Persuasive Texts and Media Notes

Collection 6 PERSUASIVE Texts and Media Name:______________ Date: _____________ Hour:___________ Persuasion is ___everywhere_____. Skillful persuaders want you to see things __their___ way: * ___Believe___ this! *____Change____ that! * ____Trust____ me! __Persuasion_____ is the use of language or images to get us to ___believe_____ or ___do____ something. For writers, persuasion starts with an ____opinion____ - a ___belief______ or ___attitude________. Opinion __People should help donate food and supplies to the Hebron Human Society now. __________ _______________________________________________________________________ The writer then tries to convince, or ___persuade___ you to ___accept___ this opinion. To build an ____argument_____, a persuasive writer will use __logic____, or correct reasoning. When you use logic, you put _____information______ together to make a reasonable ______conclusion______________. If A is true… then B must be true. For logic to work, each ______point______ should follow from the ____other_______ in a ___clear____, ____sensible___ way. If A is true… (reason) The government has cut funding for the Humane Society animal shelter. (evidence)… then B must be true. Therefore, the shelter staff needs more help from the community. For a ___persuasive______ argument to be ____logical____, it must be supported by ___reasons____ and _____evidence__________. Reasons tell __why_____ writers hold particular opinions. (People should donate because) the Humane Society benefits the entire community. Evidence is support or __proof____ that __backs__ up the ___reasons_____. Sheltering homeless animals keeps them off the street. Evidence is the ___foundation____ of persuasive writing. Writer’s Opinion Reason 1 Evidence for __reason 1___ Reason 2 Evidence for ___reason 2___ Reason 3 Evidence for ___reason 3 ___ The evidence and reasons support the opinion. Sentence #1—opinion People should donate food and supplies to the Hebron Humane Society now. Sentence #2—Reason 1 Sentence #4—Reason 2 Sentence #6—Reason 3 Supplies are low. Shelter benefits the community. Humane Society is low on funds. Sentence #3—Evidence 1 Sentence #5—Evidence 2 Sentence #2—Reason 1 Some of the cats do not have beds or toys. People can adopt a dog or cat for a very small fee. Budget was cut by $50,000 last year. Types of Evidence To get you to _____believe______ or do something, writers have to present _______convincing________ evidence. Facts Quotations Examples Statistics Anecdotes Facts  Statements that can be __proved_____ ____true____  Can be ___confirmed______ in reliable sources (books, __newspapers____, and so on) Every pet at the Humane Society shelter is spayed or neutered before being adopted out. Quotations  Comments people have made about a _______topic______ A ___direct____ quotation is a person’s ______exact______ words: “The staff helped us pick out just the right cat for us,” said Mrs. Lucy Fernandez of South Hebron. An ____expert______ opinion is a statement by someone who is an expert on the ______subject______: Regional director Gary Stokes commented, “All animal welfare groups rely on help from their communities.” Statistics  __information____ presented as numbers  May be given in the __text___ or in a ___chart______ Text In the past three years, the cost of operating the shelter has increased by $30,000. Cost to Operate Shelter Chart 2007 2008 2009 $200,000 $220,000 $230,000 Examples  Specific ______illustrations_________ of a general ___idea______ For instance, a number of cats went without their regular shots because there was no money left in the budget. Examples A __case_____ ___study____ is a special type of ____example____ based on scientific ___research________. In a long-term study, Lynette Winters, D.V.M., showed that pets adopted from shelters where conditions were good made better, healthier pets than those adopted by less desirable shelters. Anecdotes  Brief ____personal______ accounts that __illustrate____ a point On several occasions, Jared Epps, an adoption counselor at the shelter, has had to leave his desk, drive to a nearby pet store, and buy food for the animals himself, using his own money. Logical and Emotional Appeals When you read a persuasive article or essay, look for two different types of __arguments______: 1. Logical __Appeals_____  Support the ___argument_____ with facts and other sound ___evidence______  Target the reader’s ______thinking_______ ability If every household in Hebron would donate one twenty-pound bag of food, the shelter could feed its animals for a full year on those donations alone. 2. Emotional _____Appeals___________  Use ___evidence_______ that affects feelings  Often appeal to emotions such as fear, __pity____, and ____jealousy_____ Think of the poor homeless pups and kittens. Do you really want them to suffer any more than they already have? Effective persuasive writing often uses a _______combination___________ of logical and emotional appeals Opinion: People should donate food and supplies to the Hebron Human Society now. Logical Appeal The shelter cares for more than two thousand homeless pets every year and finds them loving homes. Emotional Appeal What will happen to these animals if the Human Society runs out of food, supplies, and money? Be careful when reading a persuasive __article____ or ____essay_____.  Don’t be ____swayed________ by emotional appeals alone.  Make sure the writer’s position is also supported by solid _____evidence_________.