THE ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION GRADE 7 Argument & Persuasion

THE ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION

GRADE 7Argument & Persuasion

READING STANDARDS FOR INFORMATIONAL TEXT - GRADE7

7.Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims. (7.RI.8)

7.Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts. (7.RI.9)

OBJECTIVESLearning GoalsStudents will:• Analyze the elements of an argument (claim, support) and evaluate validity• Analyze persuasive techniques (appeals by association, emotional appeals, loaded language) and apply learning to real life. •Analyze rhetorical devices•Next- Write a grammatically correct, well-organized argumentative essay.

What does this mean?

TAKE OUT

• Binder with Paper• Use Cornell Note-taking method.

• Heading: Argument & Persuasion • Date 3/24/15

• https://youtu.be/-lzGy5gizKg - SHMOOP•

NONFICTION• Part 1: What Is an Argument? - a claim supported by reasons

and evidence.• In formal speaking and writing, an argument is not emotional.

• A claim is a writers position on a problem or an issue. • A claim might be stated directly, as in this example: “Dogs are better than cats.” • Sometimes a writers claim is implied, as in this slogan: Juan for Student

Council—Let the Good Times Roll.” • The slogan suggests that if Juan is elected, everyone at school

will have more fun. • The strength of an argument depends not on the claim but on the

support, or the reasons and evidence that are used to prove the claim.

Nonfiction – Argument & Persuasion

• Examples of claims:• • Middle school students with jobs should set aside 20 percent

of their earnings for college.• • If you like fashion, friends, and fun, you’ll love the Farley

School of Design.

• Support (Reasons & Evidence) - is information that helps prove a claim. It is what persuades readers to accept a writer’s claim.

• Besides facts, statistics, and examples, support may include anecdotes and quotations from ordinary people or from experts.


• But remember, people aren’t only logical, they are emotional.

• Persuasive Techniques – methods intended to affect people’s feelings.


• Persuasive Techniques: Appeals By Association1. Bandwagon- Desire to belong “See what

everyone is talking about”2. Testimonial – Uses celebrities or satisfied

customers to persuade.3. Transfer – Connects a product to a positive

image or idea.


• Persuasive Techniques – Loaded Language:1. Words with Positive Associations (all-natural)2. Words with Negative Associations (tired,

stale, dry)


• Persuasive Techniques – Emotional Appeals:1. Appeal to Pity – tap into compassion

(ASPCA)


• Persuasive Techniques – Emotional Appeals:2. Appeal to Fear (ADT Home Security)


• Persuasive Techniques – Emotional Appeals:3. Appeal to Vanity – “Only the best drive …

ARGUMENT VS. PERSUASION

HTTP://URBANDREAMS.OUSD.K12.CA.US/LESSONPLANS/CONSUMERISM/WORKSHEET05.PDF

RHETORIC - DEFINITION

• Rhetoric is a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form. It is an art of discourse, which studies and employs various methods to convince, influence or please an audience.

HTTP://WWW.READWRITETHINK.ORG/

VIDEOS/RHETORIC/VIDEO-61.HTML

Resources available - Videos• Excerpt from Dr. King's I have a Dream Speech (2:18): https://youtu.be/z_ZgSK9yIbk?list=RDI47Y6VHc3Ms• History Channel Video “King Leads the March on Washington” (4:00) http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr/videos/martin-luther-king-jr-leads-the-march-on-washington?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=falseHistory Channel Video “Bloody Sunday” http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr/videos/bloody-sunday?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

READ KING’S “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH

• Underline or highlight powerful language.

• Mark it up:• E – Emotional Appeal - • L – Logical Appeal - Facts• C – Credibility (I have reason to

believe this speaker)

READ KING’S “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH• Underline or highlight powerful language.• Mark it up:

• E – Emotional Appeal - • L – Logical Appeal - Facts• C – Credibility (I have reason to believe

this speaker)

• Which type of appeal is used most in the “I Have a Dream” part of the speech?

• Why?

The Elephant and the Rider MetaphorJonathan Haidt introduces the Elephant and the Rider metaphor.

Dan and Chip write:“But to us, the duo’s tension is captured best by an analogy

used by University of Virginia psychologist, Jonathan Haidt in his wonderful book The Happiness Hypothesis. Haidt says that our emotional side is the Elephant and our rational side is the rider. Perched atop the Elephant, the Rider holds the reins and seems to be the leader. But the Rider’s control is precarious because the Rider is so small relative to the Elephant. Anytime the six-ton Elephant and the Rider disagree about which direction to go, the Rider is going to lose. He’s completely overmatched.”

