Prompts

USE THE DONOVAN LIVINGSTON SPEECH FOR THE FOLLOWING ESSAY.

Write a 1250-1500 word paper engaging with the piece of public address:
•Who would find the speech persuasive and why? Analyze its rhetorical style and arguments using the relevant concepts we’ve learned thus far.
•Situate the speech and its arguments in the historic conversation and public arguments you have encountered in this course to evaluate its effectiveness.
•Identify how the speech relates to at least one of its contemporary social movements or how it participates in institutional/structural resistance to a movement.

Sections

Your paper should include the following elements:
• Introduction: Should clearly indicate the speech you are studying and have a clear thesis statement. A thesis statement is a single sentence that expresses the main idea of your paper.
• Body Paragraphs: Have clear topic sentences. Evidence from the speech and other sources back up your claims. Sources are cited properly. Paragraphs are arranged in a coherent order.
• Conclusion: Restates your main idea, sums up the paper, and brings a sense of closure.
• Bibliography: Be sure to include a bibliography or works cited page in the same file.

Include at least 4 researched sources. These can include news articles, scholarly journal articles, and books. Be sure to also cite relevant readings assigned in the course to support your claims.

Grading

This paper is worth a total of 100 points. You will be graded on the following criteria:

Speech Analysis (75 points)
•Situates speech in relation to other public arguments (15 points)
•Accurately identifies its target audience(s) and analyzes effectiveness of appeals (20 points)
•Identifies how the speech relates to at least one of its contemporary social movements or how it participates in institutional/structural resistance to a movement (15 points)
•Analyzes rhetorical style and arguments using concepts from the course (25 points)

Rhetorical composition of the argument (20 points)
•Introduction indicates the speech you are studying and has a clear thesis (4 points)
•Paragraphs have clear topic sentences that support the main idea (4 points)
•Claims are supported by examples and evidence (4 points)
•Restates your main idea, sums up the paper, and brings a sense of closure (4 points)
•Use of 4 quality bibliographic sources beyond the speech/textbook or assigned readings and course modules cited properly in MLA, APA, or Chicago format (4 points) ?Note that failing to have all of the required sources cited may be grounds for earning a failing grade on this assignment. The speech is the object of study and therefore not a researched source. Course readings and assigned articles have been handed to you and are not independent research. They should be used, but are not counted toward the required 4 researched sources.