Writing Class 6-8 Promoting a Cause (3)

 

Warm-Up for Promoting a Cause

One way that persuasive writing can empower you is to help you promote an important cause.

How Can I Promote a Cause?

© Thoughtful Learning 2016

You can promote a cause by showing readers how it will help them or help others. To convince readers, you must give solid reasons and express your ideas clearly. In this unit, you will be asked to write an essay that persuades others to support a cause that you believe in.

“Save the whales!” “Alba Moreno for class president!” “Reduce, reuse, recycle!” These statements are more than just slogans that you might see on campaign posters or advertisements. They also identify worthy causes—helping an intelligent species, electing a candidate, and recycling. Almost everyone supports one worthy cause or another. When you support a cause, you express your belief about something. When you try to get others to support your belief, you use persuasion.

In this unit, you will be asked to write an essay that persuades others to support a cause that you believe in.

Thinking About Opinions

People have all kinds of opinions and all kinds of reasons for their opinions. An opinion is a statement that reveals your thoughts or feelings about something. It involves a judgment. (For example, you may like or dislike asparagus.)

Write opinions.

For each sentence starter below, choose "like" or "don't like," provide a topic, and write your reason after "because." Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. I like/don’t like   because . . .
2. I like/don’t like   because . . .
3. I like/don’t like   because . . .
4. I like/don’t like   because . . .
5. I like/don’t like   because . . .

Creating Opinion Statements

You can most powerfully express your opinion by creating an opinion statement. An opinion statement shares your specific opinion about an interesting topic.

• Specific topic: basketball
• Thought or feeling: constant action makes it exciting
• Opinion statement: The constant action in basketball makes it one of the most exciting pro sports.

Create opinion statements.

For each opinion you wrote in the previous activity, write the topic and a specific thought or feeling. Then combine the two into an opinion statement. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Topic  
   Thought or feeling  
   Opinion statement  
2. Topic  
   Thought or feeling  
   Opinion statement  
3. Topic  
   Thought or feeling  
   Opinion statement  
4. Topic  
   Thought or feeling  
   Opinion statement  
5. Topic  
   Thought or feeling  
   Opinion statement  

Reading a Promotion Paragraph and Essay

Before writing to promote your own cause, you should see how other writers convinced their audiences. As you read the paragraph and essay below, think about how the writers put ideas together and how you might promote your own cause.

Reading a Persuasive Paragraph

A persuasive paragraph has three main parts. The topic sentence states the opinion. The body sentences support the opinion with reasons. The ending sentence restates or emphasizes the opinion.

Sample Paragraph

Save the Shelter

Topic Sentence:
OpinionThe city animal shelter needs more support from all of us to continue helping animals and our community. Our shelter is the only one in the tri-county area that does not euthanize animals, but instead seeks homes for them.Body Sentences That makes it a critical resource for thousands of people. Local citizens adopt dozens of animals each week, giving them new starts on life. Each adopted animal is neutered or spayed so that it does not add to the problem of stray dogs and cats. The shelter also employs 15 full-time workers, giving them not just a paycheck but also an important mission to help our furry friends.Ending Sentences So, support the animal shelter through donations of food and cash as well as by speaking to your city council representatives. Together, we can help animals and enrich our own lives.

Respond to the paragraph.

Answer these questions about the paragraph. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. How would you summarize the writer's opinion?

2. How would you summarize the three main reasons that support the opinion?

Reading a Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay has three main parts. The beginning paragraph introduces the topic, gains the reader’s interest, and states the opinion. The middle paragraphs give reasons to support the opinion. The ending paragraph restates the opinion and provides an important final thought or a call to action.

