Week 10/MWF Days 27, 28, 29; TR Days 17 and 18 – Monday, October 19-Friday, October 23

Weekly Objectives

Students will be able to discover more about argumentation and essay development with an emphasis on the creation of a solid thesis statement and fully, logically, and ethically connecting all claims, reasons, and evidence. This is also a good time to reiterate and connect the idea of appeals to the A4 audience. Additionally, because the AB is due this week, students will benefit from contextualizing their research and deciding what they need to do next. This will be accomplished through:

  • Defining argumentation
  • Recognizing basic argumentation structure
  • Exploring the imperative nature of evidence and how it needs to connect to the reason and the main claim
  • Identifying and implementing the different types of claims
  • Developing a thesis statement
  • Re-considering appeals and audience in terms of A4
  • Understanding writing as a process

Connection to Last Week:

Last week, students learned about the genre conventions of Annotated Bibliographies, including how to write annotations and further work with citation. This work will have prepared them for and assisted them in their creation of the AB, which is due at the end of the week. The ongoing creation of the AB will also be helping students to situate their argument, develop a thesis statement and understand the conversation around their specific issue and inquiry question.

Connection to Next Week:

Next week, students will continue learning about essay development with an emphasis on argumentation structure and alternative perspectives. Additionally, they will learn how to prepare for their individual A4 conferences. This week’s learning goals will help students understand the position they are taking in their claim, which is an important step to achieve before finding ways to not only respectfully communicate and refute alternative perspectives, but to organize their arguments in a way best suited to audience needs and expectations. Also, by contextualizing the AB, students will be able to enter this week with a better understanding of the tasks ahead of them.

Suggested Activities:

Reminder: Be selective when choosing activities. The activities suggested in these weekly unit plans are SUGGESTIONS---there’s no way you could accomplish everything in these plans. They offer an array of choices that would help accomplish the weekly goals. And, feel free to adapt any of these suggestions and/or create your own that meet the weekly objectives. If you are unsure, ask a Comp Admin.

DEFINE ARGUMENTATION:

It is important for the class to be on the same page about what “argument” means. There are several different activities that would accomplish this goal.

  • Defining Argument: An exercise adapted from The Well Crafted Argument by White and Billings (5)
  • As a WTL, ask students to write a response to the following questions:
  • Look at the dictionary definitions (The American Heritage Dictionary Fourth Edition) for the following words:

Argument: A discussion in which disagreement is expressed; a debate

Debate: To engage in argument by expressing opposing points

Dispute: To argue about; to debate

Quarrel: An angry dispute

  • Where do they overlap?
  • Where do they differ?
  • So . . . How do you define argument?
  • After sharing out their answers, make sure that there is some clarification that an argument needs to do the following:
  • Be debatable
  • Make a claim
  • Support the claim with reasons and evidence
  • Keep this exercise in mind when/if you look at Tannen’s text “The Argument Culture;” you may even want to have students hold onto these definitions.
  • Deborah Tannen’s “The Argument Culture” (available in the reader)
  • After students have read Tannen as homework and answered the guiding questions (below), it would be beneficial to conduct a large group discussion where students share their answers and together you can explore the idea of dialogue vs. debate. The guiding questions are as follows:
  • Who is Deborah Tannen? What is her frame of reference as an author?
  • How does Tannen define the "argument culture?"
  • Do you agree with her definition of argument and her idea that the “sports and war” metaphors don’t help us solve anything? Why / why not?
  • What is Tannen's view on necessary fights? What is your view?
  • What does Tannen say about "the power of language"?
  • What is Tannen's view of how high-tech communication is affecting us?
  • How does Tannen say the "argument culture” shapes us?
  • What is Tannen's solution? What do you think about her idea?
  • How might you use Tannen’s ideas about argument as you write your own argument?
  • Alternatively, you could do this activity in Week 11 (it will reappear there as well) when discussing alternative perspectives in argumentation.

CLAIMS / REASON / EVIDENCE: The Basics of Argumentation

Students need to be properly and explicitly introduced to basic argument structure (although most of them probably learned this at some point, you shouldn’t make any assumptions). They will need to be able to correctly identify that an argument must have a claim supported by reasons, which are, in turn, supported by evidence. You may want to draw some type of a tree to show this relationship, and giving an example claim, reasons, and evidence can help make the connections for students.

This basic structure will be developed more fully and expanded upon in this unit. This brief introduction should serve not only as an introduction/reminder, but also as a way to measure how much you will have to emphasize this as the unit progresses.

The following activities would provide students practice in understanding the parts/pieces of various arguments; in other words, these activities will help students see the structure behind the arguments.

