Assignment: Persuasive Paper

Language is a concept that we are often all too familiar with and take for granted; we sometimes read or speak without truly considering the construction of language that is tailored for a work or genre. For this assignment, you will be asked to think about how an argument is constructed and to speak to a specific audience. I would like you to imagine that there is a nationwide contest for the best idea for a new national holiday. Write a persuasive essay describing your idea for a new national holiday, and why it should win the contest. Because it is a national holiday, it would need to be designed to promote, emphasize, remember and/or celebrate something for people living in the United States; however, your holiday does NOT need to be "patriotic" or historical. It can be anything from World War I Remembrance Day to National Video Chat Day, as long as you have actual support for your persuasive argument. Your audience will be the head of the federal agency of the United States running the contest. Recall that this is a persuasive essay, so think about the techniques used in essays from Reading the World that you have found particularly persuasive.

STRATEGIZE: In order to find an appropriate topic for this assignment, think about what is relevant to you, what you feel should be recognized nationally, and/or what reflects a sense of community. Is there any particular person that you think the country should honor on a specific day? Is there a cause for which the nation should raise awareness (like Arbor Day)? When should it be celebrated? Why is it important to consider this holiday as a (fairly) permanent part of the calendar? In other words, how does this holiday speak to a nation now and also in the future? Why might the people of the United States be interested in this holiday, or why should they be interested in this holiday? Look at holidays that already exist and think about what is worth promoting in American society.

PERSUADE: As you consider the celebration of your new holiday, write for your audience. You're writing directly to a federal agency who in turn reflects the American public. You should write with inclusivity in mind; create an argument that sounds convincing even to those who do not have similar tastes, beliefs, or ideas to you. Are there any holidays that already exist/are similar to your holiday? Would anyone take issue with your holiday? If so, how would you answer their concerns? What purpose does your holiday serve? What results would you anticipate stemming from the declaration of such a holiday? Think carefully about what statement you might be making with your holiday.

You must incorporate quotations from at least one essay from Reading the World in your argument (for example, if your holiday relates to a cultural issue, you could use Ruth Benedict's essay, if your holiday relates to promoting education, you could use Frederick Douglass' essay, or if your holiday addresses materialism, you might use Gandhi). You may include an outside source if you wish (it is not required). You may not use more than ONE outside source. Along with the text read in class, that makes TWO sources maximum for this paper.

General Requirements:

1. 3-4 pages

2. Times New Roman font size 12, double spaced (no extra spaces between paragraphs), 1" margins all around.

3. Adherence to all MLA style and formatting rules, including those for headings, page numbers, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page.

4. STRICT ADHERENCE TO THIRD PERSON PRONOUNS ONLY. No first person (I, me, my, we, our, etc.) or second person (you, your, yourself, etc.) anywhere in the paper.

5. Rough draft due Thursday, October 15 at the start of class. Submit electronically on SafeAssign AND print out a hard copy, stapled.