Public Argument
The Written Part:
Purpose:
Write a Public Argument based on the research you accomplished in Unit Two for the Controversy Analysis. Your goal is to persuade your audience of your purpose, your thesis, and any conclusions you draw in your argument. You will turn your research paper into an argument in the form of a letter that persuades a person in a position of power (politician, store owner, coach, university president, newspaper editor, etc.) to take action on something or believe something.
Specific Goals:
• You must identify your rhetorical situation (target audience, speaker, purpose, context).
• You must also incorporate research (minimum of three sources) accomplished in the previous unit, the Controversy Analysis.
• Write an organized letter. You don’t need the same kind of introduction you’d use for an academic essay, but you need to introduce yourself, your topic, and the context of your argument. You have to organize your information so that your reader (s) can make sense of it, even if the information comes in the form of a letter.
• Paragraphs need topic sentences and should follow the PIE structure.
• Establish trust (ethos) by showing knowledge of and genuine interest in your topic.
• Appeal to your reader’s (or readers’) emotions (pathos) or logic (logos) to convince [them] to listen to you.
Important:
–Remember the strategies of rhetorical effectiveness analyzed in unit one. Use them! How will you establish your credibility and appeal to the values and emotions of your intended audience? –Be sure to emphasize the logical appeal! Gain authority from the discoveries you made in unit two: develop your thinking accordingly; provide evidence from your research and explain your reasoning; suit your new approach to your intended audience and purpose. –Don’t assume everyone agrees with you. Consider objections that might be raised in relation to your argument. How will you find common ground, concede, and/or refute their objections effectively?
–Aim for succinctness (conciseness), accuracy of detail, clarity of thought and expression.
Requirements:
Turn in two copies: one with a Works Cited page to be graded and one in an addressed, stamped, unsealed envelope. (Please use the correct format for a formal, business address).
Compose your letter in Standard Written English and with the correct business letter format. Otherwise you will lose credibility and receive a lower grade.
2-4 pages, typed, double-spaced. (Less than 2 full pages will lower your grade by one letter grade).
MLA style is required. Remember citing your sources improve your credibility.
This assignment is worth 20% (200 points) of your final grade.
Instructions:
For this assignment, I will provide you with the assignment sheet, the Rubric sheet, and the sources.
Your primary source is the word doc named Essay2, which is a controversial research paper that I want you to use in order to write Essay3, which is the letter that you will work on. I will provide you with the sources that I have used to write that research paper just to make sure that you have all of the information and also you can go back to whatever source if you feel you need to. Also, please use a proper tone while writing this letter. this letter (Essay3) will be really send. It will be sent to Rep. John Kavanagh, a Fountain Hills Republican and one of the primary sponsors of the bill that instituted budgetary cuts to education in Arizona. This letter should be persuasive to make him decrease tuition. A strong source to use is an article that he has been interviewed through, which is here: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/skin-in-the-game/Content?oid=3250427
Moreover, you must use the PIE structure for the body paragraphs. I will provide a good paper explains the PIE structure. Also, Please use maximum of 2 illustrations per paragraphs and discuss only one point per paragraph.
