Othello

Functional Writing
Read the situation below and use it to complete the assignment that follows.
THE SITUATION
Ms. Anita Patience has been assigned to lead a committee, which is designing the new high school English curriculum. Although her committee is making progress in most areas, she has discovered there is a Shakespeare controversy.
A letter that appeared in the local newspaper sparked the controversy. Ben Ferret, a respected businessman and co-owner of the local Artistic Attractions Theatre wrote the following letter to The Calgary Herald.
To Whom It May Concern,
Why are we still teaching Shakespeare? The man is dead long dead! There are plenty of talented writers in Alberta writers that are alive and well. Their plays are more relevant than Shakespeares and they deal with modern issues. Furthermore, Shakespeares plays are full of obscenities and kids get too much of that on television. Kids need more Canadian content in the classroom.
Sincerely,
Ben Ferret
Many people criticized Ferrets letter, but there were those who agreed. Ms. Patience asked schools to survey students on their opinions of studying Shakespeare. The results are in:
Students Who Support the Study of Shakespeare in high school classrooms:
Grade 10-12 Females 67 % Grade 10-12 Males 66%
Students Who Oppose the Study of Shakespeare in high school classrooms
Grade 10-12 Females 33% Grade 10 Males 34%
Ms. Patience also asked for student committees to study the relevance of particular plays. Your class led a separate study on the usefulness of studying Othello. There were several relevant themes identified by the students you surveyed, including:
Faithfulness and jealousy in love relationships 54%
Loyalty and betrayal in friendship 32%
Appearances vs. reality 9%
Other themes and or issues 5%
You are the spokesperson for the student committee reviewing Othello. Your group has decided that Othello is a very relevant text for high school students to study. You are writing a letter designed to persuade Ms. Anita Patience that Othello ought to remain as part of the grade twelve curriculum.
THE ASSIGNMENT
On behalf of the Grade 12 students of Chinook Learning Services, write the letter that will persuade Ms. Anita Patience to keep Othello on the curriculum.
In preparing your letter, BE SURE to
Consider your purpose and audience
Study the information provided and use it to help you write a persuasive letter
Use an appropriate tone
Sign your letter with your name, Grade Twelve Committee Spokesperson, Chinook Learning Services
font Arial
size 12 double spaced

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