Eng. 102 College Writing and Rhetoric

Public Statement Assignment Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that the type of reading, thinking and writing you have been doing this semester is not limited to schoolwork. There are many public uses for this type of intellectual labor. When you have an educated perspective on an important issue, it is important to share it and educate your community so it can find the best solution to a problem or issue.

Description:

Create a public statement explaining your position on your final research question and persuading your reader that you are right. The statement can be written, oral, visual, or multi-media. Some of the genres you can choose from are:

• Op/Ed Column • Letter to the Editor • Open Letter • Position Paper • Web-page • Speech or Recorded Presentation (podcast, slidecast, etc)

You are not limited to the list above. If you have an idea for how to present your position in a public venue, run it by me. The important element is that the statement communicates to the public (or some sub-set thereof).

A public statement should include the following:

• Description of the problem – make the reader see and feel the problem

• Explanation of your position – what you think we should do about the problem

• Justification of your position – persuade your audience that your position is the correct one

• Rebuttal of objections and/or alternative solutions, if appropriate • Call to action, if appropriate

Each of these genres has different expectations, so I will give you some general guidelines and we can discuss specifics individually:

• Written genres: Maximum 2 pages, typed, double-spaced; public statement documents tend to be shorter than academic essays (except for position papers), but let’s stick with this for consistency.

• Web page: not as much text as a written genre (maybe up to 300 words depending on the issue and design), but also includes the effective application of design principles, and use of audio, video,

Eng. 102 College Writing and Rhetoric

visuals and/or graphics to communicate. Will be evaluated on how effectively it uses the medium (layout, typography, color, links, etc).

• Speech/Recorded Presentation: a two-page written speech (to match the length for written genres) should be about a four-minute speech. In addition to the written elements, will be evaluated on spoken delivery.

In an introductory memo to me, include the following

• Who is the audience? • Who is the sponsoring organization responsible for the message (if

appropriate)? • How will the statement be distributed? (For example, what

newspaper would you submit the op/ed or letter to the editor to? Who would you give your speech to? What keywords would you use to categorize your web page or recorded presentation?

• What is the specific purpose of the statement (what are you trying to persuade your audience of)?

Points: 50 points Due Date:

We will share the public statements during Wek 15 on Wednesday and Friday. Final projects due Friday of Week 15 by end of day (11:59 pm) See Bblearn for specific date