Persuasive Essay

Thesis statement:

Topic sentence but with an attitude – in other words, you must take a position on the subject.

Video games are fine in moderation when monitored by adults.

Video games are fun and exciting and children should be allowed to play without interference from parents.

Most of the articles in the district assessment booklet are opposed to the use of video games by children.

Some of the articles are in between – they believe that with moderation and adult supervision most video games are fine.

Some of the articles seem to imply that most children are using video games immoderately and without adult supervision.

Some of the evidence provided in the district assessment booklet:

Average game buyer is 37 years old.

Percentage of time parents are involved with purchase or rental of games is 83%.

90% of games are purchased by adults.

Percentage of parents who monitor their children’s use of video games – 92%.

10% of the games are still unmonitored.

There are still many people who are under 37 who are using video games.

Opposing arguments:

How do we know the 37 year old is a parent?

The number of 37 year olds who are buying video games may cause the game inventors to create games for 37 year olds which are inappropriate for children.

17% of parents are not involved with the purchase of video games.

What does the "percentage of time involved" mean? How is percentage of time involved calculated and by whom?

How did the researchers get the 92% statistics that parents monitor their children? Don’t people lie on surveys to make them appear better than they are?

These are the components of the persuasion essay one must have in order the pass the test:

T: thesis

TP: thesis addressed the prompt

Aee: analyzed and evaluated the evidence

DP: developed the prompt

CC: Counter claim

If your thesis statement is anti-video games: they are destructive and harmful to children, then you would might want to go to page 12, “Video Games May Help Relieve Pain”, to find your counter claim.

Rebuttal: to knock down the counter claim.

Development of the Prompt: one must write additional sentences about the thesis. One does this using anecdotes, statistics, supporting evidence.

Thesis position:

Video games should be banned because they are harmful to children.

What do you mean by video games? What kinds of games?

What do you mean by banned?

How are they harmful and in what way?

What do you mean by children?

Body of the paragraph:

Mini topic sentence

Make sure you write at least two sentences to develop your mini-topic sentence.

Make sure you use at least one piece of evidence per paragraph to support your claim.

In the fourth paragraph put the counter claim and then your rebuttal.

In the final concluding sentence, which ties up the paragraph in a neat little package, quickly reiterate your main points - one sentence or clause per point - and then write a final concluding sentence which restates your position. Do not introduce new information or ideas in the final paragraph.

This essay will be due on _____________.

Persuasive Essay

Anna:

Although video games are a good thing and fun to play, they are holding kids back from attending school every day and getting good grades; it is the parents’ job to limit their children’s excessive use of video games.

According to a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Science in 2000, video games have a definite connection with high school students’ absences in school.

This shows that too many students are too busy playing video games and that they do not get enough sleep to go to school the next day. This can affect their grades.

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Thesis statement:

There is nothing inherently wrong with video games; with adult supervision, teens should be able to have access to video games.

Source or evidence:

According to the graphs compiled by the Entertainment Software Association, the average game player’s age is thirty and the average game buyer’s age is thirty seven.

Your words which show that your evidence supports your thesis statement:

These statistics show that most of the game players are not young kids, but rather mature adults. Most of the thirty seven year old game buyers are either buying these games for themselves or for their young children. This shows that most children are using these games under adult supervision.

In a letter from a concerned student, Nicco Josephs states the following:

In a response to an editorial, “Violent Video Games Cause Violence in Children”, a concerned reader writes,”

Counter claim:

Counter: against

If your thesis statement is that video games are dangerous, promote violence and should be severely restricted then your opponent’s counter claim would be that video games are used by hospitals to help young patients overcome their fear and pain.

BUT (your rebuttal):

The majority of gamers are not sick, frightened children.

Or (another rebuttal):

But the hospitals limit the amount of time and the type of video games played by their patients.

You have to set up your opponents’ argument and then knock it down!

For tonight:

Transfer your information onto the graphic organizer.

Then using your graphic organizer, write a five paragraph essay. Make sure you have a thesis statement; evidence to support your claim; a counter claim and a rebuttal to the counter claim.

First paragraph:

Grabber:

Can be an anecdote (short story) that proves your point

Thesis statement

2^nd Paragraph:

Mini-topic sentence (lets us know what the paragraph is going to be about)

One or two sentences (at least ) which develops the idea of the mini-topic sentence

Evidence from the booklet

Comment (use your own words: the ones YOU wrote in the right box on the graphic organizer) on how the evidence proves your point. (At least one sentence in your own words but preferably two or three sentences showing how the evidence proves your thesis.)

Then a closing sentence.

Counter claim paragraph:

You should write the counter claim and the rebuttal in the body paragraphs.

Counter claim paragraph:

State the counter claim.

Then write at least one to three sentences that strike down your opponent’s claim. This is called your rebuttal. You may even use evidence to support your rebuttal.

Then write a closing sentence for that paragraph.

Concluding paragraph:

Go over the points that were introduced in the beginning paragraph and developed in the body paragraph.

Arrive at your conclusion in this paragraph.

Persuasive Essay

Short Constructed Response for Persuasion

Video Games

Short Constructed Response

Thesis Statement:

It is a sentence that tells the reader what the essay is going to be about; it also has to have your position.

Examples of thesis statements:

Although video games can be detrimental if children play them without parental supervision, video games should not be restricted by the government.

Although video games can be harmful if played without adequate adult supervision, there should not be governmental restriction placed on the use or sale of video games.

There is little or no evidence which shows that excessive use of video games is detrimental to children; therefore, no governmental restriction on its use is warranted.

There is little or no evidence that shows excessive use of video games is detrimental to children; it is the parents’ responsibility to control their children’s video use, not the government’s.

Video games can have a detrimental effect on a child who plays an excessive amount without adult supervision; therefore, there should be some governmental restriction placed on the use and sale of video games to minors.

Students’ Examples of Thesis Statement:

Anna:

Video games can be relaxing and entertaining at the end of a long day; however, they can affect the behavior and thoughts of a child or a teen; therefore, it is the parents’ job, not the government’s job, to restrict the use of video games.

Martha:

Video games have a tendency to be fun and entertaining; however, they can be addicting and can cause problems so the parents should be able to restrict their children’s access to the video games.

DaMaya:

Kids who are addicted to video games are not at fault; their parents are for buying the inappropriate video and allowing it to take over their children’s minds; therefore, the government has done its part and cannot be blamed.

Vocabulary:

Banned: to completely outlaw; to be totally against the law.

One side is demanding more restrictions

Pretty good example:

Another side is demanding no more restrictions but placing the responsibility of video use on the parents.

Video games corrupt young minds by exposing younger players to violence; the constant demand of games and new systems and the crucial impact on the behavior warrant the parents’ overseeing the child’s use of the video games.

Andy:

Video games are fine in moderation and restrictions have already been made, so the rest of the responsibility lies in the hands of the parents for each individual situation.