Working in groups of 4-5 students, imagine yourselves a PR firm contracted to develop a media campaign related to the debate topic. Your group need not necessarily agree with your campaign's position or believe your own rhetoric; you are being paid to persuade voters, not yourselves. However, to avoid possible legal issues, all factual claims must be verifiable. Non-factual claims can be whatever you damn well feel comfortable making up.
Each group must produce:
1) A brief (3-4 page) essay that:
a) Summarizes the issue, in a paragraph or two
b) Describes the client your group will prepare the campaign
for. Choose and describe a real group.
c) Analyzes the audiences with a stake in this topic and then
describes the specific audience you hope to persuade
d) Summarizes your strategy by describing in specific terms
how you will employ each Line of Argument in your campaign to target a specific
demographic audience
e) Cite your sources.
2) Persuasive media employing your strategy. These may be Power-Point, video, a web-site, a brochure, lectures or speeches...some combination of the above.
3) A two part audio-visual presentation of your persuasive media. The first part is simply the media itself: lay it on the class the way you would lay it on the target audience. The second part is simply a verbal description of your target audience and strategy and how specific elements of your media was designed to persuade the target audience: lay it on the class the way you'd lay it on your client.