  • Additional Notes and Examples of Claims/Reasons/Evidence can be found in the appendix (“Claims, Reason, Evidence Examples”). The notes there are fun and light-hearted, and way more “sophisticated” than the example above.
  • Argumentation Structure: Cookies!
  • After explaining basic argumentation structure—making sure to emphasize the myriad ways and methods of structuring (see the “Claims, Reason, Evidence Examples” and silly sample in the appendix as an example of very basic structure)—you might consider engaging in a fun, low stakes activity that helps students see the connections between claims/ reason /and evidence.
  • Divide the class into three groups.
  • Assign each group a type of cookie. If you have the funds, it is fun to actually provide each group with a package of said cookies.
  • Also provide each group with a handout (see the included handout) to guide their activity process.
  • Offer out a beginning claim: Our cookies are the best cookies because …
  • Ask students to identify their audience
  • Then, ask students to formula their key reasons to support this claim
  • Instruct students to visit TIFR (The Institute of Fake Research) to find key
  • Also ask students to create an alternative key reason supported by evidence that opposes their claim
  • Ask students to refute that alternative perspective
  • Ask students to share out their “argument” and record it on the board.
  • Even though there will be silliness, make sure to keep the teaching going: point out the difference between a reason and evidence; point out how the alternative needed to connect to the claim and, optimally a reason; explore how the thesis could have expanded and provided more info after the reasons and evidence were constructed, etc.
  • JIGSAW an Editorial: an exercise adapted from Essentials of Argument by Nancy V. Wood (109-111)
  • Break students into groups of three or four.
  • Ask all of them to read a short editorial that you select
  • Then, assign each group a specific question or two (from the list below) to answer regarding the editorial.
  • What is the claim? Is it explicitly stated, or did you have to infer it?
  • What are the key reasons?
  • What is the supporting evidence?
  • What common values, beliefs, appeals, and assumptions are made in the editorial? Are you in agreement or disagreement with these ideas? Why?
  • Are alternative perspectives explored? Are they also refuted?
  • Is this argument convincing? Why or why not?
  • Is there a qualifier? Is the claim stated in absolute terms? How does this connect to the text’s audience?
  • When they are done, have each group report out their answers. Ask other students to take notes on their peers’ response and comment if they are so moved.
  • Agree / Disagree / Undecided
  • Student will need to prepare in advance for this activity (see the suggested homework for details). Students will have in hand their answers to the text they read in preparation for this exercise
  • Explain that there are three positions students can take—both intellectually and physically-- to the upcoming questions you will project or write on the board:
  • Agree
  • Disagree
  • Undecided
  • Explain that for every statement you put up on the board, they will decide which position to take, and then actually move to that part of the room.
  • Makes sure the statements you project are connected to the main claim and reasons of the text
  • Explain that once the students are in their position, you will call on them randomly to support their position using evidence from the text
  • After the activity, debrief and make sure to emphasize the following ideas by asking these questions:

How does this activity influence how you will write your argument?

What role did you as audience of a text play in the positions you took intellectually and physically?

How does this affect the writing of your argument?

How important was evidence to this process?

How does this affect you’re the writing of your argument?

THE THESIS STATEMENT/CLAIM

When crafting a lesson on claims and writing a strong, focused thesis statement, it’s important to emphasize the connection between the claim and the audience. Many first-year comp students are more comfortable informing an audience (rather than persuading) so often the claims they write aren’t debatable for the audience they’re trying to convince. Rather, they craft claims that are ultimately “preaching to the choir” and attempting to “convince” their audience about something they already believe.

JTCR has some good information on claims for argumentative papers, information on focusing the thesis statement in different ways, and advice about how to narrow and focus broad thesis statements into more narrow and refined claims.

You may always want to use/adapt the “Types of Claims” and/or “Guidelines for an Effective Thesis Statement” (both found in the appendix) as a handout and/or lecture. Designing an activity in which students practice these skills (such as revising poorly-written or vague thesis statements or workshopping drafts of each other’s claims) is a good way to solidify the skills in their minds.

  • Claim Development

This exercise is adapted from Essentials of Argument by Nancy Wood (139)

Ask students to do the following task:

Freewrite about your inquiry question.

Freewrite in response to the claim questions:

Claims of fact: Did it happen? Does it exist?

Claims of definition: What is it? How should we define it?

Claims of cause: What caused it? Or, what are its effects?

Claims of value: Is it good or bad? What criteria will help us decide?

Read what you have written and decide on a purpose for their claim. Write the claim as a sentence.

Answer the following questions

Which will be your predominant argumentation in developing the claim: fact, definition, cause, or value?