When Our Elephant Overpowers Our RiderSometimes our emotional Elephant wins over our analytical Rider. Dan and Chip write:

“Most of us are all too familiar with situations in which our Elephant overpowers our Rider. You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever slept in, overeaten, dialed up your ex at midnight, procrastinated, tried to quit smoking and failed, skipped the gym, gotten angry and said something you regretted, abandoned your Spanish or piano lessons, refused to speak up in a meeting because you were scared, and so on.”

Has the dream been achieved?What’s wrong with the world today?

WHAT IS ARGUMENTATION?

• Argumentation is not just having an argument. Unlike many arguments, which are emotional and heated, argumentation is the use of crystal clear thinking – logic – and evidence to convince a person to adopt a particular opinion.

WHAT IS PERSUASION?

• If, while trying to prove their point, a person uses emotional language and dramatic appeals to beliefs and values, they are using persuasion. Persuasion is used to motivate a person to adopt an opinion and then take action.

ARGUMENTATION + PERSUASION =

A CONVINCING CASE! • Because people respond rationally and

emotionally to situations, argumentation and persuasion are usually combined.

• For example, suppose you want to convince your neighbors to use public transportation. You might begin by arguing that using public transportation saves money on gas and car maintenance and also cuts down on pollution.

• Such an argument, supported by documented facts and figures, would help convince money and environmentally-conscious people.

ARGUMENTATION + PERSUASION =

A CONVINCING CASE! • However, to convince stressed-out commuters,

you might also persuade people to consider letting someone else drive while they relax.

• To do this, you would use emotional appeals and positive language. For example: • “Think how pleasant it would be to simply step on the

subway and breeze through the morning paper or even catch a few moments of precious sleep rather than battle vicious gridlock for two hour each day.”

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A WINNING CASE

• The ancient Greeks, who developed our basic concepts of logic (sensible thought), isolated three factors that make a good argument: logos, pathos, and ethos.

LOGOS

• is the use of evidence such as facts, statistics and examples to support your point.

• For example, if you are trying to convince someone that California needs to put more money towards education and less into the construction of prisons, you would tell them that California is first in the nation in prison spending and 41 in education spending.

• Of course, this is why approximately 80% of all public schools are in need of repair, let alone more credentialed teacher and current textbooks.

PATHOS

• is the emotional power of language that appeals to the reader’s needs, values and attitudes. A writer often relies on pathos to motivate their reader to take some type of emotion.

PATHOS

• Consider the following pitches for a man’s cologne: • Brawn: Experience the power. Bold, yet subtle. Clean.

Masculine. The scent for a man who’s in charge.

PATHOS

• Words such as bold, power, and in charge, appeal to those qualities many men want to cultivate, so they will be motivated to buy this product. Like an advertisement, you must use emotional words and phrases to strengthen your message.

• If you believe in legalization of marijuana, you might use words such as liberty, herb, and responsibility. If you favor the criminilization of marijuana, you would use words such as menace, narcotic and irresponsible.

ETHOS

• is credibility or reliability. You cannot expect people to accept your viewpoint unless they believe that you know what you are talking about!

• For example, “Four out of five dentists recommend using BRITE toothpaste.” After all, dentists should know!

• Another way to appear trustworthy is by presenting a logical, reasoned argument that takes opposing viewpoints into account. Also, do not rely too much upon emotion or else you may lose credibility with your audience.

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A WINNING CASE

• So, the ancient Greeks, who developed our basic concepts of logic (sensible thought), isolated three factors that make a good argument: logos, pathos, and ethos.

NONFICTION

• Textbook Pages 912-917

NONFICTION- OBJECTIVESElements of Nonfiction• explore the key idea of salaries• analyze the elements of an argument (claim, support, counterargument)• analyze an argument• read editorialsReading• evaluate reasoningVocabulary• build vocabulary for reading and writing• define idioms by using context clues Grammar and Writing• use commas correctly (items in a series ,introductory phrases)• use writing to analyze literature

NONFICTION- ARE PEOPLE PAID FAIRLY?

• Summary• The first writer believes that athletes should be paid high

salaries because they generate a lot of revenue. • The second writer believes that players’ salaries are

outrageous, making a sad commentary on our social values.

