Argumentative Editorial Assignment
Details of Assignment:
1. Students will choose a topic and write an argumentative piece that incorporates the
rhetorical devices learned in this unit (must use 10 devices total).
2. Students must use at least 2 articles about their topic to help build their argument.
Nytimes.com or washingtonpost.com are good places to start. Articles must be from reputable
news sources (no blogs). Your sources can be from research/informational based sources as well
(no wikipedia). You will print and highlight the articles with useable information as well
as include them on works the cited page.
3. Editorial should be no more than 2 pages long (around 500-600 words), typed, and in
MLA format.
Assignment must include all of the
following rhetorical devices:
1. Ethos
2. Pathos
3. Logos (logical approach w/
specific details/data)
4. Alliteration
5. Metaphor/Simile
6. Parallelism (parallel structure)
7. Loaded (charged) words &
vivid verbs
8. Repetition
And at least 2 of these:
Allusion
Personification
Hyperbole
Antithesis
Anecdote
Onomatopoeia
How do I start?
CHOOSE A TOPIC WISELY: Decide on a current and relevant topic that has two (or more) definite sides to it.
RESEARCH: In order to form an opinion, you need to be informed. You will use these details to eventually
support your argument. Be sure to research both sides of the issue. Find details. Find data.
DECIDE YOUR STANCE AND BUILD YOUR ARGUMENT: Decide which stance you hold and plan the
points to make a compelling, informed argument. Your writing is not a rant; it is an informed argument.
FOCUS ON THE CRAFT: writing is not for the faint of heart. Brainstorm ways you can effectively use the
rhetorical devices required of you. No one wants to read a cheesy metaphor or simile just because it was one of
your required elements. Make it work in your writing. Use it in the same professional manner that career
journalists do.
Here are some suggested topics:
Are some youth sports too intense?
Is it offensive for sports teams to use Native American names/images as mascots?
Is there too much pressure for girls to have the perfect body?
Should colleges move away from using SAT scores and grades as their main admissions criteria?
What is more important; our privacy or our National security?
When is the use of military force justified?
Does the use of social media connect or isolate people?
What is the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) and does it constitute a crisis or is it a viable solution?
Are we living up to the America envisioned by our Founding Fathers?
Should genetically modified foods be allowed by the FDA?