CM220X Assessment 2 Worksheet

CM220X Assessment 2 Worksheet

Competency Assessment 2 Worksheet

In this competency assessment, you will write a persuasive thesis statement that proposes a solution to a problem in your community or workplace and evaluate the effectiveness of that argument using the rhetorical situation and the rhetorical triangle.

Part I: In this section, you will create a persuasive thesis statement and identify the claim and underlying assumption in that thesis statement. Make sure the thesis is concise (1–2 sentences) and clearly expresses a persuasive argument that offers a solution to a problem.

Write your revised two-part thesis statement here, and be sure to include a claim + reason (the “because” or “since” clause):

Identify the claim of the thesis statement:

State the underlying assumption of your argument:

Part II: Use the rhetorical situation (author, text, purpose, audience, setting) to brainstorm about the main elements of your argument. You will be the author and the imagined text will be a scholarly essay, so there is no need to answer those two parts of the rhetorical situation. Identify the other three elements of the rhetorical situation below:  

Purpose – What do you hope to accomplish by making this argument?

Target audience - Who in the community can make the change and what other stakeholders will be affected by this issue and your recommended change?

Setting – Name and describe the community you will write about.

Part III: Describe how you will use the appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos to make your argument more compelling to your audience.

Pathos – Identify your target audience and what values, priorities, and emotions you must take into consideration to make a convincing argument.

Ethos – Describe what points of disagreement, assumptions, misconceptions, and valid concerns you will need to address to show complex understanding of the issue. What are some common ground opportunities that you can use to show that you understand their position and agree with parts of it?

Logos – Describe what logic, examples, and evidence you can use to support your explanation of the problem and your proposed solution? What logical fallacies will you need to avoid?