This presentation features a lesson on how to write a persuasive essay. It covers the basics of rhetorical writing and brainstorming for high school students.

1. Writing a Persuasive Essay
Convince Me!
Kimberly Bain
ETEC 5610

2. Why we write
 Pepperoni pizza is better than cheese pizza. You may not think so but an
article in the newspaper or a speech can convince you, otherwise. Persuasive
writing is incredibly powerful. It can convince you to vote for someone, buy a
product, or help you to become a better person. This is what we call rhetoric.
 Rhetoric is the way we use words to convince someone in our writing. The
power of writing is in the rhetoric we use. In this assignment, we will use
rhetoric to learn how to write a persuasive essay.
Jessica <3's you!

3. What is a Persuasive Writing?
 Persuasive writing? You may have never heard that term before but it’s more common than you think.
Persuasive writing is used with the purpose of convincing the reader of an idea.
 Persuasive writing comes in many shapes and you can find them almost anywhere. Have you ever read
something that’s made you want to do something? You were, most likely, reading a persuasive essay.
 Persuasive writing can come in the form of:
 Print advertising
 Speeches
 Advice columns
 News articles
 Political campaigns

4. Excuses, Excuses!
 When writing a persuasive essay, you need to look at the reasons why you believe something. It
can be because you think it makes sense or, because you’ve had an experience.
 Take the time to think through your reasons and choose which ones best support your view.

5. Let’s begin
 The first part of writing a persuasive essay is to find a topic. Choose a controversial topic that
interests you and begin brainstorming about the reasons why you think it’s right.
 Begin by writing your topic down and making a list of reasons why you believe your opinion is
right.
 The introduction of your essay should explain your topic in detail. Imagine that your audience
does not know anything about your topic and introduce them to the idea.
iKharizma

6. Keep it going
 The body of your essay should include the list of reasons why your opinion is correct. In 3-5
sentences, you need to explain why each reason supports your opinion. Choose 2-3 reasons
from your list.
 The conclusion will be the last paragraph where you wrap up your opinion. You will briefly list
your reasons and briefly explain why these reasons convince you of your opinion.
WG Creative Writing workshop

7. What kind of sources?
 When you have a topic that you choose to write about, you will need to find reliable sources to
back up your information.
 Reliable sources come from:
 Published books
 Magazine articles
 Textbooks
 School/College online journals/articles
Kelsl Barr

8. Be Careful!
 When writing a persuasive essay:
 DO: Give a short, but sweet explanation of your topic in the introduction. Your audience will need to
know exactly what your point is from the beginning so they can understanding your supporting points.
 DON’T: Avoid talking about your opinion too much. Your introduction should be a basic overview of
your point without overshadowing your reasons.
 DO: Provide citations for the resources you use. Using sources without doing so is plagiarism.
 DON’T: Avoid repeating phrases. Phrases like “I believe”, “I think”, “It’s because”, “This is why” or “My
reasons are”. Simply state your reasons and let them speak for themselves.
Laceyloo22

9. Writing Prompts
 Here are a few examples of topics you can discuss in your persuasive essay:
 “Why Parents Should Have Passwords On Home Computers”
 “Why Exercise is Important”
 “Why Volunteering Makes You A Better Student”
 “How We Can Promote Equality In Our School”

10. Resources
If you need extra help in writing your
persuasive essay, these videos will help.
You can view some of these videos to
help you with brainstorming and figuring
out what to write before you get started.
You will also learn how to create a Works
Cited page to list the resources that you
used in your essay.