Assignment Prompt
Throughout Unit 1, you have read literary and nonfiction works that evokes compassion or empathy in an audience to inspire action or bring about a deeper understanding of the world. You will now apply what you have observed about empathy and write a letter to the editor about an issue as though you are one of the characters from the assigned readings. (You are NOT rewriting the story). Your purpose for writing this letter to the editor is to persuade your audience of your claim and evoke compassion and empathy for your character. For instance, you could write a letter to the editor from Miss Lottie’s perspective on the lack of compassion and respect in society. Click here to read an letter to the editor using this example. You cannot choose character and topic combination that is featured in the sample letter to the editor.
When writing your claim for your letter to the editor, keep in mind that compassion and empathy refer to the feelings you get in response to another’s emotions, suffering, or misfortune combined with a desire to help. Use at least two direct quotes to support your claim. As you write, keep in mind the unit’s essential question: How does human compassion inform our understanding of the world?
Introduction to argumentative writing:
Argumentative writing is a type of nonfiction writing in which a writer establishes a strong position about a topic and develops it with paragraphs that support that position with evidence. The purpose of argumentative writing is to persuade an audience to agree that the writer’s claim is sound and true. Argumentative writing can appear in many forms, including essays, speeches, debates, and letters to the editor of a newspaper.
The most important part of a strong argumentative essay is the claim. A claim is a writer’s central argument or thesis. It communicates the main focus of the writing in clear language and allows readers to understand exactly what a writer is arguing. The claim should appear in the introductory paragraph, to help readers understand what will come next.
An argumentative essay should stay focused on the main claim and present information in a logical order that is easy for a reader to follow. Transition words help connect ideas and build the argument point by point. Effective argumentative writing includes strong evidence that supports the writer’s reasoning and demonstrates if the claim is valid. It also adopts a formal tone that is appropriate to the purpose, audience, and style of this type of writing.
A strong argumentative conclusion restates the writer’s claim, effectively wraps up the argument, and leaves readers with a lasting impression, perhaps through an interesting final thought. The features of argumentative writing include:
an introduction with a clear thesis statement
clear and logical organizational structure
supporting details, including valid reasoning and relevant textual evidence
effective transitions to show the connection between ideas
a formal style of writing and an objective tone
a conclusion that restates the claim
