In the midterm essay, I would like you to evaluate how effective Al Gore’s use of logos, ethos, and pathos is in the sections on melting ice.

Thesis: Your thesis should have two parts. You should answer both these questions:
1. What is Gore’s overall purpose in these sections?
2. How effectively do his appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos work on you?

Topic Sentences:
I recommend you organize the essay with paragraphs on logos, ethos, and pathos. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence which tells how well Gore’s appeal to that particular rhetorical technique works on you.

Each paragraph should give a full explanation with examples. The explanation should include both a description of how Gore is trying to affect the reader and how well his strategy worked on you.

Your logos paragraph should mention one criticism of Gore’s use of evidence in this section. Explain why you agree or disagree with the criticism.

You should also mention one more criticism either of Gore’s use of ethos or pathos.

You may want to refer to pages 36-38 of A Short Guide to College Writing for more information on topic sentences.