Draft of a Rhetorical Analysis of a Public Document Assignment
Subject
Writing
Question Description
Write a 750-1,000-word rhetorical analysis essay of a public document. This public document is the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) website on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html. Your analysis should include at least TWO scholarly sources outside of class texts.
Directions
Complete a close reading of the assigned public document. Then, write a cohesive essay that:
Introduces and summarizes the CDC website on ADHD in the introductory paragraph and ends with a thesis statement.
Analyzes the rhetorical tools used on the site, the CDC’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.
Evaluates the site’s effectiveness.
This essay is NOT simply an expository or descriptive essay or an analysis of ADHD. It is an analysis of the site and how effectively the site uses rhetorical tools to get its point across.