Project 3 Assignment with Due Dates

Our final portfolio project, a persuasive essay, will be assigned during writing conferences this Friday. The Reflective Letter required to open the portfolio will be assigned and explained in class 11/20.


Project 3: Writing in the Public Forum
Purpose:
To strengthen practices for assessing audience and using analysis to identify the form, focus, and rhetorical approach for your writing; to explore and reflect on practices for developing arguments; to practice the effective integration of information from other authors/texts to support your argument; and to gain experience writing for real-world audiences.
Description of the assignment:
Develop a position on a controversial issue (we will brainstorm a list of acceptable topics in class). Specifically you must take a position with respect to a specific statement on your issue put forward by government, business or some other social organization. In other words - your argument must similar to Dr. King's letter in that it must be a reply to and/or extend of an already stated position regarding your topic.
As you develop your position, you will need to make specific references to what others have argued, and you will need to refer to appropriate authorities (facts, experts, research, etc) to support your argument. You will set forward your position as a traditional persuasive essay (similar to the writing by King).
After writing your persuasive essay, you will re-cast your argument as a letter to your congressman, a letter to the editor, a position statement for your school board, or some other public venue. This will be presented in our final class on December 18, 2009.

Criteria for Essay:
1) a clear statement of your position;
2) detailed, complex presentation of issues affecting your position (with specific references to the positions argued by various "sides");
3) a series of logical claims or points to justify your position;
4) references from at least 3 sources;
5) overt connections between claims and support; ;
6) presentation and refutation of relevant counterarguments (replies to the other side's arguments);
7) clear, logical organization including effective use of paragraphing;
8) effective use of paraphrasing and quotation;
9) sentences relatively free from errors.

Writing process must demonstrate:
1) a variety of techniques for invention and revision;
2) increased quality of writing and ideas throughout the revision process;
3) thoughtful analysis of how and what to revise in successive drafts.

Length and form
Essay: MLA format (no title page). Word processed. 1000 words.
Letter: a form suitable for publication as a "letter to the editor" or as a letter to a legislator, administrator, city official, etc. Under 200 words.
Due Dates: Topics & preliminary theses--11/6; Draft 1--11/13; Draft 2--11/20; Final draft—11/27;
Letter presentation—12/18.