Major Writing Assignment (MWA) 3: The Argument

Due: TBD
Value: 15% of your course grade
There are always two sides to every story, and everyone has their right to their own opinion. For
this sequence we will be exploring the argument. This genre of writing is typically presented in
traditional essay or paper format, but you have the ability to explore it in many different (yet
effective) mediums. The main thing you must remember when writing in this genre is to present
your central claim/your position, as well as the opposing viewpoint. You must also build your
ethos as a writer and support your claim with reliable evidence/source material.
Task
You are to present your position on a given topicthis topic should be something new to your (recently
discovered or explored in more depth). For this assignment, I would like you to NOT write on the
following topics: Abortion, Gay Marriage, and the Legalization of Marijuana. I am asking this not
because I feel strongly either for or against these topics, but because I would like you to branch out and
explore different topics that could be of interest to you.

When creating this assignment you must make your position clear to the reader/s, show the
opposing side, and showcase your side as the winning/superior position. This project, like others
created in previous sequences, is multimodal (using a variety of technological mediums,
incorporating images, sound, etc). The medium, rhetorical situation, and audience is up to you.
You must decide where this will be seen/read, who your audience is, and what medium is most
important given the rhetorical situation you create. Here are a few suggestions of where you can
take this assignment:
PSA Series (visual/poster or audio)
o Visual/Poster: You must have at least a series of three separate posters
o Audio: You must have an announcement/s that lasts 5-7 minutes
Ted Talk/PowerPoint Presentation with voice over
o Your presentation must last 5-7 minutes
Radio Newscast (i.e. NPR)
o Your newscast would have to last 5-7 minutes
o You must include one other auditory element (i.e. music, sound effects, etc.)
Op-Ed piece for newspaper or magazine
o The Op-Ed should be a minimum of 1,000 words and include at least two
pictures/graphics
Photo Essay
o This essay should be at least five images and 500 words (about 2-3 sentences
beneath each photo)
Personal Blog post
o Like your Op-Ed your blog should be at least 1,000 words in length and include at
least two pictures/graphics
If you have a different idea of what you would like to do for this assignment be sure to
email me for approval

This assignment requires research of the chosen topicnot just to help you better understand it,
but to also build your credibility as a writer. You must use at least three academic or otherwise
reputable outside sources: two for your side of the argument and one for the opposing side. Both
your position and the opposing side should be presented in some way within your piece. Your
composition should demonstrate a thorough understanding of your chosen issue/topic. Since you
are doing research you should also provide a works cited page attached with your submission,
which properly cites all the sources/evidence used in your piece. You works cited page should
follow proper MLA format.
Here is a list of helpful resources to get started: America by the Numbers, Human Rights Watch, Al
Jazeera America, Southern Poverty Law Center just to name a few. If you want you can also check out
Last Week Tonight with John Olivera comedy show where the main story of the week is a topic that
many Americans do not know about, as a jumping off point for further research.

Reflection
After completing your assignment you must complete a reflection of 750-1,000 words that
discusses the audience/rhetorical situation for your piece, the choices you made (design, word
choice, etc.), and your research process/strategies. When discussing the creative/design elements,
be sure to describe why those choices were made for not only visual appeal, but for your
audience as well. Here's your chance to defend and further explain why you did what you did
with your submission and why. When describing your research you should provide readers with a
clear understanding of your process from start to finish (how did you go about finding reliable
sources, where was the best place to find information, etc.).
Grading
You will be graded according to the following rubric:
Element

Excellent

Good

Needs
Improvement

Poor

10-12 points
The reader has a
fairly clear
of their audience and understanding of the
the situation they are given rhetorical
writing/creating for. situation, but the
composition could
This is perfectly seen benefit from some
and understood by
more clarifying
the reader through
details.

5-9 points
The reader does not
have a clear
understanding of the
overall rhetorical
situation or audience.
The composition
needs more
details/explanation to
better situate the
reader.

0-4 points
The composition
does not address a
specific audience or
rhetorical situation.

22-25 points

10-16 points

0-9 points

Rhetorical
13-15 points
Situation and The author has a
Audience (15) clear understanding

both the composition

and the reflection
submitted.
Content (25)

The composition

17-21 points
The composition

explores a topic in
depth
and detail, using
credible
and relevant sources.
The author's position
(as well as the
opposing side) is
clear to readers.

Visual
Appeal/Desig
n (20)

explores a topic,
but the submission
could benefit from
clarifying details.
Reader may not see
both sides of
argument.

The composition
submitted does not
explore a topic in
sufficient detail.
The argument is
unclear to readers
and could benefit
from stronger thesis
and/or display of
position.

The composition
lacks any real
content. The
material does not
meet genre
expectations (lack
of positions,
credible sources,
etc.).

0-7 points
There is little to no
visual appeal with
this composition.
The submission
lacks creativity,
balance, and does
not fit within the
genre and/or
medium.

18-20 points

12-17 points

8-12 points

Your choice in font,

color, size, and
photo/s, are eye
catching and
appealing to readers
eyes. You went above
and beyond to create
something that would
catch readers
attention and draw
them into your
argument.

Your choice in font,

color, size, and
photo/s all work
toward being
appealing and
stimulating to the
eye, but overall the
composition could
benefit from more
creativity.

Some elements of
your composition
are visually
appealing, but the
choices overall are
distracting or
inappropriate for
the genre and/or
medium.

Ethos (15)

13-15 points
The author's ethos is
strongly supported by
the composition. The
author comes across as
credible and
trustworthy to readers
(this includes being
well researched and
properly cited).

10-12 points
The author comes off
as a credible source,
but there are a few
inconsistencies that
prevent them from
being entirely reliable
(improper citations,
lack of fundamental
research, etc.).

5-9 points
The overall
composition more or
less supports the
authors ethos, but
overall there are
many areas that need
further development
(no citations, not
enough research,
etc.).

0-4 points
This submission
lacks credibility.
Sources are not cited,
the topic is not well
researched, the
composition would
need a substantial
revision meet ethos
requirements.

Organization,
Style, and
Clarity (5)

5 points
Clear, well organized
material. Reader
understands the main
argument and
counterargument. The
composition is free
from distracting
grammatical errors and
all word choice is

4 points
Somewhat clear, well
organized material.
Reader understands
the main argument
and counterargument
fairly. The
composition is
mostly free from
distracting

3 points
Unclear at parts and
could benefit from
more organization.
There were many
grammatical errors
and the piece could
have benefitted from
better word choice.
The composition

0-2 points
Unclear and
unorganized. Reader
is lost. The
composition would
greatly benefit from a
thorough revision.

appropriate for the

situation.

Reflection
(20)

Total (100)

grammatical errors
and word choice is
somewhat
appropriate for the
situation.

would have
benefitted from a
thorough proofread.

18-20 points

12-17 points

The author has

genuinely
reflected on his or her
choices
and has explained
how those
choices were
influenced by their
audience and
rhetorical situation.
The author also goes
into extreme detail
describing their
research process.

The author has

included a
reflection that
discusses the
choices made and
how they relate to
audience. The
reflection would
benefit from more
detail.

5-9 points
A reflection is
included, but lacks
sufficient detail to
help the reader
understand their
choices and research
process for this
project. The reader is
left with many
questions and an
unclear
understanding of the
choices made.

0-7 points
Little to no
reflection is
attached with this
composition. The
reader has no idea
of who the
audience/rhetorical
situation is and
what the author's
research process
was.