Language Arts Activity
Writing to Persuade

Directions:
Complete the writing activity below. Read the prompt carefully. You may refer to all your previous work in this unit.

Prompt:
As a member of the firm Port Consultants, Inc., you have made your final decision on the selection of a site for an oil terminal. Make sure that your recommendation involves choosing between a pair of sites on a coast of the United States that your team did not investigate. Now you must write a persuasive report for Mr. Gonzalez, president of the firm, in which you:
...identify your choice
...explain your reasons for making that choice
...persuade him to accept your decision.

Before you write
1.
review the notes you took during team presentations
2. Čreview the standards to be used for evaluating a site selection

Contents of your report
1.
the reasons for your opinions
2.facts that support your reasons
3.evidence on harbor characteristics, tides, currents, wave action, marine life, economics and emergency preparedness.

Format of your report
1.
Organize your information so that it will be logical and persuasive.
2. Your report should show your clear understanding of the issues, sufficienct supporting details, and the use of clear, correct, persuasive language.

Writing mechanics As you write, you should also do the following:

1. Refer to your notes on the evidence presented by the four groups on coasts other than yours. Use this information to select one site as the location for your recommendation.
2. Use a pre-writing strategy, such as listing,webbing, or concept mapping, to organize supporting data, evidence, and logical arguments.
3. Use these ideas to write a rough draft
4. Self evaluate, using the rubric provided by your teacher, keeping in mind that you are writing an important business report.
5. Have your peers to evaluate and react, using the same rubric and also the peer response form.
6. Revise your work, taking into consideration the responses given during the evaluation of your writing.
7. Check over your work. Proofread, using the proofreading guidesheet
8. Prepare a final copy of your work.

Student Pages

Authors: Jill Mueller (miata@www.com) and Pat Pentek (ppentek@inil.com) West Chicago Middle School, West Chicago, Illinois with permission granted from Russell G. Wright, Ed.D., Director of Event-Based Science Project, Rockville, Maryland, 20850.Created: Fall 1996 Updated December 14, 1996.Created for The Fermilab LInC sponsored by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Education Office , and Friends of Fermilab and the Illinois State Board of Education.
URL: http://www-ed.fnal.gov/linc/fall96/projects/jmueller/la3persua.htm