This is a basis for the letter, but I do not have five paragraphs. Please help with the grammar and punctuation too. The directions I had are below the rough draft letter.
ROUGH DRAFT LETTER use or discard
The Editor
New York Times
Dear Editor:
The article entitled "We have Met the Enemy and He is PowerPoint" published in your website is a revelation for everybody. Concerns raised like "PowerPoint makes us stupid," "spaghetti graphic", "PowerPoint is to blame for mistakes in the current wars", and "death by PowerPoint" implies that PowerPoint as a tool in communication is faulty. The PowerPoint slides as shown in the article during a military briefing exemplify how to make a defective presentation. Improperly used a PowerPoint can very well be an enemy.
A number of violations were made in the PowerPoint that Bumiller reviewed. First, a PowerPoint presentation must convey a 'one slide, one idea principle'. This means that a slide must contain a single idea only to avoid confusing the audience or the reader. Second, a single slide must not contain two or more font styles. The idea is to let your audience focus on the main points of the presentation and not distracted by a sudden change in font style. Third, a good PowerPoint presentation specifies that the slides should 'have more images than text'. In the article, during the military briefing, texts overshadowed the images. Finally, with a PowerPoint incorrectly made, the necessary or desired information may not be obtained.
Speakers using PowerPoint possibly will argue that more ideas, text, and characters cramped in one slide will convey more information. This is a fallacy that many PowerPoint presenters continue to commit. A PowerPoint can be a useful addition to a meeting, if it is carefully crafted, and used as a visual supplement not the main presentation of decisions. However, as this is generally not how it is used, perhaps it would be better if this software program were no longer considered.
In closing, PowerPoint was intended as a visual supplement to the oral presentation. If it were actually used in that way, many of the objections to the use of the program would be eliminated. A PowerPoint presentation can make a military briefing conference. If excellently done, a PowerPoint presentation becomes a compelling information and communications tool.
Reference:
Make use of Website, 10 PowerPoint Tips for Preparing a Professional Presentation
Directions
You will read an article in a newspaper and write a Letter to the Editor.
A Letter to the Editor should present a point of view logically. No rants and no summarization of the article. The 5-paragraph essay will work.
Your assignment:
(1) Read this article from The New York Times:
"We have met the enemy and he is PowerPoint".
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/27powerpoint.html
(2) Write a letter to the editor, using the five-paragraph essay format or another persuasive, logical style. Your letter should take a stand. You agree with the article's premise; you would argue that PowerPoint is overused and / or wrongly used. Focus on ONE setting: military. Keep your focus simple and straightforward.
Your paper goes like this:
(1) Statement of what you want to argue;
(2) 2-4 logical reasons supporting your point, each logically discussed in one paragraph;
(3) Identify and respond to at least one point that might be raised to disagree with you;
(4) Conclude without repeating, "I did x and then I did y..." Your conclusion should pull these diverse thoughts together in a new and interesting way.