Gail’s Insomnia

Gail has always slept well, but lately, she has been waking up at 3 A.M. and having trouble getting back to sleep.

Your Writing Assignment . . . In 1700 words or more, develop a formal response to the dilemma you worked on in the Class Caf last week. Write as if you were a hired consultant tasked with preparing a position paper that will be presented either to your client (like Rocco or Gail) or the media (like an editorial) or a legal or legislative body (like a Federal Court or a state legislature). You are a hired professional that has been asked by a person or interest group to research the dilemma and present some creative ideas/solutions for your client. You are trying to generate specific, creative solutions to their dilemma, and they are paying you to offer help! If you hope to be retained for future employment, be not only creative, but thorough and specific in your responseyour goal is to help decision makers take action to solve their dilemma.

Think about the roles these classical rhetoric terms I have shared with you play in creating a persuasive argument, and see if you cant think about the concepts of exordium, narratio, divisio, confirmatio and refutatio in your paper.

Standards for an EWRT 2 Writing Assignment

Demonstrates adequate essay and paragraph writing

            Introduction that presents the central focus of the essay in a thesis statement

            Paragraphs that address ONE supporting point at a time, usually expressed in an opening sentence

            Paragraphs that explain/develop/defend that thesis with specific, detailed evidence from readings,

                        general knowledge and personal experience

            Sentences that employ clear syntactical structure, that are varied in length and style, and

                        that follow basic rules of grammar and spelling

            Quotations properly cited in MLA style

            MLA Works Cited list

If you are hoping for an A, your paper will be tightly focused, with a precise thesis and main ideas. It will make thoughtful, intelligent connections with the assigned readings and course materials. The ideas will be well-developed (presented, explained, supported by logic and evidence, connected to thesis) and executed with finesse. Theres an intelligent depth and sophistication to an A paper, a magic quality that makes it seem creative and effortless while at the same time demonstrating a deep engagement and understanding with the course materials.