In-Class Lab: Developing YOUR Argument

1. I am trying to change the design of textbooks from being colorless and large, into bright, small and intriguing in appearance.
2. I am ultimately focused on influencing educators, seeing as they choose most of the textbooks their students are required to use.
3. I appeal to their ability to make a living seeing that in order to keep their job, their students must meet a certain level of success, which I believe is influenced by the layout of the students' textbook.
4. My audience should believe me because I speak from a students perspective, or in other words, as a direct recipient.
5. The first reason why this change should be made is that it will create a happy association between the textbook and the student because of the bright and joyful colors. The second reason, is that students will find reading their textbooks less daunting if they are not necessarily shorter in length, but shorter in height. It will create achievable check points at the bottom of each of the short pages for them as they read, creating self confidence and making completing assignments seem much easier.
6. One possible counter argument could be that natural tones and larger pages create a more professional appearance.
7. I could answer the above argument by reminding the audience who they are teaching; Students young and old generally feel more comfortable on a slightly less than formal relationship with their teachers. Such a relationship allows for trust and understanding, components which enhance any setting. Likewise, a vast majority of students will be in the teen to young adult age range, one in which excitement and fun are the key descriptors of existence.
8. The added color may be more expensive.
9. Students will be much more happy with buying a textbook that may be twenty dollars more, about equal to two hours of work for minimum wage, then dreading their school work and getting worse grades then they otherwise would for the length of a whole class.
10. The majority of the student body, including myself, would benefit from this needed change. Though a large number of students may seem to be less than caring about their school work, how can we really determine if they are undeserving this change without knowing the situation that makes them seem like underachievers? There is always the possibility of disability, difficult family situations, or emotional issues, problems that create even more of a need for a uplifting, knowledge promoting textbook.