stepphenwolf

What is rhetoric? Aristotle first defined rhetoric as “the power to see the possible ways of persuading people about a given subject.” Teenagers are natural masters of rhetoric- they easily use language in hopes to persuade their friends, teachers and parents. Rhetoric is everywhere! Whether it’s a politician using it for a vote, a teenager peer pressuring a friend or an adult writing a report at work- everyone uses rhetoric in some form or another. If a students understand how they can use rhetoric in their assignments, they will have the power to write effectively. Three ways to master rhetoric Logos is the appeal for reason and logic Everything has facts and everyone needs facts in order to be convinced So, step one is to make sure you are using facts to back up your ideas when writing and speaking. For example, “Studies show 9 out of 10 teachers prefer students who participate in class.” Reasoning with logos: A fact is simply something you know exists or somethin

What is the most important issue to you today? Lawmakers need to know what matters to the people who elected them to office. Therefore, in a letter, write to persuade one of your legislators to take action on an issue that is important to you (you could urge them to vote for a bill, change a law, etc). Your letter must contain specific, scholarly facts, and must persuade using all three elements of rhetorical persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. You need to also include at least two scholarly quotes supporting your points. Include relevant facts and figures that enhance your argument to build logos, as well as a very brief, personal story about how this issue affects you or someone you know. This can be a nice way to establish ethos and pathos. Your letter should be 1 ½ pages in length (single spaced and proper business letter format). It needs to stick to one issue and it must state its purpose in the first paragraph. If you are writing about a specific bill, you must i