Steps for Writing a STAAR Persuasive EssayCarnegie Vanguard H.S.English II, Mrs. Ellis2015

STEP #1A

READ the prompt. Circle the most important word in the prompt (the subject).

Should school librarians ban inappropriate

books from the school library?

STEP #1B

Underline the other ideas you must address in your thesis (the subject).

Should school librarians ban inappropriate

books from the school library?

STEP #2Brainstorm a list of reasons for

and against the issue or position.

For banning books:

--students are too young to make decisions about what they read

--librarians don’t want parents mad at them

--students should only read about pleasant and non-controversial topics

Against banning books:

--the Constitution allows us the freedom of speech, freedom of press

--students need to learn to make responsible choices about what they read

--students should not be sheltered from controversial world news

--students can find inappropriate material on the Internet

--the question of appropriate reading is debatable, it cannot be determined by one individual

STEP #3

Choose the position you will argue.

Either “YES, school librarians should censor books”

OR“NO, school librarians should

not censor books.”This becomes the center of your

thesis

STEP #4

Choose the two “reasons” for which you can write the best argument.

--Each reason has to be developed and explained

--Limit yourself (space management)

STEP #4A

Limit choices because space is limited

For banning books:

--students are too young to make decisions about what they read

--librarians don’t want parents mad at them

--students should only read about pleasant and non-controversial topics

Against banning books:

--the Constitution allows us the freedom of speech, freedom of press

--students need to learn to make responsible choices about what they read

--students should not be sheltered from controversial world news

--students can find inappropriate material on the Internet

--the question of appropriate reading is debatable, it cannot be determined by one individual

STEP #5Write your THESIS: •Rearrange words from prompt into statement • Add “because” •Add two reasons

This is the road map for the rest of your essay

School librarians should not ban books from the school library because students need to learn to choose for themselves—not to mention the fact that banning goes against the American Constitution.

STEP #5Write your HOOK: •1-2 additional sentences (max 1/6 of space)• Bridge from general world of reader to the specific world of your thesis.

Plan on returning to your hook idea in your conclusion

While readers often prefer books that comfortably confirm their world view, it’s critical not to overlook the value of being reminded of a wide range of perspectives. School librarians should not ban books from the school library because students need to learn to choose for themselves—not to mention the fact that banning goes against the American Constitution.

STEP #6

Develop each reason in three steps:

--First, rewrite Reason #1--Second, write down the counter-argument--Third, combine them into a TS

Use these to make your TS more persuasive

Roadmap TS #1

Reason #1 addresses objection

Students need to learn to think independently and make decisions for themselves, and if libraries ban books because some ideas are objectionable, students won’t learn to critically think.

Persuasive Phrases

Include phrases like these to ensure the persuasive nature of your essay:

It is certain that…The logical conclusion is…The fact is…The truth is…The correct perspective is…Common sense reveals that…The bottom line is…In reality,…The essential idea is…With certainty, a person can say that…In the majority of cases…

Smoothe & Persuade

TS: Reason #1 addresses objection

The truth is, students need to learn to think independently and make decisions for themselves, and if libraries ban books because some ideas are objectionable, students won’t learn to think critically.

Add persuasive transition:

TS #1: The truth is, students need to learn to think independently and make decisions for themselves, and if libraries ban books because some ideas are objectionable, students won’t learn to think critically.

CD-CD-CM: Imagine that a young girl reads Sawyer’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and is outraged at the racist language and treatment of slaves in the novel. Because of reading this objectionable material, she decides to become a human rights activist, ultimately influencing society in a profound way. If a librarian had taken away this option, the young girl might not have made that important decision about her life’s work.

Body Paragraph 1

2nd Body Paragraph

Reason #2.

Banning goes against the American Constitution.

Seems a bit bald, doesn’t it?

2nd Body Paragraph

Reason #2 addresses objection The objection is implied in the original, but stated in the rewrite.Replace: Banning goes against the American Constitution.

With this: Our nation is founded on the idea of free speech, so limiting students’ access to controversial writing just because it might be offensive is a breach of their freedom under the Constitution.

Address objection

Add transition, support

Irrefutably, our nation is founded on the idea of free speech, so limiting students’ access to controversial writing because some ideas are objectionable is a breach of their freedom under the Constitution:

For example, the Constitution of the United States of America proclaims certain “inalienable rights” for its citizens that include freedom of speech and freedom of press. If a student (who is, in fact, a citizen) is not allowed to pursue certain information banned by a library, that limits his or her freedom. It further suppresses the freedom that authors have to distribute their ideas, beliefs, and philosophies, no matter how different.

Conclusion Paragraph

Return to your hook and use it to state your position/thesis statement in a different way.Always provide a satisfying close for the reader

Conclusion Line(s)

Hook, thesis, counterclaimYes, life is easiest when we are most comfortable—but the United States of America was founded not on comfort, but on healthy discourse, making it critical that school librarians not ban the very carriers of ideas of diversity on which this nation stakes it claim to liberty—and on which intellectual and moral health rely.

While readers often prefer books that comfortably confirm their world view, it’s critical not to overlook the value of being reminded of a wide range of perspectives.

Some ideas are objectionable

School librarians should not ban books from the school library because students need to learn to choose for themselves—not to mention the fact that banning goes against the American Constitution.