Choose a topic of interest. Make sure that you choose a public debate with clear sides and stakes. Research that debate to narrow the topic’s scope, so it can be easily discussed within the word count range.

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Toulmin argument

This Toulmin project will help you practice what you have learned so far in this course.

First, you will choose a topic of interest. Make sure that you choose a public debate with clear sides and stakes (see attachment to understand what this means!).
Then, you need to research that debate to narrow the topic’s scope, so it can be easily discussed within the word count range.
For example, you may be interested in learning more about traffic issues in the United States. However, that topic is too large to cover for this assignment. After researching peer reviewed articles that discuss US traffic issues in general, you may discover that the metro system in the District of Columbia is underfunded and underutilized. Through your research, you find that you can make a claim that more funds should be made available in order to upgrade the metro system, which would improve traffic issues in the District of Columbia. This would make for a stronger and more specific argument. View the handout on sides and stakes that can help with this process.

Finding sources:

As you’ll see from the requirements of the assignment (listed in the requirements section of these instructions), you need to find peer-reviewed sources using the APUS databases. From the library welcome page, click on Advanced Search at the bottom of the page and then check the “peer reviewed” sources box filter.

This video will hopefully clarify the term, “peer-reviewed”. You may use eBooks; however, as discussed in your textbook, books generally are not as current as peer-reviewed articles. You may also use primary sources (interviews, statistics, etc); however, these primary sources should be obtained from experts within that field. If you cannot find strong sources for your chosen topic, then change your topic. If you have a question about the validity of a source, please email me, or post your question to the open forum.

Structure of the argument:

Make sure to include the following sections in your project regardless of the type of essay you choose to do:

an introduction and claim,
background,
body,
and a conclusion.

Within the body of your essay, make sure to include the following in any order:

support for your claim,
opposing or alternate views,
the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents’ claims,
and your rebuttals of their claims.

The Project:

For this assignment, you have creative options. This will not be a “traditional” essay, so part of the challenge is trying to apply the Toulmin model to a real situation in which you might use it, especially considering your topic choice and intended audience. Choose what will challenge your writing and what would be appropriate for your topic, audience, and field of study:

  • Op-ed newspaper article.
  • Blog post.
  • Letter/proposal to stakeholders.
  • Press release.
  • Letter to the editor.
  • Presidential address.
  • Election speech (written only).
  • Application for a position related to the topic.
  • Defense attorney’s opening statement.
  • Meeting or conference speech (written only).
  • Report to supervisor or colleagues.
  • Case brief.
  • Advocacy statement.
  • Call to action paper.

You might need to do a bit of Googling on the type of document you decide to write. For instance, if you choose to write a defense attorney’s opening statement, you’ll want to find out how that is structured by looking up examples and tips. In terms of format, since this is not a traditional essay, use the format appropriate to the option you’ve chosen; for example, a blog will look like a typical Internet blog; a case brief will look like a typical case brief, etc.

Note: Regardless of the option/format, you must cite your sources both within the body of the essay and in a final reference page. The citations must be cited correctly using APA, MLA, or Chicago, whichever is appropriate to your field of study.

Write an essay discussing what is the most memorable speech that you have ever heard? Explain what about this speech made it so memorable?

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Memorable speech

Write an essay discussing what is the most memorable speech that you have ever heard? Explain what about this speech made it so memorable?

 

Choose one of the readings we discussed in the Week 2 forum. Ideally, you’ll choose to analyze the piece you discussed in the Week 2 Forum, but that’s not a requirement if you’d prefer a different reading from the list.

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Critical evaluating essay

Choose one of the readings we discussed in the Week 2 forum. Ideally, you’ll choose to analyze the piece you discussed in the Week 2 Forum, but that’s not a requirement if you’d prefer a different reading from the list.

Decide whether the reading offers a persuasive and convincing argument. If you decide it is persuasive and convincing, discuss why. You may use the structure of the argument, the tone, the use of rhetorical appeals, and any other argumentation strategy as proof of the argument’s success.

Make sure that your essay has an introduction that contains a hook and a thesis, body paragraphs that discuss one proof at a time (one paragraph per example), and a conclusion. If you decide that the essay is not convincing, then discuss the fallacies that the argument makes or other failings, such as structure, tone, and so forth.

You are still required to have a strong introduction (hook and thesis), body paragraphs that discuss one supporting point at a time, and a conclusion. You may also discuss how the essay is successful with reservations. In this case, point to both the weaknesses and the strengths you have found in the work.

You are not offering personal or historical commentary, commentary on the writer/speaker, or responding to the ideas in the argument; you are only evaluating the argument itself in rhetorical terms. This is an opportunity for us to learn from other writers/speakers’ approaches to posing an argument.

Requirements:

-This paper should be at least 700 words, but no more than 850.
-The paper should be formatted correctly using MLA, APA, or Chicago–your choice based on your field of study or preference.
-It must be written in third person (do not use the words such as I, me, us, we, or you).
-The essay should also contain citations and a works cited page based on your selected reading from the assigned list–no need to use outside or additional sources other than the piece you’re analyzing.

