Persuasive Writing

Writing About History
Persuasive Writing:
A Proposal for a New Trade Route
Writing Model
ClassZone.com
Writing 2.4 Write
persuasive compositions.
Purpose: To convince the ruler of a city-state on Africa’s eastern
coast to finance the development of a trade route to Mali
Audience: The ruler of Kilwa
Persuasive writing is writing whose purpose
is to convince another person to adopt your
opinion or position. It can take a variety of
forms, such as letters to the editor, formal
essays, articles, and proposals. Historians use
persuasive writing to propose interpretations
of history and support them with facts and
examples. People in public life—leaders and
community members—use persuasive writing
to advance ideas and actions they believe in.
▲ A trade caravan in Africa
Organization & Focus
In Unit 3, you read about the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires of
West Africa, which controlled the gold-salt trade across the Sahara.
You also studied the city-states on Africa’s eastern coast, which
traded across the Indian Ocean. Imagine you are a trader in Kilwa
in the 1200s. You have heard of the wealth of Mali, far away. Your
assignment is to write a proposal to the ruler of your city-state
convincing him to finance you as you develop a trade route to Mali.
Identifying Purpose and Audience Your purpose is to use evidence to
persuade another person to adopt your proposal. Your audience is the
ruler of your city-state. As you develop an argument for why the ruler
should finance a new trade route, keep in mind the ruler’s interests.
What would he hope to gain from a new trade route?
Finding Supporting Evidence Review Chapters 5 and 6 to find reasons
to support your proposal of the trade route. Pay attention to the maps.
Read and take notes on the descriptions of Mali on pages 165–167 and
Kilwa on pages 182–183. Look for the products each society produced
and the goods they traded. Try to anticipate any concerns the ruler
might have about financing a trade route. Also, find details to show that
the benefits of the trade route will outweigh the costs.
204 • Unit 3

Research & Technology
Good persuasive writing depends on strong evidence.
Use facts to convince your ruler of your plan. Do
additional research to find out what products West
Africa has to offer your city-state. Use technology to
find this information. The chart below explains how.
Technology Tip Check with your
librarian to find out what electronic
services your local library has.
• Most libraries have
electronic card
catalogs. You can
search these by author,
title, or subject to
find information in a
number of ways.
Using Technology in Research
• Some libraries have
access to online
databases of magazine
articles, such as Infotrac,
which are searchable in
the same way.
• Search engines can help
you locate thousands of
sources of information
on the World Wide Web.
• Electronic encyclopedias
on CDs contain a wealth
of information. Many
encyclopedias are also
online and have links to
Web sites for additional
information.
Outlining and Drafting Make an outline showing the three main
parts of your proposal. The introduction should grab the ruler’s
interest and state your recommendation. The body of your proposal
should offer facts and examples in support of your recommendation.
Present your supporting arguments in order of importance, saving the
most important argument for last. The body of your proposal should
also show how to overcome any potential problems. The conclusion
should tie together the ideas in the rest of the proposal and make a
final strong appeal to the ruler and his interests.
Evaluation & Revision
When you have finished the first draft of your proposal,
exchange papers with a classmate. Compare and contrast
your arguments with his or hers. Rework your proposal
as needed to make your arguments as strong as possible.
Then edit your work to make it free of errors.
Publish & Present
Make a neat final copy of your proposal. Prepare a cover
for it, decorated with images from the cultures of Africa.
If possible, read your proposal to your classmates and display
it on a bulletin board.
Self-Check
Does my proposal
show an awareness of my
audience and purpose?
have an introduction stating
my recommendation and
making a strong appeal?
contain well-organized and
convincing evidence?
have a strong conclusion
with a final appeal?
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