Option #1: Fallacies in the Media’s Spotlight
Identify and research a person in the media’s spotlight who hasused a logical fallacy. Your
thesis statement should state which logical fallacy is beingcommitted. In the body of the
essay, include specific examples of the logical fallacies. Use apersuasive tone throughout to
encourage your chosen audience to accept your thesis statement.
Option #2: Dear Editor…
Select a problem in your community or your school that you feelpassionately about (students
talking on cell phones in the classroom, dog owners picking uptheir pets’ “presents,” the
limited number of parking spaces at school, etc.) and write aletter to the editor of your local
newspaper. (For tips on writing a strong opinion letter, visithttp://letterstoeditors.net/about/
tips.html.) In your letter, explain the problem, express your viewson it, and then offer a
solution to it. In order to effectively persuade your audience—thenewspaper’s readers—to
agree with you and to act on your solution, you will need to fullyunderstand the problem and
understand your audience. In addition, you will need to be able todescribe the problem detail,
to clearly explain your position on it using a persuasive tone, andto provide strong, concrete
examples to back up your claims.

Write an essay stating your position on whether it is ever okay to compromise your beliefs to fit with others