Guided Notes

Would you believe…?RI8 and SL3

In this topic….

We will explore a variety of persuasive texts. The writers will present their opinions and support those opinions with evidence. Your job is to analyze the text and decide if the supporting evidence is relevant, adequate, and convincing.

Types of persuasive texts:

• Articles• Editorials• Speeches• Letters• Advertisements• Public Service Announcements

In persuasive pieces, writers make claims.

A claim is a statement that conveys the writer's interpretations of or beliefs about something. Claims are not facts but rather conclusions that the writer draws from facts.

Good claims

• include the possibility of at least two different, sometimes opposing, points of view. After all, there should be a reason to argue for a belief or interpretation.

• claims should be supported with specific evidence.

What is an argument?

• An argument is facts or reasoning offered to support a position as being true

Patterns used to make arguments:

• description• sequence • cause and effect • problem/solution • compare/contrast

Reader’s role

A reader has to be able to distinguish between evidence that supports an argument and evidence that does not support an argument.

Example TextThe Spookiest Vacation

Looking for a different type of vacation? Come and experience a most unusual holiday at Ghostly Manor. Nothing could be more exciting.

This sixteenth century manor is teeming with the oldest and most respected ghosts in the country. Come and see for yourself.

Open throughout the coldest months of the year, we offer weekend haunts for the more daring vacationer. We doubt you will find a more spine-chilling holiday at any time of year.

All bedrooms are equipped with the highest standards of creaking doors, creepy looking portraits, and custom built cobwebs. All designed to give you the worst night’s sleep of your life.

Take a few minutes to answer the questions on your guided notes page.• What claim(s) has the author made?• How did the writer create an argument for

this claim?• What is one piece of evidence that supports

the argument?• Is there any evidence that does not support

the argument?

What claim(s) has the author made?

• Ghostly Manor offers the scariest vacations.

How did the writer create an argument for this claim?

• The writer used descriptive words and phrases to emphasize the scary features of Ghostly Manor.

• The writer described the bedrooms .• The writer described the age of the manor

and the best time of year to enjoy a scary vacation.

What is one piece of evidence that supports the argument?

“All bedrooms are equipped with the highest standards of creaking doors, creepy looking portraits, and custom built cobwebs.”

This statement vividly describes the setting so the reader can understand why a vacation at Ghostly Manor is scary.

Is there any evidence that does not support the argument?

“Open throughout the coldest months of the year,”

Why do you need to visit when it is cold? There is not enough information to support this part of the argument.

You can also listen to persuasive texts.

• Delineate means to describe or outline precisely.

Reader’s role

• When listening to a persuasive argument, the audience should be able to distinguish between claims that are supported with reasons and evidence and those that are not.

Pay attention to the speaker’s:

• Inflection – the emphasis a speaker places on words through change in pitch or volume

• Facial expressions• Gestures• Repeated words or statements

Listener’s role

• When listening, the audience must distinguish between relevant and non-relevant evidence.

Example persuasive speech

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJtHNTzOEAs

What claims did the speaker make?

• School uniforms should be mandatory in public schools.

What evidence was used to support the speaker’s claims?

• Quote from former President Clinton• Personal experience• Benefits of uniforms• Example types of uniforms• States that require uniforms in public schools