READING STRATEGY• Evaluate Reasoning

• When you analyze an argument, it is important to look for fallacies, or errors in reasoning, like those explained below:

• An overgeneralization is a statement about a group of people or things that is much too broad to be true. “All teachers give too much homework” is an overgeneralization, because not all teachers do.

• A single-cause fallacy suggests there is only one cause for something when there are actually several. “The only reason people read books is to learn” is a single-cause fallacy. People also read for entertainment.

ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION: ARGUMENT

• An argument expresses a position on an issue or problem and provides support for that position.

• Strong arguments have the following elements:• • a claim, which is the writer’s main idea or position• • support, or reasons and evidence that back up the claim• counterarguments, which are arguments made to address

points that someone with an opposing view might raise.

• A good argument refutes the counterargument.• As you read, identify the elements in each argument.

VOCABULARY WORDS

• Don’t write in notes; just try to remember• Where can you find the definitions of words in a

story in our textbook?

COMPENSATION

• Noun. Payment

• I expect fair compensation for the work I do.

BREVITY

• Noun. Shortness (brief)

• The brevity of athletes careers may justify their high compensation.

DISSENTER

• One who disagrees or holds a different opinion

ENTITLEMENT

• Noun. The state of having a right or claim to something

• Some celebrities have an exaggerated sense of entitlement.

APPALLING

• Adj. Outrageous, terrible

• The spoiled child’s behavior was appalling.

VORACIOUS

• Adj. Possessing an insatiable desire; greedy

• The football player had a voracious appitite.

TEXTBOOK

Read Pages 918-919Read along with Audio CD in computer (U08-08 & 09)INDEPENDENTLY - Complete Questions: Page 925,

Quest. 1-6This will be collected and graded.Return to PowerPoint after this is done.

TAKE NOTES ON THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

COPY HEADINGS – SHORTEN UP TEXT

TOPIC:WRITING YOUR ARGUMENT ESSAY

Step 1: Read your prompt carefully. Make sure that your ideas answer the questions asked.issues to you. You must show your strong commitmentto your ideas, so if you can, write about an issue that you truly care about. Make sure there is a counterargument to the issue. You can't write an argument/persuasive essay if everybodyalready agrees with you.

WRITING YOUR ARGUMENT ESSAY

Step 2: Collect and evaluate your evidence so you can come up with a good argument. Then, write a claim. In argument/persuasive writing, the claim states your position on the issue. Your claim belongs in your introduction, and it should be clear and forceful. You can always revise it as you draft and edit your essay.


3: Decide on your reasons and evidence. You need strong, clear reasons for your opinion. Reasons aren't enough to persuade, though. You need evidence to support your reasons. Evidence includes facts, statistics, and quotations or information from experts that help your reader understand why, how, and what for. You can create a two-column chart, with one column for "Reasons" and the other for '''Evidence.'' List all of the reasons you will cite in your paper, and then list evidence for each reason.


• 4. Answer counterarguments fully and completely. Anticipate counterarguments and explain why you disagree with them. Help your reader dismiss the ideas that might-cause them to disagree with you.

• Your third body paragraph will discuss the counterargument and refute it.


• Step 5: Plan your organization. You can organize your-essay by explaining each of your reasons and supporting evidence one by one, dealing with the counterarguments for each point. Another approach is to discuss all of your reasons and supporting evidence in the first several paragraphs and then address counterarguments at the end. You MUST refute counterarguments.


• Step 6: Use persuasive language. No one needs to shout to persuade, but your sentences should sound firm and strong. They should say, between the lines, "I'm sure" or "I know.“

Umbrella Thesis

An umbrella thesis is not broken down into parts. Ex. Professional athletes are paid too much.

ASSIGNMENT-WRITE AN ESSAYFIRST DRAFT IS DUE MONDAY.

• Are professional athletes paid too much?• Use the T-Chart to collect evidence from both

articles. Put in quotes and cite line numbers.• Use the graphic organizer to organize your essay.• Write your first draft. • You need at least FOUR quotes from the textbook

articles.• You need Five Paragraphs.• Address the counterargument in your 3rd body

paragraph. State why the counterargument is wrong.

Umbrella Thesis

An umbrella thesis is not broken down into parts. Ex. Professional athletes are paid too much.

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THE ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION GRADE 7 Argument & Persuasion