Sample Essay

Support Our Animal Shelter

Beginning Paragraph

Imagine that you are lost. You don't know where you are or how to get home, and you can't ask anybody because you can't talk. You are probably hungry and thirsty, and your feet are really tired. If that sounds scary, think about how a stray dog or cat must feel. Dozens of cats and dogs get lost in our city every day. They wander helplessly through the streets looking for home. If they are lucky, they find their way home. They are also lucky if someone finds them and takes them to the local animal shelter. The shelter in our city is the largest in the country, and it keeps every animal until someone takes it home. Lately, though, the shelter has been unable to raise the funds it needs to stay open. Our city can't afford to lose the service this shelter provides. Opinion StatementEveryone—even people without pets—should support the shelter in every way possible.

Middle Paragraphs

The most important reason the shelter needs to stay open is that it takes care of hundreds of lost and sick animals. As many as 10 animals show up every week at the shelter. The shelter presently has 52 dogs and 31 cats as well as some other animals. These animals would have no place to go if the shelter were not open. They would wander in the streets, at risk of getting hit by cars. Life at the shelter is so much better for the animals as they wait for owners to claim them or others to adopt them. And any animal that is adopted is spayed or neutered so that it does not add to the number of strays.

Reasons

In addition, the shelter is important to the people of our city, too—not just the animals. Every day, people at the shelter feed and clean up after the animals. Shelter workers also walk and groom the dogs. The shelter provides jobs for 15 people. People really love working there. Janice Pao has worked there for five years. She loves taking care of the animals and has brought home a few to live with her.

The final reason we need to keep the shelter open is that it is a good reflection on our city. The fact that we can maintain a first-rate shelter shows that the people of our city care about animals. It gives us a good reputation. It makes people want to live here, especially if they have come to adopt a lifelong friend from our shelter.

Objections Addressed

Some people argue that the shelter could save a lot of money if it euthanized unwanted animals. That may be true, but already three other shelters do so in the tri-county area. Ours is the only one that does not. Sometimes people moving into nursing homes or moving to other countries have to give up pets that they have loved for years. Knowing they can take them to a shelter that will find them new homes helps these people and their animals during this rough transition. We should not allow such an important community resource to wither away for lack of funding.

Ending Paragraph

In conclusion, we need to keep the city animal shelter open and running as long as there are animals who need it. In an ideal world, no pet would ever stray from home. But because animals need our help, we should provide it. Help the shelter stay in business by donating needed supplies such as dog and cat food, kitty litter, chew toys, paper towels, and plastic garbage bags. Cash donations help, as well. But also we need to support the shelter by speaking with our city council members and showing them the shelter is a priority for us. Animals can't always take care of themselves, so let's help them as much as we can.

Respond to the essay.

Answer these questions about the persuasive essay. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. How would you summarize the writer's opinion?

2. How would you summarize the main point of the first three middle paragraphs?

   Paragraph 2

   Paragraph 3

   Paragraph 4

3. How does the writer answer an objection in the essay?

4. What calls to action does the writer make in the ending paragraph?

Prewriting for Promotion Essays

Prewriting is your first step in writing an essay to promote your cause. 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

The topic of your persuasive essay should be a worthy cause. For example, suppose the school band needs more instruments. In this case, a worthy cause would be to figure out how to get more instruments for the band.

Brainstorm topics.

Under each category in the chart, jot down worthy causes that you feel strongly about. A sample topic appears under each category. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Animals	Environment	Community	Sports	School
Poaching	Clean water	Community theater	New equipment	Band instruments

Select a cause.

Consider your possible choices of causes to promote. Ask yourself: How strongly do I feel about each cause? Why do I support it? Would my reasons persuade other people to support the cause, too? Then choose a cause to write about.

The cause I will write about is . . .

Prewriting to Research Your Topic

You can begin researching your cause by exploring your thoughts and feelings about it. You should also think of convincing reasons to persuade others to support the cause.

Explore your topic.

Answer the following questions about the cause you would like to promote. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Why is the cause important to me?

2. How will supporting the cause make a difference?

3. What do I already know about it?

4. What reasons can I give others to support the cause? (List three reasons.)

5. What else do I need to find out?

6. Where can I find out more about my topic? (List three places.)

Conduct research.

