Name: _________________________________________________
Persuasive Debate Project
This project is worth TWO major grades for the third six weeks. Read the information and guidelines
below so that you are aware of what you need to do! 
Major Grades Assessed:
Written Component Includes
 Completion of this Packet (each member of the group is responsible for completing
their own packet)
 Annotation of Assigned Article (each member of the group is responsible for annotating
their own copy of the article)
 Individual Portion of the Written Argument (included in packet)
Presentation Component Includes
 Each member of the group will speak during the oral debate
 Each member of the group will have a visual component for the debate
Here’s an overview of how this works:
1. Get into your group. Each member of the group will have their own copy of the assigned article.
2. In this packet, your group will complete a SOAPStone of the article. Each member of the group will
write in their own individual packet, but your group will work on this part together.
3. Each group member has been assigned an appeal- ethos, pathos, or logos. For this part, each
member of the group will look at his or her individual copy of the assigned article. The ethos person
is annotating for ethos, the pathos person is annotating for pathos, and the logos person is annotating
for logos. You will label anything you find in the way we have discussed. (Appeal written out, then
rhetorical device used to create that appeal in parenthesis)
4. After each group member has done their part, your group will work together to decide which
THREE rhetorical devices are the most effective in achieving the author’s purpose. You will complete
the chart found in this packet together. The devices you pick do not ALL have to be from the same
appeal.
5. This is the individual portion. Each group member will ENDORSE or REBUT the author’s position
on the issue. You will write your own paragraph doing this using your assigned appeal and
associated rhetorical devices. This is the foundation of your oral debate against the other side.
6. Practice your presentation. In the debate, the endorsement side will speak first, and then the
rebuttal side. After both sides have gone, we will discuss as a class which side was most persuasive
and why.
Step One
My Name: ____________________________________
My Assigned Appeal: ____________________
My Other Group Members:
1. ________________________ Their Assigned Appeal: ______________________________
2. ________________________ Their Assigned Appeal: ______________________________
Title of Assigned Article: _______________________________________________________________
Position: Endorsement or Rebuttal (Circle One)
Now that you know who you’ll be working with (and against!) get into your groups now! 
Step Two
BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, KNOW THIS: EACH GROUP MEMBER MUST WRITE IN HIS
OR HER OWN PACKET. YOU DO NOT TURN IN A “GROUP PACKET.” EACH MEMBER OF THE
GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN MATERIAL, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE
COLLABORATING AS A GROUP FOR SOME COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT.
With your group, read the assigned article. After you have read the article thoroughly and have a
general idea of the author’s purpose, record the following information in the spaces below. You may
not write on a separate sheet of paper- THIS IS YOUR MAJOR GRADE PACKET!
S—Speaker (Who is it? Is there any background information you can infer about them?)
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O—Occasion (What is going on in the world that this speaker felt it necessary to write the article?)
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A—Audience (Who is the speaker addressing? It may be a group of people or just one person.)
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P—Purpose (What does the speaker hope to achieve through this article? What does the author want
you to feel/think/do?)
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Subject—Summarize the article in 4 complete sentences or more.
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Tone- What is the tone of this article? What diction contributes to that overall attitude that the writer
has toward his or her subject? You must provide textual evidence for this one!
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Step Three
Before you begin, make sure you number the paragraphs in your article. Annotate your article
INDIVIDUALLY. You each have been assigned an appeal at this point; the ethos person is looking for
the devices that create ethos specifically, and that goes for the other two devices as well. Remember,
you are looking for SPECIFIC rhetorical devices of argumentation used as well as the appeal those
devices create. Use any notes you have, and make sure you annotate in the style we have discussed.
(appeal first, then the device in parenthesis)
Step Four
Now that you have all annotated the article for your specific appeal on your own, your group can
decide which three RHETORICAL DEVICES are the most effective in achieving the author’s purpose.
