4.1 - Assignment Details

This assignment will allow you to take the work you have done in previous assignments and put it to work for a specific academic audience. Working from the research you completed for your Research Report, you will create an argument applicable to a specific academic audience. 

This assignment asks you to practice a very specific kind of argumentation: arguing for the exigency of an issue to a particular audience. While you may be familiar with general argumentative writing, this task requires you to focus on presenting a topic AND convincing a specific audience that the issue matters and demands attention. We’ve narrowed the focus to exigency because it allows you to practice using research strategically -- choosing evidence thoughtfully and integrating it through paraphrase, direct quotation, and proper citation.

Think of this as an argument in which the effectiveness depends on your audience. Topics like hunger or homelessness may seem urgent to you, but you can't assume that those topics are equally concerning to all people in the world.  No matter the topic, your task is to demonstrate why your chosen audience should care. By doing so, you strengthen both your reasoning and your research skills, aligning with the course objectives for persuasive, evidence-based writing.

This project is designed to help you practice several of the core skills we’ve been building all semester. As you explain why your issue matters to the college community, you’ll be thinking critically, working closely with your research sources, and organizing your ideas in clear and effective ways. The learning outcomes below highlight the key abilities you’ll be using—and strengthening—as you complete this assignment.

This assignment meets the following WRIT 101 course outcomes:

• • Integrate their own ideas with those of others.  

  • Formulate an assertion about a given issue and support that assertion with evidence germane to the issue, position taken, and given audience.

  • Use conventions of format and structure germane to the rhetorical situation and audience.

  • Develop and organize logical thoughts as a means of building evidence that results in a persuasive argument.

  • Understand how to self-edit and appreciate its importance in crafting a professional document.

Do not begin writing your Argument of Exigence paper yet. Although the full assignment is presented here so that you understand the final goal, this chapter is designed to guide you through the process of developing an effective argument before you begin drafting.

Over the next several weeks, you will complete a series of activities that will help you move from research to argument. You will revisit the sources from your Research Report, identify key patterns and findings, analyze audience expectations, explore the concept of exigence, develop a focused claim, evaluate evidence, and learn strategies for integrating sources effectively. You will also examine examples of persuasive writing, receive feedback from classmates and your instructor, and revise your ideas as your argument develops.

Unlike the Research Report, which focused on understanding an issue from multiple perspectives, this assignment asks you to make a case for why a specific audience should care about that issue. Before you can do that successfully, you need to understand not only the issue itself, but also the values, concerns, and interests of the audience you hope to persuade. The activities in this chapter are designed to help you make those connections.

Think of this assignment as the destination and the chapter activities as the path that will help you get there. Each activity contributes an important piece of the final paper. By the time you begin drafting, you should already have a clearly defined audience, a focused argument about the issue's significance, a plan for using research effectively, ideas for your multimodal component, and a strong understanding of how to support your claims with evidence.

Your goal right now is not to write the paper. Your goal is to develop an informed, audience-centered argument that is grounded in careful research and thoughtful analysis. Work through each activity in order and allow your ideas to develop gradually. By the time you begin drafting, much of the research, planning, audience analysis, and argument development required for the final paper will already be complete.

This semester, you have focused on reading, analyzing, and conveying information to an audience. For this assignment, you will build on those skills by writing a formal argumentative paper that communicates the urgency and significance of an issue related to reading, writing, or literacy to your college community. The goal is not to take a position, but to show why your issue deserves attention and action.

Assignment Overview

For this assignment, you will:

• Write a formal argumentative paper addressed to the MCC community, including students, faculty, staff, or administrators. Your paper should explain why this issue matters, its impact, and why your audience should care.

• Use four research sources from your previous Research Report assignment.

• Include at least one multimodal element—such as an infographic, chart, image, video, or audio clip—that supports your explanation of the issue and enhances your audience’s understanding.

Audience

Your audience is the local college community. Consider who you are trying to reach (students, faculty, administrators, or other campus groups) and communicate your argument in a way that will resonate with them.

Requirements

• • Length: Approximately 4–6 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point sans serif font.

  • Sources:

    • Cite at least four research sources from your previous Research Report.

    • At least two of your cited sources must be scholarly.

    • Ensure sources are integrated and explained clearly.

    • Include a Works Cited page with full citations.

  • Argument:

    • Develop a clear focus on the exigence of the issue: why it is timely, relevant, or important to the campus community.