Find out more about your topic, exploring the three resources you listed above as well as any other useful sources that you can find. Take notes on the information you discover and the place that you find the information.

Prewriting to Create an Opinion Statement

Your promotion essay should clearly state your opinion. Remember that an opinion is different from a fact. Facts can be proved true or false.

Students need instruments to be able to play in band.

(This fact is obvious since bands consist of students playing instruments.)

Parents and friends should contribute unused instruments to our band program.

(This opinion can't be proven directly but can be supported with convincing reasons.)

Sort out opinions and facts.

Read each sentence and identify it by writing "Opinion" or "Fact" in the space that follows it. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Giant pandas are an endangered species.

2. More animals need endangered species protection.

3. Some school cafeterias serve breakfast as well as lunch.

4. All school cafeterias should serve breakfast as well as lunch.

5. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the best screen adaptations of any novel.

6. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is set in Middle-Earth.

Create an opinion statement.

Review the formula for creating an effective opinion statement. Then write an opinion statement for the cause that you want to promote. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Topic	+	Opinion	=	Opinion Statement
Band instruments		Donate unused (but usable) ones		Parents and community members with unused but usable band instruments should donate them to the school band program.

1. What is your topic?

2. What is your opinion about the topic?

3. Create an opinion statement that names your topic and provides your opinion.

Prewriting to Outline Your Argument

After you write your opinion statement, you should list reasons that support it. Each major reason can be the focus of a body paragraph in your essay. Together, the opinion statement and reasons form an outline for your first draft.

Opinion Statement

Parents and community members with unused but usable band instruments should donate them to the school band program.

Reason 1

More students want to play in band than can afford to rent or buy instruments.

Reason 2

Instruments do no one any good sitting in closets gathering dust.

Reason 3

Band teaches focus, teamwork, listening, and math as well as music.

Reason 4

Donating used instruments is much better than running fund-raisers to buy new instruments.

Outline your argument.

Write your opinion statement and then list supporting reasons in the order that seems best to you (most to least important, least to most, or logical). Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Opinion Statement

2. Reason 1

3. Reason 2

4. Reason 3

5. Reason 4

Writing a Promotion Essay

Once you have selected a topic, formed an opinion, and organized reasons to support the opinion, you are ready to write a first draft of your essay. These writing activities will help you create a strong beginning, middle, and ending. You'll also read another student's promotion essay to see how all of the parts came together.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The first sentence is called the lead. It should capture your reader’s attention, introducing the cause in an interesting way.

Write a lead.

Review each lead-writing strategy and write an example of your own. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Ask a provocative question about the topic.

   What does a trumpet player sound like without a trumpet?

2. Start with a surprising fact or detail about the topic.

   The trumpet section of our band has ten players but only six trumpets.

3. Tell a little story about the topic.

   The first time I played my trumpet in concert, I realized I had made a friend for life.

Write your beginning paragraph.

Write your lead and then provide details as you work toward your opinion statement. Write the opinion statement as the last sentence in the beginning paragraph.

Lead Sentence

Detail Sentences

Opinion Statement

Writing the Middle Paragraphs

Each middle paragraph explains one of the important reasons that supports your opinion. You'll need to develop each reason with a variety of details.

Write middle paragraphs.

Write a topic sentence for the first reason in your outline. Add examples, facts, observations, and definitions to support the reason. Then begin a new paragraph for the second reason, and so on. Use transition words or phrases to signal new information. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Transitions to Add Information

again

along with

also

another

finally

first

for instance

for this reason

in addition

in fact

in the same way

lastly

likewise

importantly

next

then

Middle Paragraph 1

Topic Sentence

Detail Sentences

Middle Paragraph 2

Topic Sentence

Detail Sentences

Middle Paragraph 3

Topic Sentence

Detail Sentences

Middle Paragraph 4

Topic Sentence

Detail Sentences

Middle Paragraph 5

Topic Sentence

Detail Sentences

Writing the Ending Paragraph

Write your ending paragraph.

