For the first part of the project, you will need to find a controversial issue that is currently being debated in the particular forum or publication that you will target. You will then need to thoroughly research both the subject (public and academic sources) and the ecology and rhetorical situation. As you work toward writing your argument, you will need to complete and turn in the following steps:
 
· Research notes with a full description of the rhetorical situation (using Grant-Davie's elements of rhetorical situations), the ecology in which the publication you choose circulates (using Coopers model of interlocking systems), and a list of relevant sources on the topic, those from the publication you have chosen, other public sources, and, most importantly, academic databases so you can make a truly informed argument based in research and not just biased perspectives.

· Your researched argument (approximately 1000 to 1500 words).

· A cover letter following the instructions for cover letters in the separate assignment sheet.

· Effective rhetorical choices aimed at the expectations of the ecology of the publication you have chosen.

· An effective introduction that establishes the topic in an engaging way, indicates its importance, presents an exigency for the argument, and provides a guiding statement or statements that establish the main purpose of the text.

· A background section that defines terms, provides a summary of the current history of the topic, and synthesizes/summarizes the current conversation, presenting the different perspectives on the issue as fairly/"objectively" as possible, though with a focus on the argument you are making.

· A response to previous arguments that is nuanced, thoughtful, and based on scholarly sources.

· A positive argument that presents an original (not just an agreement with what others have already said) and thoughtful position on the issue with claims, reasons, and evidence that the readers of the publication would find persuasive.

· A conclusion that reiterates the argument, down-plays opposing views and objections, and amplifies the possible outcomes of the argument (answers the question "So what?").