Recess Essay

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Educational discussions about whether recess should remain a part in the school curriculum continue amongst school’s faculty and staff, parents and students. The question remains: what is the outcome of reducing or eliminating recess for students in elementary or secondary schools? The answers range from keeping recess as a free time for students, to eliminating recess altogether. The author of, “Is Recess Necessary?,” Jay Mathews, opposes recess in the school day. Mathews asserts that recess is not necessary for education and that students benefit more from spending the time they would be spending on recess in the classroom instead. The author portrays recess as a harmful and dangerous waste of time for the students. Mathews argues his opinion by using the three main rhetoric appeals, ethos, logos, and pathos, to convince others to his point of view on recess. Mathews reasons his argument against recess using the appeal of logic, providing evidence with the use of surveys and educational reports. The author also uses quotes from trusted officials in education to increase his ethics. The major appeal Mathews uses in his argument is emotional appeal, or pathos, with his choice of loaded words to portray recess in a negative light and stories from educators who also believe recess is not necessary in school days. Mathews argue his viewpoint on recess successfully through the use of pathos because it lets the reader see the effects of recess through the eyes of a teacher. Author Jay Mathews, is an educational columnist for The Washington Post. Jay Mathews has been an educational columnist and blogger for more than 40 years for The Washington Post. He has written seven books on education and has won several awards for his educational writings. Mathews has even won the Upton Sinclair award as “a beacon of light in the realm of education” (Jay Mathews). Mathews mostly

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