ARGUMENTATION -- and RESEARCH

Argumentation -  Notes --

• Definition: a process of reasoning that asserts the soundness of a debatable position, belief or conclusion

          KEYWORD: ____________________

* Be sure you are able to identify the issue, background and claim made in the example on the opening of the chapter.

·       Difference between argumentation and persuasion: 

• Purpose of argument: 

• The most effective arguments combine:

* Use only those appeals that most people would consider fair

Choosing a Topic; Developing Thesis; Audience:

• Explain why maintaining an open mind is so important in argumentation.

• Why consider other viewpoints?

• * "IF you cannot be open-minded, you should choose another topic you can deal with more objectively."

• * The thesis will make a debatable claim, not make a statement that most people accept.
• One way to test whether one has an argumentative claim is to formulate an antithesis, which is:
• For an argumentative essay, it is best to think of the audience as skeptics. Why? What are skeptics? 

Gathering and Documenting Evidence: 

* "ALL THE POINTS YOU MAKE IN YOUR PAPER MUST BE SUPPORTED."

• The best that evidence can do is: 
• Kinds of Evidence
•   Facts
• Opinions - why are some opinions more convincing than others?

• Criteria for Evidence-explain each one in relation to the argumentative essay
• Relevance
• Representative
• Typical
• Sufficient

• Documentation of Evidence - we will discuss MLA Documentation in depth -- consider this only an overview
• importance of documentation 
• plagiarism

Dealing With Opposition

Define: refutation. 

Why address the opposition's arguments?  Why write down all arguments against your thesis?

How does a writer refute opposing arguments?

What advantage is there is conceding the strength of the opponent's point?

What is a "straw man" and why should you avoid it in argumentation? (Unless, of course, your name is Dorothy Gale, you're from Kansas, and you're on your way to see the Wizard.)

Deductive and Inductive Reasoning - note the difference

Deductive Reasoning in an essay

Why inductive reasoning is often used in science more so than in English

***NOTE: Rogerian Argument and Toulmin Logic are both valid and interesting, but since we have limited time and essays will primarily rely on deductive reasoning and logic we will not be covering them.***

Fallacies of logic - Don't just know what these are; be certain YOU are not guilty of them in your essay!

 These are listed in the book

As always, pay close attention to the transitions for argumentative essays 

Structuring an Argumentative Essay - see page 542 - 12th ed. 

Comparison/Contrast Essay Topics

Choose ONE of the following topics for the comparison contrast essay.  Please keep in mind the importance of critical thinking and organization in this essay.  Develop concepts with “real life” / concrete illustrations, details, examples. Avoid/DO NOT USE clichés or 2^nd person (“you,” “your”).

Papers are due the first day of class, the week of Nov. 3^rd.

 

1.        People today are more environmentally conscious than ever. Write an essay in which you explain how being environmentally conscious has changed the way you live. Be sure to compare your life before you became environmentally conscious with your life now. Your essay can be either humorous or serious.

 

2.       Write a “study in contrasts” (similar to Catton’s essay about Grant and Lee) about two people you know well—two teachers, your parents, two relatives, two friends—or about two fictional characters you are very familiar with. Be sure to include a thesis statement. (Note: if you have trouble with composition, this might be a topic to consider, as you could model your essay after Catton’s.)

 

3.       Write an essay comparing two places. Your thesis statement should indicate whether you are emphasizing similarities or differences and convey your opinion of the new area. (This could be two places where you lived, two different vacation spots, or even your past high school and current college.) 

 

4.       Read the following list of advantages of taking online courses:

·       A student who is ill will not miss classes

·       Students who are employed and cannot come to campus can take courses.

·       Nontraditional students—the elderly and disabled, for example,--can take courses.

·       Courses are taken at any time, day or night

·       Guest speakers who cannot travel to campus can be integrated into the course.

Then, make a list of disadvantages (for example, students never have face-to-face contact with an instructor). Finally, write an essay in which you discuss whether the advantages of online instruction outweigh the disadvantages. 

 

5.       How are the attitudes toward education different among students who work to finance their own education and students who do not? Your thesis statement should indicate what differences exist and why.

The Next Assignment

Before completing this assignment, you might want to view the 10 min. video interview of Amy Chua: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShYDKsjDElA

Assignment: Compare the mothering style that Amy Chua suggests with your own experience as either a mother (if you have children) or as a son or daughter

First: read Chua's essay carefully, making note of points that were part of your upbringing, though handled in a different way by your parent(s)

Next: set up a comparison/contrast chart based on Amy Chua's "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" and your own experience; this should be detailed so that you could write an initial rough draft from the information:

[Please note that you WILL need more space than the chart below allows. You can set this up as a table in "landscape" orientation in Ms. Word

Common Points of                          Amy Chua's                          My Parent/Guardian's
Parenting                                         Position                                 Position

1.


2.


3.

Coming Assignment

"The Genius of the Tinkerer"  

AND

"Does the Internet Make You Dumber?"

Comparison - Contrast . . . .

1101 - Macon Campus

Hand in your cause/effect paper or email it to me by midnight tonight.  Look for a return email that verifies that I received your paper.  If you do not receive verification by Friday morning, send it again.

No further class today, except your completion of your cause/effect essay.

Bring books on Monday--we will begin seriously discussing comparison/contrast, with the discussion of two sculptures, The Kiss by Rodin and Love by Indiana.  Even those of us who do not have a book can look these up on the internet.

We will discuss the structure of comparison/contrast papers (there are 2 different ways to organize these essays) and look at the organization of the student essay in the introduction to the unit on comparison/contrast. Also, we will look at the structure in "Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts" by Bruce Catton.

For next Wednesday, you'll be reading "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" by Amy Chua--and we will discuss this controversial essay.

Student Submitted Quote #1

"The thing I’m most afraid of is me. Of not knowing what I’m going to do. Of not knowing what I’m doing right now."
_ Haruki Murakami

[In case you were wondering, here is my response: Good quote. I will definitely use it at some point--for either 1101 or 1102 or both.  That quote relates to almost everyone.  Many times, people think it just relates to them, when they don't realize that everyone around them is as uncertain as they are. And those that ARE certain, or think they are, are only one step away from "that room."

Thanks for the quote--and you do have a point added to your grade for the semester. Good job!]

Topics for the Cause/Effect Essay

Choose one of the topics below and develop into an effective cause and effect essay, using the sample student essay in your textbook as a model. Keep in mind that since your paper is being written for an English composition class, the introduction needs to have a clever opening, appropriate background or information, then the thesis statement. the body of your essay, like the student model should provide an analysis and explanation of each cause and at least one paragraph that discusses the effects. The organization of this paper should be straightforward. Try to aim for at least 2.5 pages.

DO NOT USE 2nd PERSON [you/your] IN THIS ESSAY.

Choose one of the topics below from page 369 in the book:

#4 -- PLEASE, PLEASE, please, please, PLEASE . . . realize that each of the subjects mentioned in the given topic could be an essay; do not try to do an essay over all of them or an essay over two of them--one subject only

#6 --  this essay IS a little different--this topic asks you to compose an essay based on a CAUSAL CHAIN--one thing leads to another and another, with eventual results

#7 -- this topic focuses primarily on divorce, but from a different angle--remember to use examples that you are familiar with, not examples from research

#8 -- another topic with multiple possibilities from which may want to choose ONE

If none of those appeal to you, try one of these:

Why students cheat and what are the effects [of cheating]

Why do more and more students choose to take online courses and what are the effects

Why do people keep pets and what are the effects

Why are students pressured to get good grades and what are the effects

Why do students cram for exams [mid-terms or finals] and what are the effects