okay this video we're going to be
talking about how to write a persuasive
essay now we've talked about all this in
class you've got a lot of information in
your notes you've seen a PowerPoint in
fact I've even sent the PowerPoint home
but I figured that you might need a
little bit of explanation to go along
with it
so if you watch this video which is a
little bit longer than most of them
you'll get a real good idea of what you
should be doing in order to write your
persuasive essay okay so let's take a
look okay the first step obviously in
writing a persuasive essay is to choose
a topic this is a list of some of the
topics we discussed in class you could
choose one of these or there was
obviously the option of selecting
another topic and getting it approved by
me but let's assume that you've got your
topic now once you have the topic
obviously there are two different sides
to that engine so what you have to do is
you've got to create a tree map now
there's one of two separate tree maps
you can have if you're debating the
merits of two separate things such as
this example vanilla ice cream versus
chocolate ice cream your going to want
one that looks like this okay where
you've got the merits of one side versus
the merits of the other now if instead
you chose an issue that has a yes or no
answer like this one should minors have
a curfew
then over here you're going to have the
reasons why someone would say yes minors
should have a curfew and over here
you're going to have the reasons why
someone would say no minors should not
have a curfew now let's continue with
this one all right when you're going to
write your introduction we're going to
put this on a fleet map and we've done a
flee map before when you have an
introduction you're going to start with
a lead like you would with any essay
then you're going to introduce the issue
but this is important you are not going
to give any reasons or support in your
introduction then you're going to take a
position which is going to be your
thesis statement let's take a look at
what mine looks like here's my
introduction the teenage years are a
time when young people are constantly
pushing boundaries and testing limits
this is a natural part of growing up
teenagers have always
enjoyed staying out late but some cities
have curfew laws preventing this even
though most teens are against these laws
their parents usually support them
curfew laws are necessary and should be
enforced in all cities okay
now let's talk about this for a minute I
started out with a lead that was fairly
broad I'm giving my reader the idea that
I'm going to be writing about something
that has to do with teenagers and
boundaries but we really don't know what
my next sentence this is a natural part
of growing up kind of carries through
with us then teenagers have always
enjoyed staying out late but some cities
have curfew laws preventing this this
signals to the reader okay here's the
issue that we're going to be talking
about curfew laws my next sentence
explains the fact that there are two
different sides even though most teens
are against these laws their parents
usually support them some people think
this other people think something
different
finally I end with my thesis statement
curfew laws are necessary and should be
enforced in all cities the important
thing to see here is that I didn't give
any reasons at all not only in my
introduction but not in my thesis either
sometimes students make the mistake of
saying curfew laws are necessary and
should be enforced in all cities because
this is what's best for teens but we
don't want to do that you should not be
using the word because in your
introduction now finally let's take a
look at what my fleam app is going to
look like now on the left hand I'm going
to have supporting details in the middle
I'm going to have some details for my
opposing argument we'll get to this in a
second and finally on the right
addressing the opposing argument this is
really important but let's hold off on
that for just a quick second back to our
supporting details we're going to get
this information from our tree map what
we're going to look for are the three
best details to support my opinion
here's why minors need to be safe no
reason to be out late parents would
worry
notice that I've just got quick little
phrases like bullet points these are the
three most important reasons why I think
minors should have a curfew okay now the
opposing argument this is important here
because what I need to make sure that
I'm doing is I'm looking back on my
cream app I'm looking on the other side
for the other side of the issue think
about it like this someone who disagrees
with me someone who thinks that curfew
laws are not necessary what would this
person say what would what would they be
the three main points this person would
use to convince me that we do not need
curfew laws here's what I've got
first there are unforeseen circumstances
meaning okay I know that there's a ten
o'clock curfew I was doing my best to
get home in time but something came up
and so because things can sometimes come
up maybe we shouldn't have a
hard-and-fast curfew law that's one
argument next it takes away individual
freedom well sure so that's what I'm
saying if if if this is the United
States of America I should be able to
come home what I want next
parents should decide it should be up to
the parents to make these curfew
decisions not the government so those
are the three points that an opponent
would bring up in arguing against the
need for curfews now here comes the most
important part of my essay the most
important part of my planning I have to
address these three concerns that the
opposition brings up here's how I do
this I do I address them to click the
arrows are there so that you can see
which argument is being addressed
so first someone says that there are
unforeseen circumstances my response to
that is that unforeseen circumstances
are no excuse you need to make a plan if
you know that you have to be on by 10
o'clock be home by 10 o'clock people
will say of course that it takes away
individual freedom
well obviously minors do not need
freedom there are plenty of things that
we do not allow minors to do just
because this is the United States does
not mean that everyone gets to do what
he or she wants then people say that
parents should decide well again we have
lots of laws that protect children
regardless of what their parents might
think okay we
force parents to put their babies into
car seats some parents make bad choices
and so this is a situation where we need
