English 11

Tomorrow, you will be writing a five-part persuasive essay. Your task is to either persuade me to continue using Life of Pi as the class novel or dissuade me from ever using this novel again. Remember, a persuasive composition is very similar to the regular five paragraph expository essay. You still must have three reasons to support your thesis, and these reasons must be supported with strong, logical evidence. However, you can be more emphatic and passionate in your statements. You also have more leeway to use literary and figurative devices to champion your position. Finally, in the conclusion you must include a call to action and encourage your reader to DO something.

Tomorrow, you may bring any handouts I have given you in class, an English to English dictionary, and rough notes (to be attached to your final copy). Experience writing essays in a timed, classroom situation is a very important component of this exercise. Please do not bring a completed essay to class tomorrow morning in the hopes that you can simply rewrite it as a good copy.

Lisa sent me this very moving video clip of albatrosses on the island of Midway in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I know that some of you investigated the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or Great Pacific Garbage Gyre when you were doing your investigations for Life of Pi. This enormous, swirling mass of human garbage is wrecking havoc on our planet. The video clip tells a chilling story about the effects of this terrible case of pollution on the albatrosses of Midway Island. You should definitely take a look at this four minute video. These birds are, I fear, our "canaries in the coal mine".