Put the argument into a concrete shape, into an image, some hard phrase, round and solid as a ball, which they can see and handle and carry home with them, and the cause is half won.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson Overview: Persuasion is a constant in each of our lives. No matter where we look, what we read, what we see, or who we interact with, we are inevitably going to encounter some form of persuasion. Advertisements want us to buy things. Newspapers and television want to convince us of how we should feel about events. We are put into positions where we must defend our thoughts and beliefs to others, and the process we apply is typically some form of persuasion. Persuasive writing is one of the most powerful forms of writing—it has the ability to influence one’s thoughts, and also the ability to change one’s mind about a particular issue. The persuasive essay is an ideal opportunity to support an opinion on an issue using researched facts and information. It also gives you the chance to recognize opposing viewpoints and refute it, noting that those who hold the opposing viewpoints are the intended audience of the piece. Prompt: For this essay, you will identify an issue in your current major, a major you are interested in pursuing, or your field of work. You will then establish an argument and support that argument with research and relevant evidence. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed in one fully developed paragraph each:

I. Writing Plan: Use this writing plan as a way to gather your thoughts and determine your strategy for writing your critical analysis essay. This process will allow you to develop a potential structure for effectively communicating and supporting your claim. This plan will be helpful in keeping your thought process on track when you begin writing and revising your essay.

A. Describe the argument to be addressed in your persuasive essay. Explain how the argument relates to your major, the major you are considering pursuing, or your field of work.

B. Determine three key points that will be helpful in supporting your argument. C. Identify the audience who will be reading your essay. What potential challenges will you encounter in supporting your argument with this

demographic? D. Establish a goal that you hope to accomplish with this essay. What will this essay need to be successful? E. List potential resources that could be used as supporting evidence for your argument, and provide a brief description of each and how they will

reinforce your argument. F. Align key points of your argument with supporting resources for establishing an effective essay structure. G. Based on your argument, determine at what points in the essay integrating evidence would be most effective, and explain why. H. Describe a revision strategy that would be most effective while writing this essay. Why would this strategy be effective? I. Review the feedback provided by your instructor on assignments submitted thus far. How does this feedback influence your progress moving

forward? What changes did you make to your writing plan after receiving this outside feedback?

Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: Save your work in a Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Then, check your writing for errors. Once you have proofread your document, submit it via the Assignment: Writing Plan link in Brightspace.

Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value

Writing Plan: Argument

Exceeds proficiency in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative manner (100%)

Describes the argument to be addressed through the essay, including how argument is derived from major, major being considered, or field of work (85%)

Describes the argument to be addressed through the essay, including how argument is derived from major, major being considered, or field of work, but argument contains gaps in detail (55%)

Does not determine an argument to be addressed throughout the essay (0%)

8

Writing Plan: Key Points

Determines key points and rationale that will be helpful in supporting the validity of the argument (100%)

Determines key points and rationale, but they are cursory or inaccurate (75%)

Does not determine key points and rationale (0%)

12

Writing Plan: Audience

Identifies audience and determines potential challenges (100%)

Identifies audience but does not determine potential challenges (75%)

Does not identify audience (0%) 8

Writing Plan: Goal Establishes a goal to be accomplished with the essay (100%)

Establishes a goal for the essay, but goal is not aligned with essay topic (75%)

Does not establish a goal to be accomplished with the essay (0%)

8

Writing Plan: Resources

Lists potential resources for supporting evidence and provides a brief description of each (100%)

Lists potential resources for supporting evidence, but does not provide a brief description of each (75%)

Does not list potential resources (0%)

12

Writing Plan: Supporting Resources

Aligns key points of argument with supporting resources for establishing an effective essay structure (100%)

Aligns key points of argument with supporting resources, but there are issues regarding accuracy of alignment (75%)

Does not align key points (0%) 12

Writing Plan: Integrating Evidence

Determines places where integrating evidence would be most effective and provides rationale for each (100%)

Determines places to integrate evidence, but there are gaps in rationale (75%)

Does not determine places to integrate evidence (0%)

12

Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value

Writing Plan: Revision

Identifies a revision strategy that would be effective and describes why it would be effective (100%)

Identifies a revision strategy but does not describe why it would be effective (75%)

Does not identify a revision strategy (0%)

12

Writing Plan: Feedback

Describes how instructor’s feedback influenced progress moving forward, describing specific changes made to the writing plan based on the feedback received (100%)

Describes how instructor’s feedback influenced progress moving forward, but did not describe specific changes made to the writing plan based on the feedback received (75%)

Does not describe how instructor’s feedback influenced progress on the writing plan (0%)

12

Articulation of Response

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization (100 %)

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas (75%)

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas (0%)