to protect children regardless of what
their parents may think so there's how
I've addressed the three now finally
we're going to have a conclusion let's
take a look at our vision you're going
to restate your position not
word-for-word you're going to summarize
your argument and then you're going to
end with a call for action which echoes
your lead let's take a look at what this
means
look at mine it is clear that students
need curfew laws to keep them safe teens
will always want to stay out late but
the threat of their safety is too great
cities must enforce curfew laws
immediately in order to protect young
people without these laws teens may pay
the price for crossing boundaries that
exist for their own good okay so let's
take a look at how I've restated my
thesis in my introduction my thesis said
curfew laws are unnecessary and should
be enforced in all cities down in my
conclusion I'm saying the same thing but
in different words it is clear that
students need curfew laws to keep them
safe okay so I'm reminding the reader
this is what I have said and now it's
clear teens will always want to stay out
late but the threat to their safety is
too great I'm summarizing my argument I
could even extend that summary to list
all three that minors need to be safe
there's no reason for moving out late
and parents are worrying cities must
enforce curfew laws immediately in order
to protect young people there's the call
to action I'm letting you know this is
what we should do
not only do need curfew laws but
everyone needs curfew laws and then my
closing statement without these laws
teens may pay the price for crossing
boundaries that exists for their own
good remember where we started in my
lead I was talking about young people
constantly pushing boundaries by using
that phrase crossing boundaries that
exists for their own good I'm reminding
the reader of where we started this is a
good technique to use looping back to
your lead okay now we've got all of our
planning done your flee map should look
just like this page like the screen here
where you've got your introduction on
the top you've got details of the middle
for your
body paragraphs and then you've got a
conclusion on the bottom but how do we
write this essay the next step of course
is to start your rough draft now the
first thing you're going to do is look
at your introduction excuse me you're
going to look at your introduction and
this is your second shot if you want to
fix your introduction now is the time to
do it if you're happy with your
introduction leave it be and move on to
our body so take a look over here at the
supporting details this is going to be
this is going to be the backbone of my
first body paragraph this the opposing
argument is going to make up my second
body paragraph finally when I'm
addressing the opposing argument that
will be my third body paragraph let's
take a look at how I'm doing it back
over here supporting details
here's body paragraph 1 now all I'm
doing is I'm taking I'm going to I'm
going to have a topic sentence then I'm
going to take my details my supporting
details for my fleam app expand expand
them I'm also going to add a little bit
of support but we'll get to that in a
second so there are several reasons why
there should be a curfew for minors
minors need to be protected and the best
way to do this is to make sure they
aren't out late at night there is no
reason for teens to be out past ten
o'clock
since nothing good can happen at the
hour in fact a recent study showed that
youth crime dropped 15% in cities with
curfews finally if a teenager is not
safe in his bed his parents will
certainly be worried so all I've done I
haven't done any thinking here all I've
done is taken these details put them
into a paragraph I've taken these
details put them into a paragraph and
expanded it a little bit also look at
this I've added some statistics to
support one of my points and I've cited
it down here on the bottom
now here's body paragraph number two I'm
doing the same thing I'm taking
information from my fleam app and
creating a paragraph I've got a topic
sentence some people might argue that
minors should not have a curfew
they would probably say that unforeseen
circumstances could cause someone to get
home late the curfew laws take away
individual freedom they might even be
that parents not the city should make
curfew decisions for their children the
opposition is wrong on all three counts
let me point out a couple key things
here first
obviously I've expanded on my points
from my flee map but here are the
critical things I want I need to make it
clear that this isn't what I believe
this is the opposing argument so I've
got phrases like some people might argue
that makes it clear that it's not me I'm
distancing myself then I've got by
repeating the word day they would
probably see they might even argue again
I'm emphasizing the fact that this is
someone else's opinion and if that
wasn't clear my closing rebuttal really
drives the point home the opposition is
wrong on all three counts when you read
this paragraph you know that I don't
agree with this point of view but even
if you're wondering still now we're
going to explain why I don't argue why I
don't agree body paragraph number three
this is the most important part of the
essay where I'm addressing the opposing
argument let's take a look at how I did
this while some might argue against
curfew laws their arguments are weak if
you are worried that something
unforeseen might cause you to be out
past curfew you should simply make a
plan being unprepared is no excuse the
opposition also argues that minors need
freedom but this is wrong they need
safety and protection fine-only we all
know that parents do not always do what
is best for their children so we cannot
assume that all parents will make the
right decision in this case clearly we
can disregard all three of these
arguments so what I've done in this
paragraph is I've taken my opponents
argument and one by one like checking
off a list I have rendered them
irrelevant
by doing this you're sealing up your
argument you're not only are you telling
your reader here's what I think we
should do I'm also telling the reader
here's why other opinions are wrong
there's nowhere to go
know where the reader has to go except
to agree with me so there you have it
that's how you write your persuasive
essay so that's all there is to it
if you follow that plan make sure you
follow your FLE map you'll be fine and
you will have a great persuasive essay
so that's it from the wattles Writing
Institute until next time remember keep
writing