HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

Writing a Persuasive Essay

by Katie B. of Holmes High School in Covington, Kentucky
Uniforms Reduce Problems
INTRODUCTION

Students enrolled in a public high school should be

Opinion statement

required to wear a school uniform. Many studies show that

Summary of
reasons

when school-uniform policies are put into place, there is an

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

improvement in both attitude and schoolwork. Wearing

uniforms would also reduce clothing costs and many problems
related to competition in dress.
BODY/Reason

1:
Logical appeal

Uniforms can improve the school environment, leading

to better student behavior and better grades. Mrs. Chung, a high
school principal, conducted research on the results of wearing

Expert opinion

uniforms. She said, In the past two or three years, several

schools in the nation have begun to require a school uniform.
All of these schools are reporting improved student grades and
improved student behavior.

Reason 2:
Logical appeal

Uniforms are also less expensive than regular clothing.

An outfit for a student can easily cost upwards of sixty dollars.

Evidence: Facts

The uniforms sold at area stores cost fifty-four dollars or less.

HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

Writing a Persuasive Essay

Thus, buying uniforms would save money for students and
Ethical appeal

their parents. This would be especially helpful to families on a

low budget.

Reason 3:
Emotional appeal

Last, uniforms would reduce the competition in dress

among students. Students who do not have as much money as
others would not have to be embarrassed about their parents

Evidence:
Anecdote

income. I have seen students get teased about their clothes in

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the hall, which would not happen if everyone wore the same
thing.
CONCLUSION

Counterclaim
addressed

Some people say that uniforms infringe on students

freedom. However, uniforms would not cause a threat to a
students individual freedom because there are lots of other
things that make you you besides clothing. People would be
noticed for who they are as individuals rather than for what

Summary of
reasons

they were wearing. Because wearing uniforms would reduce

many problems and would improve grades and behavior,

Restated opinion

students enrolled in public high school should be required to

wear a school uniform.

Second Place: Middle School | Student Editorials | TheLedger.com

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2009121...

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order
presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here
or use the "Reprints" tool that appears above any article. Order a reprint of this article
now.

Printed on page A11

Second Place: Middle School

BY JULIA PREZIOSI; EIGHTH GRADE; RESURRECTION CATHOLIC SCHOOL, LAKELAND; TEACHER:
MELANIE PARKS
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.

"One New Text Message " CRASH! Is that cell

phone rally "to die for"? An issue facing drivers
today is the use of cell phones while driving
leading to car accidents and deaths. Drivers
today should not use their cell phones while on
the road.
Driving distractions because of cell phones can
result in serious crashes. Using a cell phone
while driving makes people four times more
likely to get into a crash serious enough to
injure themselves. Talking on a cell phone alone
causes nearly 25 percent of all car accidents.
Many of these crashes lead to injury and death.
These consequences of distracted driving cannot be overlooked. Each year,
distracted driving causes 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths. Twenty-one percent of
fatal car crashes involving teens each year are a direct result of cell phone usage. All
those deaths could be prevented if cell phone usage while texting stops.
Many people say cell phones are convenient in an emergency. What these people fail
to realize is that several of these emergencies are caused by the cell phones
themselves! If those drivers could understand this, then maybe the roads could be a
safer place for everyone.
Texting while driving is the most distracting of all cell phone tasks. Half of all teen
drivers, and one-fifth of experienced adult drivers admit to texting while driving.
Texting while driving causes a 400 percent increase in the time spent with the
driver's eyes off the road. Studies have shown that for every six seconds spent
driving, a driver sending or receiving a text message spends 4.6 of these seconds not
looking at the road. Distracted driving causes crashes, injuries and deaths. Dying
because of text messaging isn't worth it.

This story appeared in print on page A11

Copyright 2010 TheLedger.com All rights reserved. Restricted use only.

1 of 1

3/7/10 9:23 PM

Persuasive Advice Column

Dear IML,
I am 13 and my mom is always trying to butt into my life! I know she is just trying to
help but she always asks me, "Are you and your friends fighting? Why aren't you hanging
out with so-and-so this weekend?" It gets so annoying! I told her that I would tell her
when I want to talk but she still doesn't listen! I have a boyfriend and she is afraid we're
going to go too far too young! I tell her that I can make my own decisions and that I
know what is "too" far but she still doesn't trust me with it. What should I do?
--Stressed With Life, 13
The IML Mentors respond:
Dear Stressed,
Honestly, I get it. But looking back now I'm really glad my mom was nosy too. But your
mom was 13 once too, and I bet she was annoyed at her mother for doing the same thing.
So when you think about it, she could be bugging you because she KNOWS that although
they're not things you really want to talk about with her, they're things that are important
to talk about. It's great that you told your mom that you would talk to her when you were
ready, it shows that you can really communicate with her...but maybe it might be a good
idea to talk to her now. Believe it or not, she probably knows a lot about being a teenager
so she gets how hard it is. Chances are that if she's so concerned about your friend
situation it's because she had trouble with friends when she was your age and just wants
to be there to support you. So, why would you want to talk to her now? It's easy to say
that you can make your own decisions, and I'm sure you can but in regard to the whole
guy thing let me just say this: even the most responsible, logical people in the world get
caught up in the moment and when you're a teenager and running on hormones, let me
tell you it's easier said than done. Your mom just wants you to know that even in the heat
of the moment, even though she knows you know the difference between good and bad,
you have to stick to the decisions you make BEFORE hand. Actually, once you break the
ice, it's actually really fun to talk to your mom about guys, because most mothers and
daughters have the same taste in guys! Give her a chance to be a part of that side of your
life without having to spill everything to her and you might find that she can become a
great friend now that you're older.
--Stormie, IML Mentor

