In Part I, you will revise the provisional thesis statement that you generated in the previous unit’s discussion and identify the major and minor premise in your thesis. What is the common ground you believe you share with your audience?
Make sure the thesis is concise (1–2 sentences) and clearly expresses a persuasive argument that offers a solution to a problem in your community. You are welcome to use the three-point thesis format you learned in the Unit 3 readings (solution plus three reasons). As you research your topic in later units, you may decide to eliminate one or two of these reasons.
In Part II, describe your purpose (what is the problem you want to solve and how do you plan to solve it?), audience (key stakeholders) of your community, and the setting of your community. You will provide details about whom you need to convince to bring about change. As you consider your audience, imagine the small group or the person who can make the desired change. Then, explain your community’s setting. Describe elements of the community that may affect the problem. For instance, if you are addressing the issue of affordable housing in Southern California, you may want to discuss the large population and lack of housing options in this community.
Finally, in Part III, you will evaluate your argument using the three rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos). Aim for a minimum of 5–7 sentences per section. Use complete sentences and offer specific examples.
Be sure to discuss rival hypotheses your proposal might face and how you would address these. You will also need to identify and cite at least one source you will use to support your claims and mention additional research that you may need to conduct. Finally, you will consider rhetorical strategies that you can use to connect with your audience and will identify one logical fallacy that you will want to avoid. See the Unit 3 readings for an overview of several logical fallacies.
While you will be using a chart to complete the assignment, be sure to include a title and references page in APA format and cite any sources in APA style. For more on creating a title page, references page, and citations, review the following PG Writing Center resources:
Formatting an APA Paper and Title Page
APA Common Citations and References
Formatting an APA References Page