    • Use your sources to describe the issue, its context, and its potential impact.

    • Address why your audience should care about this issue.

  • Multimodal Element:

    • Include at least one multimodal component (visual, auditory, or interactive) that complements your paper.

    • Integrate it thoughtfully so that it enhances your explanation of the issue.

  • Formatting:

    • Your paper must follow MLA formatting for the entire document, including in-text citations (author tags) and a Works Cited page.

This rubric explains how your Argumentative Research Paper will be evaluated. The focus is on how clearly and convincingly you show why your issue matters to the MCC community. It highlights the quality of your argument, how well you use and connect your four research sources, and how effectively your multimodal element supports your explanation. It also considers writing clarity, organization, and proper MLA formatting. Use it as a guide to meet expectations and strengthen your paper.

A - Advanced

• • Integrate ideas with those of others: All four research sources are seamlessly integrated, with clear connections between source ideas and your explanation of the issue. The synthesis enhances understanding of the issue’s urgency.

  • Formulate an explanation of exigence and support with evidence: Provides a compelling, nuanced explanation of why the issue matters to the college community. Evidence from all four sources is fully utilized and clearly supports the explanation.

  • Use conventions of format and structure: Paper is organized logically with clear transitions, paragraph structure, and MLA formatting. Multimodal element is fully integrated and enhances the audience’s understanding.

  • Develop and organize logical thoughts: Ideas are presented in a coherent progression that builds understanding of the issue’s urgency. Connections between points and sources are explicit and persuasive.

  • Self-editing/professional presentation: Writing is polished, free of grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. Paper meets length requirement (4–5 pages).

B - Proficient

• • Integrate ideas with those of others: Research sources are integrated accurately but may lack full synthesis. Connections between source ideas and explanation of exigence are generally clear.

  • Formulate an explanation of exigence and support with evidence: Clearly explains the issue’s relevance, though depth or subtlety may be limited. Evidence generally supports the explanation.

  • Use conventions of format and structure: Paper is organized and mostly follows MLA formatting. Multimodal element supports the explanation but may not be fully integrated.

  • Develop and organize logical thoughts: Ideas are presented in a mostly coherent order. Connections between points and sources are evident but may be somewhat uneven.

  • Self-editing/professional presentation: Writing is clear with minor grammar, spelling, or formatting errors. Paper meets page requirement.

C - Developing

• • Integrate ideas with those of others: Sources are included but synthesis is minimal; connections to your explanation of exigence are inconsistent.

  • Formulate an explanation of exigence and support with evidence: Addresses the issue’s importance but with limited clarity or persuasiveness. Evidence partially supports the explanation.

  • Use conventions of format and structure: Organization is basic, MLA formatting has noticeable errors, and multimodal element contributes minimally to understanding.

  • Develop and organize logical thoughts: Ideas are unevenly organized; progression of argument is sometimes unclear.

  • Self-editing/professional presentation: Writing shows limited editing; grammar, spelling, and formatting errors are noticeable. Length requirement mostly met.

D - Emerging

• • Integrate ideas with those of others: Sources are minimally connected to the explanation; synthesis is weak or inaccurate.

  • Formulate an explanation of exigence and support with evidence: Explanation of the issue’s urgency is unclear or underdeveloped. Evidence weakly supports the argument.

  • Use conventions of format and structure: Paper is disorganized, MLA formatting errors are frequent, and multimodal element is missing, irrelevant, or ineffective.

  • Develop and organize logical thoughts: Ideas are poorly organized, lacking clear progression.

  • Self-editing/professional presentation: Writing shows minimal attention to clarity or correctness; grammar, spelling, and formatting errors are frequent. Length requirement may not be met.

F - Beginning

• • Integrate ideas with those of others: Sources are missing, misrepresented, or irrelevant.

  • Formulate an explanation of exigence and support with evidence: Fails to convey why the issue matters; explanation is missing, unclear, or unsupported by evidence.

  • Use conventions of format and structure: Paper is largely disorganized, MLA formatting not followed, and multimodal element is absent or irrelevant.

  • Develop and organize logical thoughts: Ideas are incoherent, with no logical progression.

  • Self-editing/professional presentation: Writing is largely unintelligible, with pervasive grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. Length requirement not met.

This chapter contains materials from: 

• First Year Composition by Leslie Davis and Kiley Miller; produced and distributed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA) by Colorado State University.