better when they do it themselves

o Teachers uncover the hardest parts that need mini-lessons

o Teachers can model that writing is challenging

o Teachers who complete a task have a better sense of how to assess it

Helping students draft2. Use the 4:1 Grading Policyo First drafts should never be

gradedo Students should choose pieces

for revisiono Students need coaches more

than critics: “Don’t Be Afraid to Fail”

Helping students draft

3. Build choice into the tasko Open vs. Closed Topicso The myth of the boring topic

Persuasive Writing PromptA shortage of teachers is projected in coming

years. The state legislature is considering a bill that would significantly raise teachers’ salaries as a way to attract more teachers to the profession.

Write a letter (essay) to the legislature in support of or against this bill.

Helping students draft

4. Talk the paper outo One Big Brain

Helping students draft

5. Model how to map ideaso Graphic Organizers

Helping students draft

6. Give them tools and let them practice

o Conferencingo Types of Contento Hooks and Leadso Transitionso Ending Stems

Helping Students Revise

o Conferencingo Elaborationo Pulling Out the Weedso Word Choiceo Sentence Fluency

Level 2 Writing

• What I’ve learned• What I’m still wondering about