How to Teach Philanthropy in the Classroom (Part 2)
Persuasive Essay
In a persuasive essay the writer must defend his/her side of an argument. The purpose is to convince the reader. As defined by The UVic Writer’s Guide:
“The persuasive essay must choose a side, make a case for it, consider and refute alternative arguments, and prove to the undecided reader that the opinion it presents is the best one. You must be aware of other sides and be fair to them; dismissing them completely will weaken your own argument.”
It is similar to a debate but in written form, a kind of editorial that must be supported with evidence.
Read through one of Learning to Give’s 9-12 lessons entitled Writers As Activists. It is part of a unit called Philanthropy—A Day at the Beach, and incorporates persuasive essays.
In the lesson, the instructions for writing the persuasive essay follow:
- The introductory paragraph should state your opinion clearly.
- The next three paragraphs should give specific examples.
- The closing paragraph should clearly restate your position on this opinion and try to convince the reader to act or believe accordingly.
The key skills of writing a persuasive essay that support philanthropy include (check all that apply):
