Name: ______________________________
Date: ____________________ Period: ____
Prezi: The Toulmin Argument
Stephen Toulmin: Contribution to Rhetoric
Biography: Stephen Toulmin was born _____________________________. He attended Cambridge, then, became a _____________________ at Oxford. In ______________ he published The Uses of Argument, which was poorly received in Britain, however, was well received elsewhere, and Toulmin began to lecture in the United States. It was in The Uses of Argument that Toulmin developed his method of argumentation.
What is the Toulmin Argument?
The Toulmin Theory of Argumentation proposes that an argument consists of ______ components: the _______________, _____________________, __________________, __________________, ______________________, and _________________________. While they do not necessarily appear in a specific order in an argument, they all work together to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the argument.
Model of Argumentation:
___________________________: is the point the argument seeks to prove. This can be the thesis
of an essay.
___________________________: are the facts, reasons, or evidence used in the argument to
support the claim.
___________________________: are the statements that provide a chain of reason that connects
the grounds to the claim.
___________________________: consists of reasons and support for the warrant, although it
doesn’t always support the claim directly.
___________________________: are statements that provide a condition for which the claim is
true, thus limiting the strength of the argument.
___________________________: counter the claim using counter-examples that often relate to
the qualifier.
Model in Action:
___________________________: Prezi is the best power point for school projects
___________________________: 1. You are able to efficiently be the director by being able to
freely zoom around the digital canvas for presenting your
ideas.
2. Users are able to freely zoom around the digital canvas for
presenting your ideas.
3. Users are able to add decorations and color to the whole
canvas, and customize the Powerpoint slide’s shape the way
they like.
___________________________: Students need an efficient and practical system where they can
display their information and images in a Powerpoint, as well
as present it in the best and most colorful way possible.
___________________________: 1. Students are expected by their instructors to provide a
brilliant-looking and colorful power point instead of just
simply writing and presenting their normal information and
images.
2. As technology has grown, the normal Powerpoint is seen as
weak and lacking due to its one dimensional format and
other confinements. It needs improvement to keep up
with the demands of our century.
___________________________: The Prezi is not necessarily a revolution in presentation;
however, it can provide a preferable contemporary alternative
to generic power point presentations, which are
technologically not inferior in any way.
___________________________: On certain projects where there are small amounts of
information to explain, a simple Powerpoint with a one
dimensional format could be more effective. A simple
Powerpoint could also be better than Prezi when the audience
is a professional group that requires a less complex and less
colorful canvas: for example, presenting to your boss and
fellow workers at an accounting job.
Application to Writing: Using the Toulmin Model of Argumentation as a model/utility for your writing is ideal, as it can be ______________________ to fit any audience.
The Toulmin Model helps you to portray your point effectively, and formulate a superior argument in your writing.
Example:
Old cars should be banned from the streets. [______________________]. Old cars pollute the environment, and accelerate the depletion of the ozone layer. [_________________________]. Eliminating outdated cars from the streets would result in cleaner air, and replenish the polluted environment. [__________________________]. However, not all old cars have customization capabilities, and can thus be made cleaner to meet current automobile standards. Therefore, in conclusion, most old cars should receive limited access to the streets. [____________________].
Study Questions:
1. What are the six stages of the Toulmin argument?
2. What are the three most absolutely necessary stages?
3. What is the difference between the qualifier and the rebuttal?
4. Is there a certain order of the six stages you should have for the presenting the Toulmin argument? Explain.