Try these ending strategies. Then combine some into an ending paragraph. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Ask a pointed question about the cause.

   What is sadder than an unplayed instrument? How about a student with no instrument to play?

2. Remind readers why your cause is important.

   Band provides students a creative outlet and teaches critical teamwork skills.

3. Call readers to action.

   Donate your unused instruments and give them a new life in new hands.

Topic Sentence

Detail Sentences

Ending Sentence

Reading a Promotion Essay

Read a sample.

Note how the writer put the parts together.

The Sound of Distant Trumpets

LeadWhat does a trumpet player sound like without a trumpet? Well, all you will hear is a loud, rude fluttering of lips. That's the sound that four students are making about the band program's lack of instruments. Not every student who wants to play in the band can afford to buy or rent an instrument, which means some people have to sit out. And we're not talking about just the four trumpeters without trumpets. We also have two trombonists who have to share an instrument, swapping the mouthpiece and sitting out every other song. Meanwhile, many perfectly usable instruments sit in closets in people's homes, gathering dust.Opinion Statement Parents and community members should donate their unused but usable instruments to the school band program.

Topic SentencesThe biggest reason to donate instruments is that more students want to play in band than can afford to rent or buy instruments. In addition to the students who are currently sharing instruments, Mr. Peterson has a waiting list of students who can't even join band. The problem is that a new trumpet, for example, can cost between $500 and $5,000, and monthly rentals run around $25. That's $300 per year without even owning the instrument. The band program should not be just for kids who are better off than other kids. If the school received playable instruments, Mr. Peterson could clean them up, grease the slides, and do any other minor adjustments to get them into a student's hands.

After all, instruments do no one any good sitting in closets gathering dust. Detail SentencesMr. Peterson says, "An instrument creates a bond with a player." That's probably why adults haven't parted with their old high school instruments, even though they haven't played them in decades. But those same adults need to realize that their old instruments could bond with a new player, someone who would make not just music but also lasting memories. Imagine what would happen if all those silent instruments could join the band and play again!

Students who join the band not only learn music but also focus, listening, and teamwork. The only way to successfully make music with fifty other students is to concentrate on one's own part while listening to the contributions of others and working together to create something. These are key skills for success in other classes and in the working world. TransitionsIn fact, the National Association for Music Education cites a report that students who have been taught to perform music have higher SAT scores than those who don't: 63 points higher on the verbal component and 44 points higher on math. Also, students involved in music programs are more likely to stay in school than those who are not.

Answer to ObjectionSome people say that we can simply have a fund-raiser to get money for more instruments, but donating used instruments is much better solution. For one thing, a successful fund-raiser could generate $5,000, but that would purchase just five instruments. We need more. In addition, fund-raisers take a lot of time and effort from teachers and students, with the fund-raising company making more than the school. By contrast, an instrument donation requires just one person and a few minutes. It is the quickest, easiest way for an adult former player to welcome a new student to band.

What is sadder than an unplayed instrument? How about a student with no instrument to play? We can solve both problems at once by holding a drive to encourage adults to contribute instruments to the band program. Help a student make music, and clear out your closet at the same time. Call to ActionDonate your old instruments and give them a new life in new hands.

Revising Promotion Essays

After you write a first draft, you'll be ready to start reviewing and revising. When you revise, you think about the "big picture," including your opinion, reasons, and details and the ways that you connect them into a beginning, middle, and ending. These activities will help you revise.

Revising to Answer Objections

Believe it or not, one of the most powerful ways to support your opinion is to consider the ideas of people who disagree. When you mention an opposing viewpoint, you show your reader that you have already thought about objections against your opinion. You also get the opportunity to handle the objection in one of three ways:

• Refuting the objection means showing how the opposing idea is incorrect.

  Some people say that students who have to share instruments learn patience and cooperation. Unfortunately in the past, students who share instruments have only learned that band is not for them and have dropped out.

