Prewriting for Persuasive Essays
Prewriting is your first step in writing a persuasive essay. These prewriting activities will help you select a topic to write about, develop an opinion statement, and gather and organize your reasons and details before you begin a first draft.
Prewriting to Select a Topic
For your own persuasive essay, you need to select a debatable school issue that you feel strongly about. A debatable issue has differing opinions. For example, few people would debate the need for education, but many would debate the idea of extending the school year.
Brainstorm topics.
Complete the sentence starters to consider issues about school life that you have strong feelings about.
One thing I'd like to change about our school is . . .
One problem I see often at our school is . . .
One way we could make school better for all students is . . .
One cause, sport, or activity I wish our school would take part in is . . .
Select a topic.
Share your topic ideas with one or two classmates to find out which ones they like. Also ask yourself which topics you feel most strongly about. Put a star (*) next to the topic for your persuasive essay.
Prewriting to Develop an Opinion
Select a topic.
Share your topic ideas with one or two classmates to find out which ones they like. Also ask yourself which topics you feel most strongly about. Put a star (*) next to the topic for your persuasive essay.
To write a convincing persuasive essay, you need to feel strongly about your topic. These activities will help you develop your opinion of the topic.
List your thoughts.
Answer the questions below to consider what you know and want to know about your topic.
- What do I already know about the topic, and what are my feelings about it?
- What else do I need to find out?
Next Step: If needed, ask others for their thoughts about your topic; also, research it online and at the library.
Write your opinion statement.
Review the sample opinion statement. Then write an opinion statement that clearly expresses your main feeling about your topic. Before you write your statement, make sure that you have collected all of your thoughts about the topic. If you don’t like how your first statement turns out, write a second or third version.
Overcrowded hallways, cafeterias, and classrooms (the topic) make it very hard to teach and to learn (a feeling or belief about it).
Write your opinion statement:
Prewriting to Gather Reasons
After you form your opinion, you will need to gather reasons to support it. These reasons should be explained with a variety of details. The following activities will help you do this.
Consider supporting reasons.
Fill in the table by writing your opinion statement and finishing each “because” statement with the three best reasons to support your opinion.
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Opinion Statement: |
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Because . . . |
Because . . . |
Because . . . |
Gather evidence.
In your essay, you will develop each reason in a separate paragraph. There are many different types of details that you can use to explain each reason. Read about the six common types, and create ones to help explain your reasons. (You may need to do additional research to complete this activity.)
- Facts are true statements that can be checked.
When students make art projects, they plan, experiment, and make choices.
- Statistics are facts that involve numbers.
The School Board has said that next year’s budget will be 15 percent lower than this year’s budget.
- Examples show a specific case or version of something.
Mr. Larson says his classroom is an art studio, and we are the artists at work.
- Explanations tell how or why something works as it does.
In most classes, students sit at their desks and read, write, and do worksheets. These assignments may be important, but they can get boring. In art class, students create their own drawings, paintings, and other projects. They don’t have to worry about answering questions or making mistakes. In addition, students can move around more and share their work.
- Quotations are the thoughts and words of experts.
Tom Horne, Superintendent of Schools in Arizona, said it best: “If [educators] are worried about test scores and want to get them higher, they need to give kids more art, not less.”
- Concessions show that you are aware of the other side of the issue.
The School Board has said that next year’s budget will be 15 percent lower than this year’s budget. The Board will have a hard decision to make because one or two programs will have to be cut. Before the Board decides, the members need to understand the value of art.
Reason 1:
Details:
Reason 2:
Details:
Reason 3:
Details: