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1. Writing Situation: There has been a problem in local schools with discipline and violence. Your school board has decided to institute a school uniform policy in order to cut down on these problems, based on the positive examples that they have seen at other schools.

Consider the issue of school uniforms. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay to giving reasons for our position on the school uniform issue.

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2. Writing Situation: The principal at your school has instituted random locker and backpack/bookbag searches to check for guns, knives, and other weapons. Anyone caught with these weapons will be immediately suspended. The principal argues that the random searches will not only guard against illegal weapons at school but will also will help students feel safer.

Consider carefully the advantages and disadvantages of random searches at school. Do you agree or disagree with this policy?

Directions for Writing: Now, write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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3. Writing Situation: In order to save money, your principal is thinking about canceling all field trips for the remainder of the year.

Think about the advantages and disadvantages of school field trips as compared to the cost involved. Do you agree or disagree with this idea?

Directions for Writing: Now, write a letter to your principal persuading him or her to continue or discontinue school field trips. Give reasons to support your position.

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4. Writing Situation: The mayor of your city is trying to decide if a 7:00 p.m. curfew for those under the age of 16 is needed. What do you think?

Think about the advantages and disadvantages of the curfew. Do you agree or disagree with this plan?

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay to the mayor [Mr. Thomas Menino] to convince him to enact or not to enact, the curfew. Give reasons to support your position.

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5. Writing Situation: Your family is getting ready to move to a new home and your parents have given you two choices: in a neighborhood outside a city or on a farm in the country.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the living in either the neighborhood outside a city or on a farm. Where would you like to live?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to your family persuading them to live either outside the city or on a farm. Give at reasons to support your choice.

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6. Writing Situation: Many cities are requiring children under the age of 16 to wear helmets while biking, scooting, skateboarding, rollerblading, and skiing.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of wearing helmets.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay stating whether children under the age of 16 should be required wear helmets. Give reasons to support your position arguing in such a convincing manner that others will agree with you.

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7. Writing Situation: Many eighteen year olds who are old enough to vote, choose not to register, not participating in elections. Do you think it is important to register and exercise your right to vote?

Consider the reasons one would want to register and participate in elections.

Directions for Writing: Now write a persuasive essay stating whether or not eighteen year old should register and participate in elections. Give reasons to support your position arguing in such a convincing manner that others will agree with you.

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8. Writing Situation: Suppose that, due to budget cuts in your community, the school board has decided to eliminate one of the following services in your school:

• New classroom computers and software

• Field trips

• Art and music education

• Library services

Everyone has a preference depending on his or her particular interest. If it were up to you, which service would you eliminate?

Directions for Writing: Now write a persuasive essay stating which service you would eliminate giving reasons to support your selection.

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9. Writing Situation: Choose one movie or book that you have recently seen or read that you either enjoyed or disliked.

Consider reasons you liked or disliked the book or movie.

Directions for Writing: State the name of the movie or book and whether you liked or disliked it. Give enough information and detail to convince a reader to agree with you.

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10. Writing Situation: Some of the parents at your school have started a campaign to limit the homework that teachers can assign to students. Teachers at your school have argued that the homework is necessary.

What is your position? Do you think homework should be limited?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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11. Writing Situation: Your local public library has come under criticism for allowing patrons under the age of 18 to check out books that some consider unacceptable. The books are either inappropriate, describe graphic violence, or use questionable language. As parents have complained, the town council has considered removing all questionable books from the library

Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of this action. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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12. Writing Situation: A litter problem has developed on your school's campus. Students are throwing trash on the ground, leaving empty soda cans and bottles outside on benches, and dropping napkins and other trash on the cafeteria floor rather than carrying them to the trash can. Your principal has asked students to take more care, but the litter problem persists. The principal has reacted by canceling all after-school activities until the problem is resolved.

Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of this action. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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13. Writing Situation: The state has created a plan to add a second highway exit to help shoppers access a busy shopping mall. The only problem is that the new exit will move the access road 500 yards closer to a near-by elementary school. Teachers and parents at the school complain that moving the road closer will increase noise at the school and provide unnecessary distractions. The state planners have included privacy fences to help cut down on the problems, but the protesters are unsatisfied.

Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of the second highway. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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14. Writing Situation: As part of a new technology initiative, your local school district is increasing the number of computers in every school. The district plan provides for two computers in every classroom. Teachers at your school are lobbying instead to place all the computers together, creating two computer-based classrooms so that all students in a class can work at the computers together, rather than only one or two students at a time. The district is worried about the additional cost of creating and maintaining these special classrooms and is concerned about how access to the classrooms can be provided fairly and efficiently.

Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of this action. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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15. Writing Situation: One of the biology teachers at your school has decided to change from a ten-point grade scale (100 to 90 is an A, 89 to 80 is a B, etc.) to a seven-point grade scale (100 to 93 is an A, 92 to 85 is a B, etc.). The teacher is trying to encourage students to put more effort into their classes by raising the requirements.

Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of this action. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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16. Writing Situation: The state department of education has provided funding for an experimental online school. All the classes will take place on the Internet, using email, online chat, and the world wide web. The students taking classes at this new online school will never meet each other face-to-face. They will only interact online with each other and with their teachers.

Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of an online school. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

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17. Writing Situation: A teacher, a student, and a member of the town council appear on a local TV talk show and debate whether television does more good than harm, or the reverse. The program's host invites his home audience to write in their views.

Consider the good and harm done by television. What is your position on this issue?

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay to giving reasons you feel television does more good or is harmful.

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18. Writing Situation: Should students be allowed to participate in dangerous ventures (such as rock climbing) on school outings or field trips? Why or why not?

Consider reasons to support your argument in order to persuade others to agree with your opinion.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay to state your opinion on dangerous ventures on school outings.

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19. Writing Situation: Current research suggests that because teenagers have different sleep patterns, they would benefit from beginning the school day at a later time. Suppose your Board of Education has proposed that all high school schedules begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.

Do you agree or disagree that this later schedule would be beneficial?

Directions for Writing: Now write an essay in which you persuade the Board of Education to agree with your opinion. Support your position with reasons and examples.

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20. Writing Situation: Due to potential problems, many school systems have adopted a policy that bans cell phones and pagers on school grounds. However, some parents have provided these items out of concern for safety.

Do you agree or disagree that cell phones and pagers should be banned on school grounds?

Directions for Writing: Now write an essay in which you convince the reader of your opinion. Support your position with specific reasons and examples.

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21. Writing Situation: A law has been passed changing the driver’s license system to a graduated system. A young person can be issued a restricted learner’s permit at age 15, an intermediate license at age 16 and a full license at age 17. Both the learner’s permit and intermediate license limit the number of passengers allowed in a car and limit the hours the person can drive. The full license carries no restrictions.

Consider carefully the advantages and disadvantages of the graduated driver’s license system. Do you agree or disagree with the graduated license system?

Directions for Writing: Now, write an essay in which you persuade the reader to support your point of view. Support your position with specific reasons and examples.

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22. Writing Situation: Current research suggests that because teenagers have different sleep patterns they would benefit from beginning the school day at a later time. Suppose your Board of Education has proposed that all high school schedules begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.

Do you agree or disagree that this later schedule would be beneficial?

Directions for Writing: Now, write an essay in which you persuade the Board of Education to agree with your opinion. Support you position with reasons and examples.

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23. Writing Situation: In some countries, students are responsible for the basic daily cleaning of their school buildings. Fifteen minutes are set aside each day for all students to sweep, dust, and clean their classrooms and corridors.

Think about how you would feel if students were responsible for cleaning your school. Do you agree or disagree that American schools should adopt this policy?

Directions for Writing: Now, write an essay in which you persuade the reader why this is or is not a good idea. Defend your position with specific reasons supported by several detailed examples.

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24. Writing Situation: Imagine that your school district has proposed saving money by eliminating extracurricular sports (football, basketball and baseball) from the high school program.

Think about the possible effects of cutting sports from the school program. Decide whether you are for or against this proposal.

Directions for Writing: Now write an essay in which you persuade the reader why this is or is not a good idea. Defend your position with specific reasons supported by several detailed examples.

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25. Writing Situation: Many schools require all students to perform some type of community service such as working in nursing homes or hospitals.

Think about how you would feel if you were required to perform a community service.

