Project 2 English 302: Argument Awareness Project: Letter to a Stakeholder/Advocacy Letter DUE: 11:59 PM ET, Monday, July 19 *

Project 2 English 302: Argument Awareness

Project: Letter to a Stakeholder/Advocacy Letter

DUE: 11:59 PM ET, Monday, July 19
* Late papers of only one day late will be accepted.

Requirements:
Word Count: 1000-1300+
Required Sources: At least five, with at least one scholarly source

Purpose:
Call to Action—motivate a specific stakeholder to make a much-needed to change

Now that you’ve thoroughly researched a current (within the last two years) issue within your field, you’re ready to decide on the needed course of action. You will now write to a specific person (or small group) to argue for the action that needs to be taken. Your audience must have the power to enact the action you will recommend. * You do not need to solve the problem.* You are persuading a person who has the power to at least take the first step in initiating change.

In this letter, you will be arguing for a much-needed change to someone who has the power to make that change. The change you are arguing for is about the issue within your field you’ve been researching.

Audience:

Stakeholder/The one who has the power to take the first step:

You will make this argument to someone (or a specific group) who could make this change or at least take the first step to making this change happen.

ARGUMENT and THESIS:

You will have a thesis that has both a claim and reason or reasons.

You can use this template as a starting point for your thesis:
________________(person or group who can take action) ought to ________________ (action) because____________________ (why/reason(s)).

You will use research to back-up your claims and help persuade your intended audience.
*You may use your research and/or writing from your first project.

REQUIREMENTS
You will need to:

write a letter following Business Letter Format to a stakeholder (a specific person with a vested interest in your issue)
use APA citation style for in-text citations and reference page
Include an introduction that includes a short introduction of who you are and why you are writing this letter to this person
analyze and examine the current problem/issue
provide an evaluation (make critical judgments) about the issue
present evidence to support your claims

present a possible solution or plan of action for the issue

convince the stakeholder to take the action you have proposed

address another perspective/viewpoint(s)
conclude your letter with a final call to action—persuade them to do something as soon as they are done reading your letter

The main goal and purpose of this letter is for
you to argue for a much needed change to a specific person.

All of your presented research information should be used as “back-up” to your claims and justify your argument. All evidence presented should be strengthening your argument.

One different perspective and/or opposing view as a “counter-argument.” This should be included as it adds to your credibility as an informed and reliable writer (ethos). This “counter-argument”/different perspective still strengthens your argument because within your writing you will debunk their stance by presenting flaws or holes found in their argument. This section should come AFTER you have built your argument and presented valid points/sub- claims of your thesis.

Business Letter Format

Address blocks (addresses can be made up), date, single-spaced, block text paragraphs in the body, saluation/greeting, and closing. Purdue OWL has instructions and a sample here:

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html

APA In-text Citations and Reference Page
You should use Purdue OWL website, and/or the style handouts on the GMU’s writing center webpage. I expect you to properly site all of your sources (books, articles, on-line sources, databases, interviews, etc.) and to include a reference page.

Please note: there is a huge different between a reference page and an annotated bibliography.

Do NOT turn in another annotated bibliography as a reference page; they are two different genres.
Your paper should have a reference page for the sources cited within your writing.