The directions are very clearly stated in the online lesson six. You need to choose a product that interests you and research to find the ads that have been used to advertise the product over many years. You will be expected to describe and explain each ad to identify the persuasive argument/s made by each of the advertisements for the topic you choose to discuss. Identify the claim/s made and the reasons each ad gives in support of the claim/s about the product.
Use the four tests of argument (Is each premise truthful, logical, relevant, non-circular) to evaluate each ad, or just evaluate them all together, if the claim is the same all the way through the years. Do the claims and the reasons given to support the claims add up to a valid (logically strong) argument? Understanding the structure of a multi-paragraph persuasive argument will prove incredibly useful when composing your thesis-driven essays and media projects. The following components are expected to appear in the media project that you may choose to create
When you write a formal paper, or create a media project, to express your ideas about a topic, you know that you must state your thesis – your proposition to be argued for. This proposition is your claim, or conclusion, about the topic and is included in an introductory paragraph to begin your paper or media project.
As you write to support your thesis with evidence, you propose reasons, or premise statements, to support why you think your conclusion is true.
In the body of your written project, each paragraph of a persuasive text must contain a main idea (a premise/reason that supports the thesis) and the details and examples that support the main idea of the paragraph. These main ideas (premises/reasons) can also be thought of as sub-claims that support the thesis statement.
Don’t forget the conclusion paragraph in which you list and briefly summarize the main ideas/premise statements that you used to support the thesis statement.
