One of the objectives of the A30 curriculum is for you to develop, revise, and publish an Editorial. This is very much like writing a persuasive paper. You’ll have your handouts provided for you with some resources, but here are additional resources for you to use in getting a real sense of what an Editorial is actually like. 

If you’re going to write the Editorial, here’s a walkthrough of the assignment and instructions.

 

Sample Topics Others Have Chosen:

• Distracted Driving in Canada
• Water Drainage Issues for Farmers in Canada
• Coyote Control in Rural Areas
• Cell Phone Use in Schools (Rules in Schools)
• Northern Youth Suicide Numbers
• Rape Culture in Mass Media
• Moose Culling Protested
• Proposal for women to have to uncover their heads/faces for Gov services (Quebec)
• Criticisms of financially supporting Syrian refugees and not homeless or F.N. quality of life
• Carbon Tax proposed by Federal Government – implement in 2 years in prov
• Increased White Supremacist activity in Canada (post Trump election) – hate/race crimes
• cell phone rates across Canada
• internet access in rural areas or Northern communities
• semi driver training/Humboldt Broncos bus crash
• the “survival” theme in Canadian literature
• history of the Canadian Red Cross
• Canadian charities
• The importance of being an informed Canadian (having informed debates/discussions of topics in Canada)
• Carbon tax concerns from prairie provinces
• Tension over John A. Macdonald statues – racist history of government in our beginning; should his contribution to Canadian development be quietened or amended to fit our newer values of today’s society?
• Homelessness issues in Canada: who it largely affects, what supports are available?
• Child poverty in Canada – from which groups are they most vulnerable?
• Canada spent more than 5 billion in World Aid in the previous year. Sounds like a lot. It amounts to less than 2% of our federal budget spending; seems like a small percentage. Should we donate as much as we do?
• Discuss immigration history in Canada, or more recent immigration statistics and numbers. Whether immigration costs Canadians or whether it contributes to a balanced economy.
• Discuss refugee and asylum seekers – the numbers, comparison of numbers the last 10 or 20 years.
• Write about the side that is For Canadian support of Ukraine in Europe, or Against it.

Topics to choose from for the Law 30 class paper: Google Sheet link

 

Understanding Persuasive Writing

 

Editorial Exemplars: 

Exemplar One – Security Changes in Canada (colour coded for Sides)

Exemplar Two – Security Changes in Canada (comments added for guidance)

Transition Words/Persuasive Signal Words:

1. Transition Words: https://msu.edu/user/jdowell/135/transw.html#anchor1709924
2. Transition Words: http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Transitions.html
3. Persuasive Words: https://blog.bufferapp.com/words-and-phrases-that-convert-ultimate-list

 

 

 

Here’s the original article that was published about the death of this young boy, who ran away from a Residential School and died trying to walk home.

This report of the story is what prompted Gord Downie, of The Tragically Hip, to develop poetry about the event that eventually became an album of songs, a graphic novel and an animated cartoon.

 

Here is the full animated video. It is about 40 minutes long and followed by other discussions on the topic.