The POWER of PERSUASION

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The POWER of PERSUASION
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According to Wikipedia

• Persuasion is a form of social influence. It is
  the process of guiding oneself or another toward
  the adoption of an idea, attitude, or action by
  rational and symbolic (though not always logical)
  means.

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The Persuasive Writer

• Takes a position for or against an
• issue or topic which people
• disagree
• Convinces the opposition to
• believe what the writer believes

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Purpose

• Persuade readers to care about your issue and
  do something about it.

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Persuasive Topics

• Easier Topics
• Best restaurant?
• Best hobby?
• Best sport?
• Best television show?
• Best book?
• Best actor/actress?
• Best radio station?

• Trickier Topics
• Consequences for Cheating or Bullying
• Passing students without passing grades
• Healthier food at schools
• Local community issues

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Know your audience!

• The audience is the person or group of people you
  are trying to convince.
• Your word choice and approach will vary depending
  upon your audience.

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Brainstorm both sides

• What is your position?
• Why?
• What is the opposing sides position?
• Why?

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Plan the Counterarguments

• Identify the best reasoning that your opposition
  has for believing what they do. These are their
  arguments!
• Brainstorm convincing arguments to change their
  thinking in these areas. These are your
  counterarguments!

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Effective Reasoning Devices

• Appeal to logic through reasoning
• Appeal to emotion
• Ethical arguments/beliefs
• Personal anecdotes (stories)
• Case study (research)
• Analogy (comparison)

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Practice persuasion

• TOPIC
• Should animals be used for
• experimentation?
• POSITION
• Animals should NOT be used
• for experimentation.

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Appeal to logic

• There are other methods to test products and
  achieve the same results.

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Appeal to emotion

• Does any animal have to experience pain in order
  for us to have a better shampoo?

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Ethical arguments/beliefs

• Shouldnt all living creatures be treated
  humanely?

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Personal anecdotes

• Can you imagine your own pet suffering? Animals
  of all sorts are tested in order for companies to
  develop better products? If you wouldnt allow
  your animal to suffer, why should others?

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Case study

• Over 5,000 bunny rabbits were maimed or killed
  during the research process to develop a certain
  store brand shampoo.

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Analogy

• Just because animals cant verbalize their pain
  doesnt mean they dont experience emotion. Its
  like a baby who cant tell you what is wrong but
  can still cry to express how she feels.

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PERSUASIVE ESSAY 5 PARAGRAPH FORMAT

• Paragraph 1 Introduction-attention grabber,
  
• background, and
  position statement
• Paragraph 2 Position Support Reason 1
• and explanation
• Paragraph 3 Position Support Reason 2
• and explanation
• Paragraph 4 Counterarguments and rebuttals
• Paragraph 5. Conclusion- Restate your
  position
• and call the
  audience to action.

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• 5 Paragraph Essay Format

Introduction
Supportive Reason 1 and Explanation
Supportive Reason 2 and Explanation
Counterarguments Rebuttals
Conclusion
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Introduction

• Attention Grabber (question, anecdote, quotation,
  statistic, startling statement)
• 2) Background information
• 3) Position Statement

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Paragraph 2

• First reason of support
• for your position.
• 2) Explanation and support

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Paragraph 3

• Second reason of support
• for your position.
• 2) Explanation and support

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Paragraph 4

• List two counterarguments of the
• opposition.
• 2) Give logical rebuttals to address their
  concerns.

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Conclusion

• Restate Position
• 2) Restate supportive reasons
• 3) Call the audience to action

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Calls to Action

• Be reasonable and specific.
• Dont just tell audience to change mind or make a
  weak request.
• Specifically tell the audience to do something.

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Common Calls for Action

• Possibilities
• Attend a meeting.
• Write an important person of the cause.
• Fill out a survey.
• Volunteer to
• 5) Do SOMETHING!