Directions for Writing: Now write an essay in which you persuade the reader that students should or should not be required to perform community service. Defend your position with several detailed reasons. Develop those reasons with supporting examples.

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26. Writing Situation: Since schools have seen a rise in gang violence, stealing, and discipline problems, many schools and school districts are considering requiring students to wear uniforms.

Think about how you would feel if you were required to wear a school uniform. Are there benefits or drawbacks to requiring students to wear school uniforms?

Directions for Writing: Now write an essay in which you persuade the reader that school uniforms should or should not be required. Defend your position with specific reasons supported by several detailed examples.

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27. Writing Situation: Each of us has somebody in the family, possibly even yourself, who deserves an award. Hopefully, the award can be positive like "The Best Mom," The Greatest Dad," "The Top Helper," "Best Cook," "The Great Gardener" or the like. Of course, it could be somewhat negative like "The Royal Pain," "The Sloppiest Bedroom Award" or "Always on the Telephone Award".

Consider someone you know who deserves an award.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay about the award you would give and the person you would honor with it.

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28. Writing Situation: The school board of your district is considering making the school day longer by adding an extra hour. The purpose for lengthening the school day is provide more time for instruction and practice in the existing school curricula. They believe that greater student achievement can be achieved by making the school day longer. They point out that there are experts in the field of education who agree with them. The school board is seeking input from all community members.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of lengthening the school day by an hour.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay stating reasons for your position on this plan.

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29. Writing Situation: Assume that you have a friend and classmate who always wants to be in your group or to work with you on a project, but then does little of the work. The person is nice enough and smart enough to do it, but somehow the results are always the same. You end up doing most of the work and that person gets the same grade as do you.

Consider how you could persuade your friend to do a fair share of the work. Be sure to tell the person why you feel that getting the same grade with less work is unfair, what they should be doing to eliminate the problem, and how you are willing to work with them.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay to convince your friend to carry his or her share of the work.

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30. Writing Situation: Much attention is being paid today to improving the environment, yet many people feel the job is overwhelming.

Consider how you could persuade your friend to get involved.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay to convince an interested student or adult whom you don't know that one concerned citizen can or cannot make a difference, even in a small way.

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31. Writing Situation: Your mayor wants to build youth centers in your town. You think there should be some young people on the planning committee.

Consider how you could persuade the mayor to allow young people to participate in the planning.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay that supports your opinion.

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32. Writing Situation: There is much discussion as to whether some video games are responsible for aggressive behavior. Many adults want violent video games banned.

Consider how you feel about video games and their effect on behavior.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay that supports your opinion.

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33. Writing Situation: Your local school board is seeking ideas to improve your school. These ideas will be discussed during meetings with students, teachers, parents, administrators, and other interested parties. The changes proposed by students will be seriously considered since students are the reason for the schools existence.

Choose one change that might improve your school for all students.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay explaining why your suggested change will be an improvement for your school. Give at reasons to support your suggestion.

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34 Writing Situation: Many people feel Americans are too concerned with material goods.

Think about your opinion on this issue. Do you feel Americans are too materialistic?

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay stating whether you think Americans are too concerned with material goods. Give at reasons to support your opinion.

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35. Writing Situation: Have you ever heard this statement, "Life was easier for teenagers 50 years ago than it is for teenagers today." Do you agree or disagree?

Think about how a teenager’s life today compares with life 50 years ago.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay stating whether you agree or disagree with the statement.

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36. Writing Situation: Many famous people, both real and fictional, have been honored by having their faces on postage stamps.

Consider a real or fictional person who you feel deserves this honor.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay convincing others of your choice.

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37. Writing Situation: Many people have expressed concern about the starting time for high school.  The school board has suggested that school begin two hours later and end two hours later. 

Consider the effect of this change on your high school.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay convincing others to agree with your position on this issue.

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38. Writing Situation: Your parent(s) is considering a job in Seattle, Washington. This would mean that your family would relocate during Thanksgiving break if your parent takes this job. A new town, a new school, new friends. Your parent has asked for your help in making this decision.

Consider the effect of this change will have on you.

Directions for Writing: Write a persuasive essay to either support moving or support staying where you are.

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