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Persuasive Essay

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Introduction

 

Persuasive writing is assigned across disciplines and is common in personal, professional, and public contexts. The prevalence of persuasion in society makes studying forms of persuasion worth our while, so we may become savvy producers and consumers of reason. As Lunsford et al., state, “Because arguments are so central to our lives, it’s important to understand how they work—and to learn how to make effective arguments of [our] own” (274). This unit contributes to learning about persuasive argument writing by requiring students to craft a persuasive argument for an academic writing situation.

 

Assignment

 

For this essay, consider a current debate taking place in your field or in a field you are interested. Pick a topic you have a working knowledge of, and craft an argument taking a stance on the topic. Since first-year composition is designed to prepare students for writing in their disciplines, you will need to demonstrate a clear understanding of the rhetorical situations you should consider for your writing. 

 

For this essay, you will need to 

  • Provide background information on the topic establishing the context of the debate and where you will be jumping in. 

  • Identify an audience appropriate to the points you want to make and who should be addressed to consider these points. 

  • Support your position with reasons and evidence to support your points. 

  • Show that you have considered both sides of the debate by addressing counterarguments that might be raised against your position.

Your purpose is to demonstrate that you can grapple with complex issues raised in your field and take an informed, well-reasoned stance on the topic while navigating the blurred lines between acceptable and unacceptable, ethical and unethical, right and wrong, black and white. (The lines between debates are not always clearly drawn.) Additionally, writers must demonstrate the ability to synthesize sources and ideas. Students must be able to show clear expression that differentiates their ideas from those of others. 

 

For example, topics I might consider in the field of teaching English include

  • Free speech and politics in the classroom

  • How harassment and sexual assault are reported by faculty on campuses

  • Whether teachers should discuss critical race theories in the classroom

What issues are being debated in your fields?

 

If you would like to write about issues even more local (such as in your hometown or at school) or expand to a broader topic on the national level, you are welcome to use these topics, too. Get creative! (…but be careful to keep your argument researchable and focused enough to manage.) 

 

Research and Writing Process

 

To begin, talk to your program instructors or people in your field or read some articles from a journal targeting your field to get an idea of what kinds of debates are taking place. A working knowledge of your topic from your research (scholarly, peer-reviewed) must provide balanced overviews on the controversial topics you select. You will be responsible for using skills covered this semester--such as critical reading, inquiry, summary, and analysis. 

 

In this unit, we will focus on developing a thesis, unpacking key points supporting the thesis, identifying and evaluating credible sources, supplying background information, examining multiple perspectives on an issue, and citing sources useful for supporting points.

 

To get started, gather ten research sources for this assignment and preview them. (You don’t have to read them right now.) Five of these sources may be popular sources from credible, popular sites, such as newspapers, magazines, or other popular (non-academic) locations. Five sources must be from scholarly, peer-reviewed periodicals, newspapers, or journals. (Five plus five equals 10. You must have 10 sources total for your consulted list.) 

 

NOTE: Sites such as about.com, wikipedia, procon.org, or other unmoderated websites or unsubstantiated expertise on blog pages are not acceptable popular or scholarly sources or for reference in this work or the works consulted list. Use tools provided this semester to determine the credibility of your sources before you use them, but keep in mind that these encyclopedic websites often list works cited or referenced. Government websites, American Cancer Society websites, etc. are not scholarly, peer-reviewed websites.

 

Additional requirements:

 

  • Submit a topic proposal

  • Establish a research question – Inquiry 

  • Create a writing plan

  • Draft Thesis, Background, and Main Points outline

  • Submit a rough draft

  • Participate in peer review

  • Revise significantly

  • Integrate at least five appropriate sources into your essay (3 scholarly, peer reviewed)

  • Use MLA 8th edition style format and documentation or APA 7th edition style format

  • Submit a formatted, complete Works Consulted list with your final draft  

 

Organization

 

The organization of an argumentative essay frequently resembles Aristotle’s classical model of argumentation, but the Toulmin or Rogerian models may also be used. These formats will be reviewed during unit lessons. Experiment with these forms of organization to determine which organizational structure will work best for your audience and purpose.

 

(See the handbook or resources for this unit for more details on possible argument structures.)

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Length

 

6-8 pages + References page, minimum 4 sources (3 scholarly, peer-reviewed; 1 popular—only one of these may be a website)

 

Unit Objectives:

 

Demonstrate understanding of persuasive genre conventions;

Apply elements of rhetoric purposefully;

Locate and evaluate primary and secondary research materials;

Draw upon strategies to compose texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with the source’s ideas (interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and design or redesign);

Draw upon strategies for idea generation, drafting, revision, design, and editing and proofreading;

Give and act on productive feedback to works in progress;

Apply citation conventions systematically in works;

Employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic and professional writing situations.

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Work Cited

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Lunsford, Andrea, et al. Everyone's an Author. W. W. Norton, 2013.

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Readings with links

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Carillo, E., & Horning, A. (2022). Effectively and efficiently reading the credibility of online sources. In D. L. Driscoll, M. Heise, M. K. Stewart, & M. Vetter (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (4). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/effectively-and-efficiently-reading-the-credibility-of-online-sources/

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Haller, C. R. (2011). Walk, talk, cook, eat: A guide to using sources. In C. Lowe and P. Zemliansky (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (2). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/walk-talk-cook-eat-a-guide-to-using-sources/

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Jones, R. (2010). Finding the good argument OR why bother with logic?. In C. Lowe and P. Zemliansky (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (1). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/finding-the-good-argument-or-why-bother-with-logic/

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Rosenberg, K. (2011). Reading games: Strategies for reading scholarly sources. In C. Lowe and P. Zemliansky (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (2). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/reading-games-strategies-for-reading-scholarly-sources/

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Ryan, K. J. (2020). Constructing scholarly ethos in the writing classroom. In D. L. Driscoll, M. K. Stewart, & M. Vetter (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (3). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/constructing-scholarly-ethos-in-the-writing-classroom/

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Savini, C. (2011). Looking for trouble: Finding your way into a writing assignment. In C. Lowe and P. Zemliansky (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (2). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/looking-for-trouble-finding-your-way-into-a-writing-assignment/

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Stedman, K. D. (2011). Annoying ways people use sources. In C. Lowe and P. Zemliansky (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (2). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/annoying-ways-people-use-sources/

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Vieregge, Q. (2020). Exigency: What makes my message indispensable to my reader. In D. L. Driscoll, M. K. Stewart, & M. Vetter (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (3). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/exigency-what-makes-my-message-indispensable-to-my-reader/

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Warrington, K., Kovalyova, N., & King, C. (2020). Assessing source credibility for crafting a well-informed argument. In D. L. Driscoll, M. K. Stewart, & M. Vetter (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing (3). Parlor Press. https://writingspaces.org/past-volumes/assessing-source-credibility-for-crafting-a-well-informed-argument/

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