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142 Unit 2 ■ Appealing to an Audience

Example Persuasive Thesis with Claim
(Call to Action + Perspective + Idea)
© Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.
Topic: Smartphones in school classrooms
Even though smartphones provide Rather than simply stating a position such
instant access to an immeasurable as smartphones should not be allowed
amount of information, students should in school, you urge the audience to
refrain from using them (call to action) change a behavior and stop using them
in the classroom because they are too in class. This call to action is based on
distracting and tempting (perspective) your claim — that smartphones are too
to most students and ultimately distracting and tempting and ultimately
harm rather than help the learning harm rather than help the learning
environment (idea). environment — and your perspective that
they harm the learning environment.

Begin by listing all the evidence that comes to mind or that you can find through
your research. In the next step of the process, you will begin to organize that evidence
within your persuasive argument. Review the following chart for some examples.

Even though they provide instant access to an
immeasurable amount of information, students should
Thesis with a Call to refrain from using cell phones in the classroom because
Action
they are too distracting and tempting to most students and
ultimately harm rather than help the learning environment.
Possible Evidence
Facts, Statistics, Expert Details, Illustrations, Personal Experiences
Opinions, Experiments Analogies or Observations
Rutgers study links Trying to pay attention to I have seen students
in-class cell phone use a class lecture and looking cheating with Snapchat
with lower test scores. at the phone is like trying during class quizzes.
Around 97 percent of to listen to directions from My brother has had to
college students use their three people at one time. see a counselor because
phones during class for Looking at a text or other of his addiction to his cell
noneducational purposes, content during a lecture phone.
according to a study essentially works like a My teachers use
published last month in delete button, clearing out smartphone technology
the Journal of Media what the student just read in their lessons with polls
Education. or heard. and discussion boards.
In one survey, 80 percent A passionate lecturer
of students agreed that cannot compete with the
using a cell phone in class soothing buzz, warm light,
decreases their ability to and familiar ding of the
pay attention. phone inviting students
to an enticing world of
information.

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