Your answer will not be ethos, pathos, and logos. Your answer might be personal background information,
facts/statistics, and positive diction. With your group, complete the following chart:
Text Evidence from the Article:
Device #1 ____________________________
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Appeal Created: __________________
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Text Evidence from the Article:
Device #2 ____________________________
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Appeal Created: __________________
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Text Evidence from the Article:
Device #3 ____________________________
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Appeal Created: __________________
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Step Five
Now that you know essential facts, rhetorical appeals, and devices used to achieve the author’s
purpose, you are ready to compose your portion of the endorsement or rebuttal. Your group is either
ENDORSING the author’s position or you are REBUTTING (OPPOSING) IT.
For example, say an article is written about the negative effects of watching too much television. If
you are in the ENDORSEMENT group, then your group is coming up with your own persuasive
argument SUPPORTING the author’s claim that too much TV is bad for you.
If, however, you are in the REBUTTAL group, your group is disagreeing with that viewpoint, and
your persuasive argument will be in FAVOR of watching television.
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One warning… If the article you are doing is an endorsement of the topic and your group is
ALSO doing an endorsement, then your argument must be completely original. You cannot
use the same material that the author used! BE ORIGINAL!
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IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH YOUR ASSIGNED POSITION… GET OVER IT.  Stretch
your brain and come up with a way to use the rhetorical devices of argumentation to construct
a solid, effective persuasive argument. It’s your job to make me (and your classmates) truly
believe what you’re saying.
Okay, ready for the requirements of your paper?
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One page only (written in and turned in with this packet)
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Four Paragraphs (Intro, Body #1, Body #2, Conclusion)
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Intro paragraph should include a brief summary of how the article used YOUR appeal (ethos,
pathos, or logos) and include a thesis statement which addresses your position
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Choose two rhetorical devices that build YOUR SPECIFIC APPEAL (ethos, pathos, or logos)
and use those to create you argument
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Your sentences should be complete, and all punctuation should be correct
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Final Draft goes into this packet; you may rough draft on a separate sheet of paper
It is your job to write one well-written and grammatically correct paragraph arguing FOR or
AGAINST the author of the article’s opinion. You have been assigned one appeal, so you may
construct your argument only out of the rhetorical devices that build that particular appeal. Use your
provided handouts for assistance and reference.
So for example, if I am REFUTING the idea that television kills the imagination of today’s youth, and
I am doing ETHOS, then this might be my outline:
Introduction
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Here, I will explain the position of the author of the article I read with my group.
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Then, I would include a thesis statement stating whether or not I am endorsing or rebutting
the author’s claim, and what rhetorical devices I will use to do this.
Body Paragraph #1
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Topic Sentence
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Here, I might discuss my personal background to build up my ethos. I might discuss how
much television I watch per week, and then cite my own grades and extracurricular activities
as proof that I still have imagination and intelligence.
Body Paragraph #2
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Topic Sentence
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Here, I might quote a family member who can vouch for me and detail the many creative
outlets I have. Even though this is a personal story relating some factual information, the
primary purpose of it is to build up my credibility as someone who watches TV, yet still
maintains some imagination.
Conclusion
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I need to provide a summary of my main points at the end of my paper.
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I could possibly offer a prediction about the future of this issue in order to end my paper.
You don’t have it in this packet, but you will receive a rubric for your paper and
presentation, as well as an outline that will help you get started once you get to this
point of the project. Don’t worry!
Write your persuasive paper on this page.
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Step Six
You made it! Your paper is complete! Now that you’re back with your group, everyone should read
their paper out loud. You can also pass it around and read it silently if you wish. If your group
suggests any changes, you should consider them and revise accordingly.
Now is the time to practice your actual debate with your group.
Some reminders:
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Who will speak first? Why? Is it better for pathos to go first, or is pathos your strongest
persuasive appeal and should be presented last? Think about it.
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You each must have a visual representation as part of your debate. It could be a graph, a
picture, a chart, a video clip, etc. EACH ONE OF YOU MUST HAVE ONE; YOU CANNOT
HAVE ONLY A “GROUP” VISUAL.
You will have time to practice the debate with your opposition! I will let you know when that date and time will
happen. For now, you are rehearsing with your group.