Persuasion intro

1. Persuasion intro

2. PURPOSE • FIRST AND FOREMOST- REMEMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO PROVE YOURSELF RIGHT. • They are wrong. You are right. They just do not know it yet. • Therefore, your analysis should not have any language that is ambiguous, leading the reader to ask what side you believe. • Conversely, it should not yell or belittle the reader.

3. Vocabulary • PATHOS- Appeals to emotion • LOGOS- Appeals to logic • ETHOS- Making the audience approve of your character • TONE- the speaker’s attitude on a subject • MOOD- the emotion experienced by the reader

4. Considerations • What will be the tone of your piece? (Sarcastic, Frightened, Serious, Angry, Pleading) • Which persuasive strategy will you employ or combination of which two? • What kind of evidence will you use to present your point?

5. Organization • Intro and Thesis Statement • Evidence for assertion • Concession and Refutation • Conclusion

6. Introduction • Attention Grabber- Quote, Statistics, Fact , General Statement • Example(s)- narrowing down to thesis • Bridge to thesis • Thesis • You may also choose to acknowledge the complexity of the issue in your intro

7. Types of Thesis Statements • An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience. • An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience. • An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

8. Examples • Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement: • The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers. • Example of an analytical thesis statement: • An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds. • Example of an argumentative thesis statement: • High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

9. Thesis Statement • A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes: • take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree- picks one side • deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment • express one main idea • assert your conclusions about a subject • Justifies the discussion on the subject

10. THESIS STATEMENT Cont • Usually found at the end of the first paragraph • Your paper may take on new ideas as you write. If so, change your thesis to accommodate these new ideas.

11. Examples • Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support. • Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable. • Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

12. Thesis Practice • Write a thesis statement giving your opinion on the following topics • Write an essay stating your position on which is more important: what a person says or what a person does. • What should be done about America’s drop in education? • Which is preferable: having many friends or one close friend? • Which is the important quality: honesty or compassion?

13. Example Introduction • It took a Senate oversight committee to look into the case of Lance Armstrong before everyone accepted the disappointing truth, that one of America’s greatest heroes was a fraud and a thief. The fallout of this realization has been multiple class action lawsuits, grieving fans, disillusioned cancer patients, and the tarnishing of one of the world’s most storied sporting events. The growing power of media means that all secrets stand the chance of eventually reaching world wide eyes with even further reaching consequences. This technology growth places each celebrities’ life under the microscope, placing the focus and the judgment of one’s character squarely on their actions and less on their often meaningless words.

14. Types of Evidence • Anecdotal- a story backing up your point of view- can be made into an emotional appeal • Logical Progression- a hypothetical situation or real scenario that proves your point • Statistics, Facts • Expert Opinions

15. Evidence Example • The example of Lance Armstrong is certainly a sensitive one in the eyes of Americans, but his betrayal is certainly not unique. From corrupt politicians to lecherous religious figures it seems as if the human body is incapable of living up its professed beliefs for long. Yet in this disappointing realization lies a wonderful truth and a lofty goal, that it is those individuals whose actions mimic their words are those that live on in the mind of the world as true heroes. One need only look at the life of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Patrick Henry, William Marshall etc. etc. to see how true heroism exists only when someone’s actions served as the foundation of their words, not the other way around. The people listed earner respect for their hard work and their sacrifice, not the words they spoke. Sure we remember their words, but their words only achieved notice because of the caliber of person their actions proved them to be.

16. Evidence Example - PATHOS • Consider if you will the fate of the abandoned soldier. It is not an unheard of practice of soldiers being stranded behind enemy lines with the compassionate promise that help will be there soon. The soldier is reminded of their training and told to be brave, but the encouraging voice on the other end knows the truth. It is impossible to help them. But, there they sit, sweating in fear, hoping this is not the last time they will see the sun, clutching a picture of their young daughter, wishing the cavalry would come soon, only to find their hoping and waiting placed them in more danger. Honesty guarantee this man will survive, but it will give him a fighting chance. It clarifies the purpose and the paths one can choose. The compassion is a false relief. It is a short bandage that cannot be stretched to cover the wound. The chance at a miraculous journey towards salvation is robbed by one person’s lack of courage to face the emotion outpouring that comes with hearing the sometimes bitter truth, but that is what is needed to push someone forward.

