Assignment Sheet

Editorial and Visual Argument

For this unit, you will create two short arguments on a topic vetted by the course
instructor.

Part I. Editorial (100 points). An editorial is a piece of writing that expresses an opinion
about a current event or issue. The purpose of an editorial is to persuade a
particular audience (example: persuading young people that voting is important
so they should go out and vote; persuading democrats that President Obama
should cut a deal with Republicans on extending the tax breaks; persuading
urban Americans that eating meat is unethical, so they should all become
vegetarians; etc.).

Your editorial must include:

1. A lead paragraph detailing your opinion about a local issue or problem. The
problem or issue defined should be very tightly focused and local in nature, not
global. Avoid complex multifaceted issues like global warming, legalization of
marijuana, terrorism, abortion, stem cell research, and so on. Instead, focus on a
local problem or issue such as whether or not a proposed federal prison should be
built in your home town. The issue should be real and identified through your
own research from reputable media sources.
2. Several paragraphs discussing your opinion about the problem in detail. You
should break the issue down into specific parts and argue each part carefully
thorough the presentation of evidence. All evidence obtained through research
should be cited in APA style.
3. A concluding paragraph or two explaining your position on the issue and what
action should be taken, if any.
4. Your editorial should conform to the purpose, audience, structure and style of
editorials published in quality newspapers such as the New York Times or
Washington Post. Do not confuse the quality, length, and rigor of your editorial
with a mere letter to the editor.

Length requirements: 600-800 words (2-3 pages, double spaced, 1-inch margins, font and
size: Times New Roman 12; sources cited in APA style).

II. Visual Argument (100 points). This assignment requires you to construct a visual
argument supporting the claim of your editorial. The assignment has two parts:

1. A visual argument in the form of a poster or op-ad (“opinion advertisement”)

presenting your central claim to the campus or a specified community (e.g., your
neighborhood, your home town, Philadelphia students, middle schools in South
Philly, local government, etc). You must include both visual elements (photos,
drawings, etc.) and text that support the claim at the core of your editorial
argument. The poster may be either digital or paper-based, depending on your
 level of comfort with digital media. Use what you have learned about arguments
so far, your research, and your creativity to create this poster.
2. A one-page memo in which you describe the audience and the stylistic choices for
your poster (roughly 200-250 words). The memo is a rhetorical analysis of the
poster’s argumentative power. In this memo, you must convince the instructor
that you have constructed an effective visual argument given the target audience,
articulated purpose, kairos, ethos, logos, and pathos. The memo must describe:

a. your target audience;

b. the physical setup of your poster
i. technical specifications such as size, colors, paper finish;
ii. where your audience will see the poster—specific buildings, doors,
classrooms, bus stops, dorms, neighborhoods, etc.; printed in the
newspaper or magazine; or broadcast online, by email or on
specific websites;
c. the rationale for choosing the image(s), text, and color scheme, and overall
design of your poster;
d. the challenges you had in creating this poster;
e. the feature(s) you employed that you think are particularly effective in
accomplishing your purpose;
f. your sources for images and text.
 Editorial
Scoring Rubric

Skill Area Exceeds Meets Standards Approaching Below Score

Standards Standards Standards
8 6
10/9 5 or less
Purpose/Focus The purpose of Contains a Focus is too Focus shifts
the essay focused claim and broad to throughout the
demonstrates maintains focus reasonably essay or the
advanced critical throughout. accomplish in a claim is missing.
thinking and short editorial.
analysis.
Structure Summary The essay is Organization is Organization is
analysis, and logically somewhat haphazard.
evaluation work organized so that confusing Essay fails to
particularly well the argument making the logic achieve unity and
as a logical builds toward a of the essay comprehension.
progression. convincing sometimes
conclusion. difficult to
follow.
Content Conclusions are Provides at least Support is too Support is
particularly one piece of general to unclear or is not
insightful. specific evidence validate the provided at all.
Analysis of to validate each associated claim.
fallacies and supporting claim.
other rhetorical Quotations are
forms are appropriate and
employed. vague
generalizations are
avoided.
Style Style is Essay is written in Style is not Style shows little
particularly a style appropriate appropriate to control of voice
engaging, to a newspaper audience. or tone.
making the audience. Errors Mechanical Mechanical
essay a pleasure in mechanics are errors are errors are
to read. absent. present. abundant.
Documentation Passages cited Quotation, A few Citations are not
demonstrate paraphrase, and documentation in APA style or
advanced critical summary are used errors are may be missing
thinking in correctly to present. Cited altogether.
selecting support analysis. material may not Evidence from
passages for APA style is be well-chosen. source article
critique. followed without absent.
error.
 Visual Argument
Scoring Rubric

Skill Area Exceeds Meets Standards Approaching Below Score

Standards Standards Standards
8 6
10/9 5 or less
Purpose The issue is The image makes a The issue chosen The purpose of
particularly clear visual is too broad or the visual
appropriate for a argument based on may not be argument is
visual medium. the written editorial. conducive to unclear.
visual
representation.
Text In addition to Text clearly Text is present, Text does not
articulating the articulates claim and but the claim is clearly articulate
claim, the text is supported not easily claim and/or
functions effectively by text understood or is support.
effectively as a and/or image(s). otherwise vague. Relationship
fully incorporated Too much text between text and
image within the may be present, image is not
design. causing established.
confusion.
Image Images are Images are Images may not Relationship
particularly well- stylistically be stylistically between text and
chosen, placed, appropriate (kairos) appropriate, may image is not
and integrate with and not clearly apparent.
other elements in support/illustrate the support the
the poster. document’s claim. purpose, or may
clash.
Color In addition to Color is Color is not Color choice
kairos, color appropriately harmonious and seems unrelated
reinforces the (kairos) chosen to may have poor to other elements
persuasive appeals support claim. contrast. of the design.
(ethos, logos,
pathos).
Overall Design shows All elements work There is a clear Design is
Design advanced thinking together to reinforce attempt to create haphazard.
in terms of the overall message. unity, but the
reading order (Z), effect is
using proximity, confusing or
enclosure, or other discordant.
effects to good
advantage.