How to write a persuasive paper for kids: be creative
When you are writing an academic essay your goal is convince the reader that your argument is sound. If you writing a persuasive or argumentative essay then you need to convince the reader that your particular argument is the right one. For this type of writing there are going to be at least two sides to the argument in question. You are responsible for picking one side and writing about that side in such a way that the reader finishes reading your essay and takes your side.
This is not to say that you only write about one side. In order for your argument to be solid you need to address the counterargument. You need to bring up the opposition so that you can point out the flaws in their logic or areas where your side has better supporting evidence. By presenting both sides you can convince the reader that you understand both sides and your side is better because of logical reasons not emotional ones. You can answer any questions the reader might have before they even get to the end of your paper.
Most persuasive or argumentative essays follow the simple 5 paragraph structure. That means there is:
- An introduction
- Body paragraph 1 (where you present your first argument with its corresponding piece of evidence)
- Body paragraph 2 (where you present your second argument with its corresponding piece of evidence)
- Body paragraph 3 (where you present your third argument with its corresponding piece of evidence)
- Conclusion
If you have more than three arguments you can always have more than three paragraphs.
Some people like to address one element to the argument and present both sides in a single paragraph followed by another element in the second paragraph etc… But other students prefer to write all about their arguments and then the opposing arguments or vice versa. The style and format that you use is entirely up to you. You can create an outline for both and see which style feels better or is the easiest for you to make your case.
The nice thing about a persuasive argument essay is that you can take any debatable issue and use it as your topic. You can write about the good or bad effects of something or you can write about the good and bad results of a program. You can only be stopped by your imagination.