• Addressing the objection means recognizing it is valid but has some limitations.

  Many people have suggested a fund-raiser to make money for new instruments. Though fund-raisers can be helpful, the cost of new instruments means a lot of effort to buy only a few instruments.

• Conceding the objection means saying it is a good point while at the same time stressing the importance of your position.

  Yes, every student would prefer to play a new instrument. That's true. But a used instrument is better than nothing, which is what many students currently have.

Answer objections.

Think about three objections to your opinion and write them in the spaces provided. Then, under each objection, write a response that refutes, addresses, or concedes the objection. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Objection 1:

Answer 1 (Refute, Address, or Concede):

Objection 2:

Answer 2 (Refute, Address, or Concede):

Objection 3:

Answer 3 (Refute, Address, or Concede):

Revise to answer objections.

Reread your first draft. If adding an answer to an objection would strengthen your argument, consider including one of your answers to the objections above.

Revising for Logical Transitions

To convince your reader, you need to create a logical, coherent argument. Transition words and phrases can help connect your ideas, showing how they relate logically and how they hold together (cohere). Notice how choppy the following paragraph sounds without transitions, and how transitions greatly improve the coherence.

• Choppy

  Every kid who grows up in the city should go to summer camp in the country at least once. Kids should go to camp to learn coping skills. They will see and learn about many new things. They will learn that not all wildlife is dangerous. Kids will come to enjoy the world of nature. They will find out that the world is much more than concrete and steel.

1

2

PrevNext

Revise for transitions.

Rewrite the choppy paragraphs that follow, adding transitions to improve the logic and coherence. You may need to adjust other words. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Why should the city spend money to turn empty, overgrown lots into community gardens? The lots are really ugly. Turning them into beautiful gardens will make the neighborhood look better. A garden will bring neighbors together. Gardening makes people relaxed. People can eat what they grow and save money.

2. The playground at the corner of Sixth Street and Rio Grande must be improved for many reasons. The neighborhood has only unsafe places for kids to play. Many kids play in lots where buildings have been torn down. These lots are littered with metal and broken glass. The playground is full of trash and dangerous objects. It has broken equipment. The playground is ugly. Neither parents nor children want to go there. By donating our time, tools, and gardening skills, we can turn the playground into a neighborhood treasure.

Add transitions.

Check your essay, watching for choppy sentences that lack coherence. If you find any, add transitions to improve the flow and create logical connections between ideas.

Revising with a Peer Response

Share your writing.

Have a partner read your essay and then respond to it by completing this form. A responder should try to list at least one strong point for each part and, if at all possible, one thing to improve. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Revising in Action

When you revise, you add, take out, rewrite, and rearrange your writing to make it clearer. Here are revisions to one student’s essay.

Paragraph Before Revising

• Changes improve a response to an objection and paragraph coherence.

  

• Paragraph After Revising

  

Revise with a checklist.

Read each line in the checklist. When you can answer each question with a yes, check it off. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Ideas

• Is my opinion statement clear?
• Is my opinion clearly developed with strong reasons?
• Do details (facts, examples, explanations, . . .) explain the reasons?

Organization

• Does the beginning paragraph state my opinion clearly?
• Do the middle paragraphs follow order of importance?
• Does the end paragraph wrap up the essay and give a call to action?

Voice

• Do I sound sincere and interested in the topic?
• Do I refute, answer, or concede objections in a fair and polite manner?

Word Choice

• Have I used specific nouns and active verbs?

Sentence Fluency

• Do my sentences flow smoothly from one to another?
• Do I use transitions to connect ideas?

Editing Promotion Essays

Revising makes big improvements to your writing while editing focuses on little (but important) corrections. You'll look for problems with sentences, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, and spelling. The following activities will help you edit your promotion essay.

Editing to Vary Sentence Beginnings

The most basic sentence starts with a subject and tells what happens to it:

The woman ran across the street.

