Name(s):________________________________________________________________

Period: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Advocacy Letter
FINAL DRAFT DUE BY: Tuesday, April 27
LENGTH: at least 400 words
FOCUS: You will be writing a persuasive letter of at least 400 words in which you identify an issue
and build an argument to convince someone with the ability to make or influence change
that something has to change. Choose an issue that you feel strongly about and can discuss
from existing knowledge. The issue should be something that affects more peole than just
you—perhaps your family, your community, your classmates, your city, etc.

DETAIL: Your letter must use several, appropriate methods of persuasion (appealing to both
Emotion and Reason if possible). At minimum, your letter must include attempts to use the
following techniques:
 Anecdote
 Expert Testimony
 Rebut Counterarguments
 At least one additional technique of your choice

DEVELOPMENT: Be sure to explain your reasoning and structure your letter with a clearly developed
introduction, body, and conclusion. Build through assertion, support, and explanation to a
concrete call to action.

CLARITY: Follow all standards of written English grammar as discussed in class (including correct
spelling, complete sentences, etc.)

FORMAT: Your paper must meet the following formatting standards:

 Be typed in your GoogleDocs account
 Follow conventions of a Business Letter as discussed in class

Category: 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point

Includes a focused Includes minimal or Includes vague and Is completely
Focus argument advocating a surface-level seemingly unrelated unfocused
specific action argument advocating argument on a
action vague action
Includes meaningful Includes minimal use Includes little-to-no Vague and
Detail techniques of of techniques of specific techniques confusing with no
persuasion persuasion of persuasion or attempt to persuade
relevant details or describe
Well-reasoned Minimal attempts to Few, if any, No attempt at
Development explanations and explain or structure attempts to explain explanation or
structure add power to to add power to your or structure your structure
your argument argument argument
Is virtually free of May include 2 or Includes 4 or more Grammar errors
Clarity misspellings and more misspellings misspellings and make most of the
sentence errors that and errors that create long passages that memoir nearly
interfere with confusion are unclear impossible to
understanding understand
Paper follows all May include 2 or Includes 4 or more Standards almost
Format standards for a more mistakes in mistakes in completely ignored
business letter attempting to follow following standards or missed
standards of a of a business letter
business letter
20 pts= 19 pts= 18 pts= 17 pts= 16 pts= 15 pts= 14 pts= 13 pts= 12 pts= 11 pts=
A+ A A- B B- C C- D D- E