17. Concession and Rebuttal • Concession- to acknowledge the other side has some good points which add to the complexity of the issue • Rebuttal- explaining why their “good points” are not as correct or valid as your own.

18. Concession Example • There are those amoral individuals that would try to convince you that a person’s words outlive their actions and may go so far as to give examples of cheaters that have prospered quite easily during their lifetime and helped them earned their levels of power. It would be quite easy to rustle up examples of people whose words are greater than their character. However, the legacy of each of these individuals will never extend beyond their words. Their words may be inspirational, but a look into their lives reveal something hollow and without merit. The shallow words inspire us to reach for the stars and leave us without an example on how to accomplish it.

19. Conclusion • Should summarize your view • Should offer a truth or broader view of the issue

20. Conclusion Example • The debate over what a person says versus what a person does is obviously a complex one, but that does not necessarily mean it does not have a definitive answer. Flowery words are meaningless without the righteous actions to give weight to the ideas. In an age of internet connectivity and social media, hordes of young people are daily saturated by images of would-be heroes falling from grace from a poor decision. In this world of disillusionment, it is only those are who are noble of deed first, those who lead by example, that are worth following.

22. Expository Introduction • Attention Grabber- Interesting Fact, Quote, Statistic- meant to draw attention to the importance of the issue • Example- Should provide an example of the importance of your opening statement • Bridge to Thesis- How your example connects to your thesis. • Thesis- What you believe and why. Must have a subordinate clause (a “because clause”)

23. Example-What is the most important quality of a good teacher? • (Attention Grabber) Studies show that 35% percent of a student’s ability to learn from any particular person is the rapport between the student and their teacher. (Example) Students pile into classrooms everyday with individuals that have undergone several years of education in pursuit of their degree and teaching certificate, but they have large variations of success in these classes. (Bridge to Thesis) Despite numerous similarities in teacher educational programs, it seems only a select few teachers are able to successfully reach their students. (Thesis) The distinguishing characteristic between the success of these teachers and the most important quality of the teacher is their capacity to form a working relationship with their students, (Because Clause) because it is only through these relationships with students that the teachers will inspire students to listen closer, studier harder, and feel more obligated to do their best in the class.

24. Evidence- How you know what you know • Topic Sentence- broad enough to cover the whole paragraph • Evidence- Anecdote, Experiments, Hypothetical Example, Story from the news • Explanation of the importance of the evidence- How does the evidence prove your thesis? • Clincher Sentence

25. Example • (Topic) Movies about teachers are commonality in Hollywood, romanticizing the brave teacher or coach fighting against all odds to reach goals that were thought of as unattainable. (Evidence) What all of these, in many cases, true stories have in common is a teacher that cared desperately for their students. Their compassion and interest became contagious in their classroom. The respect they gave their students was returned in the way the students treated the teacher and their fellow students. “Freedom Writers,” “Pay it Forward,” “Sunset Park,” “Dangerous Minds” each portray a teacher whom appeals to us not for the strategies or charts they present in class, but because of the love and support they offer their students regardless of the students’ condition. (Clincher) Old adages such as “You have to give respect to get respect,” “Laughter is the best medicine,” “Smiles are contagious,” and “A person does not care what you know until they know how much you care,” detail the kind of teacher and the kind of environment that teacher will create for greatest student success.

26. Evidence #2- Extend how you know what you know • Topic Sentence- broad enough to cover the whole paragraph • Evidence- Anecdote, Experiments, Hypothetical Example, Story from the news- (Choose a different method than the first piece of evidence) • Explanation of the importance of the evidence- How does the evidence prove your thesis? • Clincher Sentence

27. Conclusion • Should restate your thesis in light of your evidence • Should offer a universal statement meant to connect the piece to the reader.