For this assignment, you will write a letter and deliver a presentation on a persuasive issue in the
science field. The focus of this assignment is to make and evaluate persuasive arguments. A key
in being persuasive is choosing the appropriate organizational pattern. Therefore, it is imperative
that you choose the appropriate organizational pattern for the type of argument you are making
(e.g. problem-solution, causal, etc.). You will be expected to use examples, statistics, and expert
testimony for supporting material. Furthermore, you need to weave those elements together in a
way that provides complete and logical documentation and reasoning for the key ideas in your
paper and presentation. You will need to demonstrate effective reasoning skills by using good
solid arguments that are free from fallacies.
For this assignment, you will write a 3 page double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font,
persuasive business letter to someone specific and related to your topic (Dear Mr. or Mrs. X).
No title page/Running head is necessary for this paper, but you will need a separate References
page
(your Reference page does not count toward the 3 pages).
This letter should use sections/headings to break up the content into manageable parts (some
possible
headings might include:
Greeting/Salutation/reason for contact
Introduction of yourself/topic (rename these headings however you see fit)
Background/history on the topic
Depending on how you have decided to organize your persuasive arguments some options will
work better than others
Problem/Cause/Solution (each as their own heading)
Problem/Solution (again each with their own heading and possibly some sub-headings
incorporated)
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence (each of the five steps worked through)
Refutative pattern or Causal points (for speeches of fact)
Generally, all papers will want to start wrapping up with some
Acknowledgment of opposing views from critics and rebuttal/counterarguments
Conclusion/Call to action (repeat main points, finish strong).
Sincerely, your name
References page (APA formatted, alphabetized, hanging indents for each entry). At least six
sources, four of which can be found in print and two of those four are scholarly journal articles
(see assignment specs)
