5th and 6th Grade Language Arts - Persuasive Writing Guidelines

Using the list of prompts from the book 50 Debate Prompts for Kids (provided in class), you will be writing five-paragraph essays on those topics.  You will not have to write 50 essays in all.  You may choose your topic, provided it comes from the list.  Choose a prompt for which you feel you can write a five-paragraph essay.

To Avoid:
•    Contractions, slang, and clichés
•    The words “get,” “stuff,” and “things”
•    Second person (the word “you”)
•    Phrases such as “I believe,” “I feel,” and “I think”

Each essay must contain:
•    An introduction that is at least two sentences long.  The last sentence of the introduction must be the thesis sentence, the one sentence that sums up your entire essay.
•    Three body paragraphs, each of which contains at least five sentences (one of which is the topic sentence).
•    A conclusion that is at least two sentences long.  Do not begin your conclusion with the words “In conclusion.”

Tips:
•    Follow the writing process – PREWRITE, write a rough draft, revise (make content stronger), edit (grammar/spelling/punctuation), publish.
•    Vary sentence length (have some short sentences and some long ones)
•    Have strong details – good reasons to support your opinion
•    Use (but don’t overuse) transitions – “in addition,” “furthermore,” etc.
•    Topics about schools (such as #31) can be written about schools in general or specifically about Dunham
•    Get feedback – parents, friends and teachers cannot write this for you, but you may ask them to proofread it.  You can send drafts to me via email at Dan.Rosenberg@dunhamschool.org or drop them off in the morning for pick up at the end of the day.

Grading
•    Writing about a topic on the list of debate prompts and stating a clear opinion (5 points)
•    Sentence and essay requirements (such as the sentence and paragraph lengths) (5 points)
•    Grammar/spelling/style – proper grammar, correct spelling, appropriate style (such as avoiding slang and contractions) (10 points)
•    Content (what you say in your essay) (25 points)

Due Dates (every other Wednesday):
•    October 14th – first essay
•    October 28th – second essay
•    November 11th – third essay
•    December 2nd – fourth essay
•    December 16th – fifth essay

Essays must be typed.  Prewriting and rough drafts may be typed, but do not have to be.  You may not choose the same topic twice.  Please include your topic number on your essay.