Persuading an audience: Writing effective letters to the editor

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 9

• Goal 2: The learner will explain meaning, describe processes, and answer research questions to inform an audience.
  • Objective 2.01: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
    • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
    • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
    • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
    • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
    • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
    • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
    • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
    • making connections between works, self and related topics.
    • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
    • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
    • identifying and analyzing elements of informational environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
• Goal 3: The learner will examine argumentation and develop informed opinions.
  • Objective 3.02: Express an informed opinion that:
    • states clearly a personal view.
    • is logical and coherent.
    • engages the reader's interest or curiosity.
  • Objective 3.03: Support that informed opinion by:
    • providing relevant and convincing reasons.
    • using various types of evidence, such as experience or facts.
    • using appropriate and effective language, reasons, and organizational structure for the audience and purpose.
    • demonstrating awareness of the possible questions, concerns, or counterarguments of the audience.
  • Objective 3.04: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print argumentative texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
    • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
    • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
    • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
    • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
    • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
    • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
    • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
    • making connections between works, self and related topics.
    • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
    • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
    • identifying and analyzing elements of argumentative environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.

Grade 10

• Goal 2: The learner will evaluate problems, examine cause/effect relationships, and answer research questions to inform an audience.
  • Objective 2.01: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
    • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
    • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
    • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
    • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
    • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
    • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
    • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
    • making connections between works, self and related topics.
    • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
    • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
    • identifying and analyzing elements of informational environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
• Goal 3: The learner will defend argumentative positions on literary or nonliterary issues.
  • Objective 3.02: Produce editorials or responses to editorials for a neutral audience by providing:
    • a clearly stated position or proposed solution.
    • relevant, reliable support.
  • Objective 3.03: Respond to issues in literature in such a way that:
    • requires gathering of information to prove a particular point.
    • effectively uses reason and evidence to prove a given point.
    • emphasizes culturally significant events.

Grade 11

• Goal 2: The learner will inform an audience by using a variety of media to research and explain insights into language and culture.
  • Objective 2.03: Respond to informational texts by:
    - using a variety of strategies for preparation, engagement, and reflection.
    - paraphrasing main ideas and supporting details present in texts.
    -explaining significant connections among the speaker's/author's purpose, tone, biases, and the message for the intended audience.
• Goal 3: The learner will demonstrate increasing sophistication in defining issues and using argument effectively.
  • Objective 3.02: Select an issue or theme and take a stance on that issue by:
    - reflecting the viewpoint(s) of Americans of different times and places.
    - showing sensitivity or empathy for the culture represented.
    - supporting the argument with specific reasons.
  • Objective 3.03: Use argumentation for:
    - interpreting researched information effectively.
    - establishing and defending a point of view.
    - addressing concerns of the opposition.
    - using logical strategies (e.g., deductive and inductive reasoning, syllogisms, analogies) and sophisticated techniques (e.g., rhetorical devices, parallelism, irony, concrete images).
    -developing a sense of completion.

Grade 12

• Goal 3: The learner will be prepared to enter issues of public concern as an advocate.
  • Objective 3.02: Organize and deliver an argument so that an intended audience respects it by:
    - wording the claim clearly.
    - specifying reasons in support of the claim that are likely to be convincing.
    -- adopting an appropriate tone and stance toward the issue.