English 120
Email Letter to a Visiting Speaker

Fall, 2008

Points possible: 10
Format: use standard, casual letter format as appropriate for an email, with good email etiquette and clear, inviting subject line
Length: 2-3 pages, typed and double-spaced
Resources: read CTW, Chap. 4 for this project
Due date: see online schedule

Two provocative speakers are coming to campus this October, and their respective talks will be relevant to some of the issues and themes our class addresses. You will need to attend one of these talks and complete a report about it. Be sure to make time in your class and work schedule well in advance.

Jessica Pettitt is a consultant and educator on social justice/diversity issues.  She will be speaking in the Memorial Union, Great Plains Ballroom on Thursday, October 9th at 7pm on the topic "Be the Change You Want to Be," an interactive, highly-energized talk that will discuss the intersections of leadership and social justice.

Dr. James Loewen is a sociologist, best-selling author, and long-time educator on race relations.  He will speak in the Memorial Union Great Room on Friday, October 10th at 7pm on the topic "Lies My Teacher Told Me."  Dr. Loewen's talk is based on extensive research he conducted at the Smithsonian Institute about the way in which U.S. students are taught about our country's history.

Both of these speakers are on campus this fall in conjunction with the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition annual conference (October 10-11).  Their presentations are open to the public and free of charge.

 

Instructions

Attend either Pettit or Loewen's talk, then write that person a friendly email in which you rhetorically analyze their presentation. Just be straightforward in your letter and explain that you are writing him/her as a requirement for a college English course, and that you'd like to share some thoughts about and possible insights into their presentations.

Remember, as for your first major project, the components of any such analysis and questions you need to ask yourself:

  1. What is the rhetorical situation for this argument?
  2. Who is making the argument?
  3. How is the argument put together?
  4. What appeals are being made?
  5. How are claims supported?
  6. How does the speaker negotiate opposing views?
  7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of their argument?

This is a great opportunity to review class handouts, notes, and Power Point presentations on how to analyze any argument. (See materials for Project #1.)

 

Audience

You'll be addressing the speaker directly. You can be fairly casual, but courteous.

 

Purpose

You are writing this email to share your thoughts with the speaker—give him/her a student's perspective on their talk—and to gain further practice in analyzing any argument you encounter.

 

Evaluation Criteria

I'm looking for a letter which shows thoughtful awareness of audience and a good understanding of how to analyze the rhetoric of any argument. The letter should be well-organized, with focused and developed paragraphs and helpful transitions. It should be edited for clarity, concision, and fluency. It should be proofread for mechanical and surface errors. The subject line is particularly important: it should:

  1. Attract the addressee's attention and interest (paying attention to that person's needs, personality, likes & dislikes, etc.)
  2. Make clear that the email is not spam
  3. Provide at least a strong hint as to its subject matter

A = 9.25-10  Meets all of the criteria exceptionally well
B = 7.75-8.5  Meets all of the criteria reasonably well, or most of the criteria very well
C = 6.25-7  Meets some of the criteria reasonably well or all of the criteria minimally well
D = 4.75-5.5  Does not meet most of the criteria, but is saved by decent performance in one or possibly two areas

 

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