The final assignment you will be asked to write on the diploma exam is the Persuasive Writing in Context assignment. This task is worth 15% of the total diploma exam mark.  Your response is scored on two categories:  Thought and Support (10%) and Writing Skills (5%).

What to Expect:

• You will be asked to consider an issue in a fictional community.  You will take on the role of a citizen in that community, usually a student, and present your position on the issue.
  
  
• In the examination booklet, you will be given information that you must consider in supporting your argument.
  
  
• You can expect information such as:

• a summary of the issue
• excerpts of newspaper articles
• opinions of other citizens in the community

Your task is to use the information provided in the exam to better understand the issue being debated, and then present your opinion on that issue in a way that will persuade your reader to agree with you.

The Rules:

 

• You must clearly state your opinion. You must choose a side and argue it
  
  
• You must present your response in prose form (sentences and paragraphs NOT poetry), as either a speech or a letter.
  
  
• You must provide an introduction that clearly identifies your response as either a speech or a letter.
  
  
• You must develop clear examples and include detailed evidence to support your opinion.
  
  
• You must include logical arguments to persuade your audience.
  
  
• You must choose your tone and diction (word choice) wisely to persuade your audience to agree with you.