Notice how plain the sentence is? One way to make sentences more interesting is to vary their beginnings. For example, you can begin a sentence with a word, phrase, or clause.

Word

Frightened, the woman ran across the street.

Phrase

Without pausing, the woman ran across the street.

Clause

Because she was frightened, the woman ran across the street.

Vary sentence beginnings.

Rewrite each choppy paragraph, varying the sentence beginnings by adding a word, phrase, or clause. (You don’t have to vary every sentence.) Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Our school auditorium is too small, dark, and unpleasant. The auditorium leaks when it rains. The chairs are uncomfortable. People don’t enjoy coming to our concerts. More people might come if the auditorium were bright, clean, and comfortable. Students would enjoy performing more. It is clear we should build a new auditorium.

2. The kids in our neighborhood are often bored, and they need a safe place to hang out. They go to the fast-food restaurant on the corner after school. They spend time at the mall on weekends, but these places are not always open. These places don’t provide interesting, constructive activities. It would be a good idea to open a sports and recreation center in the neighborhood.

Edit for varied sentence beginnings.

Reread your essay, watching for sentences that all sound alike. If you find any, edit sentence beginnings to improve the flow.

Editing Comparatives and Superlatives

Adjectives and adverbs have three forms: positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive form is just the normal adjective or adverb, describing an object, person, idea, or action.

Gerald is tall.

The comparative form compares two objects, people, ideas, or actions. Most comparatives are made by adding the suffix -er.

Gerald is taller than I am.

The superlative form compares three or more objects, people, ideas, or actions. Most superlatives are made by adding the suffix -est.

Gerald is the tallest of the three Taylor brothers.

Many words are changed by adding -er or -est. Longer words require more or most (or less or least). Still other words are irregular, taking special comparative and superlative forms.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Short Big Funny	Shorter Bigger Funnier	Shortest Biggest Funniest
Honest Important	More honest Less important	Most honest Least important
Good Bad	Better Worse	Best Worst

Correct modifiers.

In the following sentences, replace any incorrect adjectives or adverbs with the correct form. (Remember that a comparative must compare two things and a superlative must compare three or more.) Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Which of the two brothers is shortest?
2. Who is oldest, you or your sister?
3. I had five pictures taken, and the last one was the worse.
4. That movie was the most long movie I have ever seen.
5. Which of the three movies did you like better?
6. The sequel was more good than the original.
7. Todd is most social than his brother Tim.
8. The candidate gave a badder speech than the previous one.
9. That was the worse speech I ever heard.
10. Let's hope the next speech is gooder than this one.

Edit for correct modifiers.

Reread your essay, paying attention to positive, comparative, and superlative forms of modifiers. If you find any incorrect modifiers, fix them.

Editing in Action

When you edit, you check to make sure your essay is correct.

Before Edits

• Incorrect modifiers are fixed and sentence beginnings are edited for variety and flow.

  

• After Edits

  

Edit with a checklist.

Read each line. When you can answer each question with a yes, check it off. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Punctuation

• Did I close each sentence with an end punctuation mark?
• Do commas follow four or more introductory words?

Capitalization

• Did I start all sentences with capital letters?
• Did I capitalize the names of people and places?

Grammar

• Did I use the correct form of verbs (give, gave, given)?
• Do the subjects and verbs agree in number? (Birds sing; David whistles.)

Usage

• Did I use an appropriate level of language?
• Did I correctly use commonly confused words (affect/effect)?

Spelling

• Did I check for spelling errors?
• Did I use a dictionary or the spell checker on my computer?

Publishing Promotion Essays

When you publish your writing, you make it public. First, you need to make a clean final copy of your work. Then you should find ways to share what you have written with classmates, your teacher, your family, and your friends.

Publishing a Final Copy

Create a final copy of your promotion essay.

Include your editing changes and read over your work a final time. (If you are working on a computer, spell check your work.)

Reflecting on Your Writing

Reflect on your writing.

Complete the following form to think about what you learned. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.