The ART of Persuasion

Here's the assignment I created. Feel free to use it in your classes but please give credit.

The Art of Persuasion, Part 2

Now that you have written what you think about the issue that concerns you, it’s time to make your essay more persuasive using some new tools you will be learning in class. You will be adding visual rhetoric to the textual rhetoric you have just created!

 Audience

You have the same audience you had for part 1. But now you are going to work harder on both interesting them in your topic and persuading them of your position.

 Essay Structure

You may keep the same essay structure that you have just created. However, you might change or rearrange parts of it in order to create a more visually effective argument.

 Tools

You will be using Microsoft Publisher to design your document because it is available on most campus computers and in most versions of Microsoft Office. Feel free to ask if you want to use a different document design program. Instruction on Publisher will be given in class, and we will be spending some time in the computer lab.

 Format

You are used to using academic MLA format for all of your papers. However, this kind of format is rarely the most rhetorically effective way to communicate to readers in the real world. Do not use Publisher just to make your document “look pretty.” Your designed document should use the following categories to make your essay more attractive and more persuasive to your readers. Every choice you make should have a rhetorical purpose: to increase the ethos, logos, or pathos of your document.

 

1.     Page Size: Not every document needs to be on 8.5 x 11 in. paper. Try a different paper shape that makes your document more effective. Let me know if you have questions about printing paper sizes.

 

2.     Font: Times New Roman font is not always the best choice for readers. Choose a different font that accomplishes your purposes but also is very readable. As a general principle, do not use more than two different fonts in a document (to keep it consistent).

 

3.     Titles & Headings: In MLA format, your title is the same font and size as your body text. But sometimes titles deserve some extra emphasis: try using bold text or a larger size. Also, if your paper is long, you might break it up by adding a few headings to show the organization of your paper.

 

4.     Body Text: The body of your paper does not have to be a solid sheet of text. You might use a numbered or bulleted list to pull out a few key points. Or you might use a sidebar to emphasize an important quote from your paper.

 

5.     Pictures and Graphics: Use relevant pictures or graphics to add to the argument you have made. Make sure you give credit if you use a picture that does not belong to you.

 

Citation

Whenever you quote or paraphrase a source, you must still give credit by telling us where the ideas come from. Therefore, while your format will be entirely different, continue to use in-text citations and a Works Cited page.