Due Dates for Informed Citizens Project
Below is a list of dates in which you will turn in an article regarding the story you are
choosing to follow with your rhetorical précis response (reminder of what this is on
below):
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Monday, September 9
Monday, September 23
Monday, October 7
Monday, October 21
Monday, November 4
Monday, November 18
Monday, December 2
Speech Schedule: Speeches will take place December 10 – December 13. You will not know
what day you are giving your speech, so it is important to be ready to present every single
day. This speech is just one part of your semester 1 final exam, so this is not an activity that
you can blow off or avoid. You will have to give a speech whether you have been keeping up
with the homework or not.
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Rhetorical Précis Formula:
Précis: a summary of the essentials of a text; abstract
Paragraph 1
Sentence #1 will include the following:
 Name of the author and (if possible: a phrase describing the credentials of the
author)
 The title of the work and publisher (New York Times, Chicago Tribune, etc.)
 The date, if available (inserted in parentheses)
 A rhetorically accurate verb (such as “assert,” “argue,” “suggest,” “imply,” “claim,”
“deny”, “disprove,” “explain,” “affirm,” “alleges,” “attack,” “calculate,” “confirm,”
“consider,” “declare,” “defend,” “challenge,” “deny,” “agree,” “acknowledge,” etc.) that
describes what the author is doing in the text
 A THAT clause in which you state the major assertion (thesis statement) of the
author’s text
Sentence #2 will include the following:
 An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis (such as by
comparing and contrasting, narrating, illustrating, defining, etc.)
 Present your explanation in the same chronological order that the items of support
are presented by the author in the text
Sentence #3 will include the following:
 A statement of the author’s purpose
 Followed by an IN ORDER TO clause in which you explain what the author wants the
audience to do or feel as a result of reading the work
Sentence #4 will include the following:
 A description of the intended audience
 A description of the tone the author uses
Example Informed Citizenship Précis
Washington D.C. National Reporter for the Associated Press, Hope Yen’s August 9, 2012 article,
“Postal Service Reports $5.2B Loss in 3rd Quarter,” appearing on ABC.com, explains that the
United States Postal Service is nearly bankrupt and will require immediate action from Congress
in order to reverse trends. Yen reports on the overall loss of revenue and cites the Postmaster
General’s request for Congress to act quickly on legislation that will help provide financial relief.
Yen’s purpose is to inform the public about the changes that will need to be approved in order to
avoid private sector job losses, disruption of mail delivery, and further financial crisis for the
Postal Service. Given the logical data and accessibility of the language, as well as the appearance
in the Associated Press, Yen is writing to the national audience using a candid tone.
Paragraph 2:
In the second paragraph you will evaluate at least 2 different arguments/assertions made
by the writer. You should identify the type of argument being made, the strength of the
argument, and whether or not you agree with the thesis of the article.