Q Technology allows for individuals and groups to have a much greater reach than ever before. Conversations, arguments and advertisements can reach global audiences just as easily as local. Because of this, understanding how to effectively create and evaluate arguments is increasingly important. A large part of creating an effective argument is knowing how to tailor your message to your audience. Choose one of the provided topics and state your position on that topic. Then, choose three different audiences that would be impacted by your topic and provide a major claim/argument that is uniquely important to that audience. For each, explain why the argument is effective for its target audience. Topic Options: • Gun Ownership/Rights • Legalization of Marijuana • The Minimum Wage • Social Media • Universal Healthcare Example Topic – Class Sizes Example Position – Classrooms should be limited to a maximum of 15 students. Example Audiences – • High school students o In any classroom, students have a limited selection of students to socialize with. In smaller classes, they may not have anyone that they relate to or get along with, which could make group projects and partner work more difficult to focus on or complete. o The argument is more effective on high school students because many teens are focused on their social status and interactions. Even those who are deeply invested in their academics are subject to this. By speaking about the social aspect of class sizes, my argument is more likely to be relevant to students. • A school board o Smaller class sizes have been linked to greater student achievement overall, and students achievement is often linked to local, state, and federal funding. While smaller classes come with potentially increased costs due to the need for a larger teacher corps and more individual classrooms, it could also lead to more funding and the district earning a better community reputation. o This argument is more effective on school board members because their duties include managing district funding and community interaction. They have to make difficult decision that are not universally popular, so they also have to consider the potential downsides of their choices. This argument acknowledges and addresses those issues, which might make a board member feel more comfortable accepting the claim. • Parents o Smaller class sizes mean that teachers can spend more of their time on each individual student. This may manifest as tailored lesson content, one-on-one or small group tutoring, or more engaging activities that would be too difficult to manage with larger classes. o This argument is more effective on parents because they are especially concerned with the outcomes of their own children. By framing my argument as a matter of academic achievement and increased focus on the individual student, it is more likely to inspire agreement in parents. PreviousNext