Dear IML,
My parents are divorced and I live with my Dad. When I visit my Mom, I try to talk to
her about me not wanting to live with her, and she keeps saying that I can't stay with my
Dad all my life. What should I do? I don't want to hurt her feelings.
--Ashlyn, 11
An expert responds:
From Jodie Lynn, Author and Newspaper Columnist, "Parent To Parent"
Dear Ashlyn,
This is a lot of pressure for you to put on yourself. Your Mom probably feels bad because
it appears (to her) that you've chosen your father over her. I realize that you don't want to
make your Mom feel bad, but it looks like living with your Dad is working for you -- and
you are basically happy.
As much as you don't want to hurt your Mom's feelings, it's important that your voice be
heard. If you're not comfortable talking to her about how you feel, your Dad, or another
adult you trust, should talk with her. Then, the next time you see her, try to stay positive
when she asks you about it. You could say something like, "Hey -- I love my life right
now and I love you...let's go get some ice cream." You could also ask her questions about
what's going on in her life, so the focus of the conversation is not on you. Remember: If
you feel that this situation is getting too difficult for you to handle, ask for help from your
Dad, a school counselor, or other adults you trust.
The IML Mentors respond:
Dear Ashlyn,
I understand where you're coming from. My parents got divorced when I was 8 years old
and honestly, it was painful. My mother had full custody of me but my father still came
around to visit. In your situation, I suggest that you talk to both your mother and father
and discuss how you feel about being "caught in the middle." Seeking professional help,
such as a family therapist, would be an excellent step towards a solution. I hope for the
best.
--Dexter, IML Mentor
Ashlyn,
I know how hard it can be to try to get a point across to your parents that you know can
be hurtful. Since this is going to personally affect you, you have to be sure to talk to your
mother at the right time. Try bringing up the subject and if you feel like she isn't reacting
well, just stop and tell her that you'll talk about it later. Just keep doing that until you feel
she's in a good position to listen and consider what you have to say. Good luck!
--Mikey, IML Mentor
IML has more advice on how to Get Outside Help when you're dealing with divorce.

Persuasive Review
LEGO Rock Band Review
Believe it or not, the best of the bunch is the portable experience.
Abridged version of an article by Craig Harris
November 4, 2009 - Up until now, Rock Band has avoided the Nintendo DS
platform. Perhaps it was just waiting, but with LEGO Rock Band the rhythm
design has finally strutted onto the dual screen system. And it is good. Very
good. In fact, it's the best version of LEGO Rock Band.
This game is modeled after Rock Band Unplugged, a game that IGN (video
game website) reviewed and gave an impressive 8.2 out of 10 score. And after
playing through the Nintendo DS version of LEGO Rock Band which is,
essentially, the same game I can see why IGN was loving the game so. The
DS game, despite having a few rough spots in presentation, is enormously fun to
play.
This design introduces a fresh rhythm challenge that captures the "flavor" of
Rock Band. Here's the deal: each song is divided into rhythm guitar, bass guitar,
drums and lyrics, each with their own note "highways." As the song plays, you
can, at any time, switch to any of the instruments to play any of the parts.
The game offers a good challenge, but it's not insanely difficult until you crank up
the knob to the Expert setting. Even then, it's nearly impossible to fail out of a
song, but that could be because of the fact that this is meant as a game that can
be played by younger players as well. But don't expect a push-over, and other
than the LEGO characters dancing and singing on the upper screen, don't expect
a kiddy experience. The fact that this is a LEGO game is less important than the
addictive rhythm-based game play.
Closing Comments
The versions of LEGO Rock Band that have been made for consoles are merely
repackaged and recycled Rock Band experiences, but the Nintendo DS version
feels fresh and new. I'm excited to experience it as a new game. The track list is
great and the play is extremely fun. As a direct Rock Band conversion this game
isn't an accurate recreation of the true experience, but as a unique rhythm game?
LEGO Rock Band is very fun and definitely worth a play through.

Martin Luther King Speeches

I Have a Dream - Address at March on Washington
August 28, 1963. Washington, D.C.
Excerpts with annotations:
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest
demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand [Abraham
Lincoln] signed the Emancipation Proclamation [which freed all slaves in the
Confederacy]. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of
Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a
joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.
One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of
segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on
a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One
hundred years later, the Negro finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have
come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of
our [country] wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, they were signing a promissory note [an I.O.U] which every American
was to [inherit]. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable
rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted [failed to pay] on this promissory note
insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation,
America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked
"insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We
refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this
nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the
riches of freedom and the security of justice. Now is the time to rise from the dark and
desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open
the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from
the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold
which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must
not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by
drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We
must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again
we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The
marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to
distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their
presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny
and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn
back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be
satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of
travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We
cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility [movement] is from a smaller
ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot
vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are
not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and
righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations.
Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas
where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and
staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative
suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive [helps
make you a better person].
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana,
go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this
situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the
moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its
creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the
sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with
the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and
justice.
I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently
dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a
situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white
boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall
be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made
straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning,
"My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers
died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from
the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains
of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every
mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from
every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's
children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be
able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at
last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"