Supplemental Readings: Historic American Works

  • Founding Fathers
  • George Washington “First Inaugural Address”
  • Thomas Jefferson “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America”
  • Patrick Henry “Give me Liberty or Give me Death”
  • Samuel Adams “On American Independence”

 

Rights and Freedoms

  • Carrie Chapman Catt “Address to the Congress on Women’s Suffrage”
  • John F Kennedy “Inaugural Address”
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream”
  • Abraham Lincoln “Gettysburg Address”

 

War and Controversy

  • Franklin D Roosevelt “Inaugural Address”
  • Ronald Reagan “Tear Down This Wall”
  • Elie Wiesel “Indifference”
  • Richard Nixon “Checker’s Speech”

Write what you learned from the reading, you can refer to something in the reading that struck you, and explains why can connect the reading to something else you’ve learned.

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Summarizing what you have’ learned

You can write what you learned from the reading, you can refer to something in the reading that struck you, and explains why can connect the reading to something else you’ve learned.

Do not summarize. Instead, refer to specific things that were said and what you think about them, and what you’ve learned from them.

Write an essay on the effects of non-pharmaceutical treatment of depression have lifelong impacts compared to makeshift pharmaceutical ones.

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Effects of non-pharmaceutical treatment of depression

Write an essay on the effects of non-pharmaceutical treatment of depression have lifelong impacts compared to makeshift pharmaceutical ones.

What do you think of Bitzer’s argument in “The Rhetorical Situation?” What parts make sense? What do you agree with? What parts don’t make sense? What do you disagree with?

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SRR – Bitzer’s “The Rhetorical Situation”

E15- Fundamentals of Academic Writing
Prof. Matthew Davis
SRR – Bitzer’s “The Rhetorical Situation”

Summary – What is Bitzer saying in “The Rhetorical Situation?” What is his argument?

Response – What do you think of Bitzer’s argument in “The Rhetorical Situation?” What parts make sense? What do you agree with? What parts don’t make sense? What do you disagree with?

Reflection – How does Bitzer’s argument in “The Rhetorical Situation” connect with your own life, with your own writing, and with how you think about the world? How might you use what you learned here in the future?

According to rosen, why is “societal forgetting valuable”? What do you think of his views? to develop your own position, be sure to discuss specific examples

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The importance of societal forgetting

The prompt is ” according to rosen, why is “societal forgetting valuable?” What do you think of his views? to develop your own position, be sure to discuss specific examples; Those examples can be drawn from anything you’ve read, as well from your own observation and experience.

Where do you see similarities and contradictions in how our readings define and discuss computers? What are the implications of these similarities and differences?

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What are computers?

Your original forum post should have three parts: 1) rhetorical summaries for each reading; 2) a response that encompasses all readings; and 3) a reflection that uses textual references from all course readings to answer the question below:

Where do you see similarities and contradictions in how our readings define and discuss computers? What are the implications of these similarities and differences?

What do you remember as your favorite book or activity that centered around a book as a child? Why? What helped or hindered you in literacy acceleration? Is literacy a human right as John Trischitti suggests? Explain why. How has literacy propelled you or hindered you in your current status as a Methodist University student?

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Literacy is the answer

Instructions:
After watching the Ted Talk by John Trischitti, access the discussion forum and discuss your experience with learning how to read and write. What do you remember as your favorite book or activity that centered around a book as a child? Why? What helped or hindered you in literacy acceleration? Is literacy a human right as John Trischitti suggests? Explain why. How has literacy propelled you or hindered you in your current status as a Methodist University student? Post your initial response to these questions before 11 pm Sunday, Sept. 4. Be sure to respond to several classmates, preferably 3 or more.

What is the “big-picture” problem you want to address? What is the specific problem you’ll focus on? What are the effects of the problem? Who is being harmed and how? Who will need to enact your proposal to address the problem?

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Increasing physical activity in our youth

Introduction and Outline Assignment

Task:

Complete the Exploratory Section Planning Exercise below

  • Write a draft of the introduction for your paper
  • Complete the Topic Sentence Outline for the Exploratory Section
  • Do these things by typing into this document
  • Submit the assignment using the link in the Course Resources section of Blackboard

Exploratory Section Planning Exercise

Clear answers to these questions before you begin drafting the Exploratory Section.

  • What is the “big-picture” problem you want to address?
  • What is the specific problem you’ll focus on?
  • What are the effects of the problem? Who is being harmed and how?
  • Who will need to enact your proposal to address the problem?
  • Who (what individual, group, or agency) will be your target audience? (Your answer could be the same as for the previous question, but not necessarily so.)
  • What is your policy claim? Remember, you should be able to state your claim in this format: (A specified individual, group or agency) should/must/ought to do (or not do) X because…

Introduction Draft

Write a draft of the introduction to your paper. Make sure it’s substantial and informative—150-200 words is a good target. Your intro should end with your policy claim.