What is your original slant on the issue and is it evident tin your claims?

Is the claim too broad, too narrow? Elaborate.

How will you define controversial words in your claim?

Do you predict at this point that you may have to qualify your claim to make it acceptable to the audience? How?

  • Thesis Mini-Workshop
  • Ask students to exchange their THESIS STATEMENT, AUDIENCE AND APPEALS EXERCISE homework with a partner.
  • Then, ask them to read their peer’s work, focusing on the thesis statement
  • Following the guideline below (see the “Guidelines for Writing an Effective Thesis” handout), ask them to determine if the thesis statement does the following:

Makes an assertion instead of asking questions

Is a thesis statement instead of a purpose statement

Is not a “so?” statement

Uses accurate and specific words

Might it need to be qualified

  • Unpacking a Claim

The JTC’s Instructor Manual has many great resources. This particular activity, found on page 137-138, is a great tool to show students how a claim can help focus a paper.

CONTEXTUALIZINGTHE AB

  • You will need to collect the AB this week. When you collect it, you could help students understand that this research is meant to work toward the argument paper. In other words, design some kind of activity (even a brief discussion) that helps students understand the purpose behind having don the AB and how it helps to inform them of their upcoming project.

CONTINUED ATTENTION TO AUDIENCE AND AUDIENCE APPEALS

  • This suggested exercise is from Reading Critically Writing Well by Axelrod, Cooper and Warriner (313-314)
  • Ask students to engage in the following activity. It could be a Canvas discussion or a typed response.
  • Recall a time when you argued for a position
  • Now, answer the following questions:
  • Who was your audience? Why were you arguing to this particular audience? What did you already know about this issue when you took your position? How do you think arguing to this audience affected how you presented your position?
  • What was your purpose? What did you want your audience to learn or do? Did you want them to adopt your point of view or be persuaded to think critically about their own? Did you choose certain pieces of evidence that would be more successful with this audience? Did you anticipate their objections and respond to them??
  • How might your perspective on the subject changed if you were writing for a different audience or had a different purpose in mind? Would you have investigated different sources or chose other people to interview? Think about how writing in a different medium would affect what you chose to include and how you presented it. For example, if you made a documentary film or a podcast or a chart, how do you think you would begin and end your position argument?

Suggested Homework Assignments:

  • Applicable readings from the JTCR for this week:
  • “Writing to Convince or Persuade”
  • About the thesis statement
  • About audience appeals
  • “Developing a Thesis Statement”
  • Applicable readings from the JTCR for next week:
  • “Address Counterarguments”
  • About logical fallacies
  • “Frame Your Argument”
  • “Organizing”
  • “Drafting and Designing”
  • Strongly consider asking students torepeat the Audience Analysis process they did for A2 but now for A4. Frame this as necessary because the argument is audience driven.
  • Set a due date for the completed analysis or create a Canvas discussion with specific guiding questions regarding audience.
  • In preparation for this week’sTHESIS MINI-WORKSHOP (if you select to do this) assign the following exercise:
  • THESIS STATEMENT, AUDIENCE AND APPEALS EXERCISE
  • Write your tentative thesis statement.
  • Explain what audience you are going to address.
  • Explain what your purpose for addressing this audience is
  • Explain what this audience will need to know in order to fully understand your argument.
  • Explain what sort of appeals you might use:

Ethos?

Pathos?

Logos?

  • In preparation for this week’sAGREE / DISAGREE / UNDECIDED (if you select to do this) assign a specific, argumentative text for students to read with instructions to answer the following questions:
  • Specifically and in detail identify the following in the assigned text:
  • The main claim
  • The key reasons
  • The supporting evidence
  • The underlying assumptions
  • Read Tannen’s article The Argument Culture" (in the reader) as preparation for a discussion on alternative perspectives and ask students to answer the following questions: (if you select to do this)
  • Who is Deborah Tannen? What is her frame of reference as an author?
  • How does Tannen define the "argument culture?"
  • Do you agree with her definition of argument and her idea that the “sports and war” metaphors don’t help us solve anything? Why / why not?
  • From an alternative point of view, might argument culture help to head off tendencies to resort to violence and help to distinguish humans as a language-using species?
  • What is Tannen's view on necessary fights? What is your view?
  • What does Tannen say about "the power of language"?
  • What is Tannen's view of how high-tech communication is affecting us?
  • How does Tannen say the "argument culture” shapes us?
  • What is Tannen's solution? What do you think about her idea?
  • How might you use Tannen’s ideas about argument as you write your own argument?

Things to Keep in Mind:

  • Make sure to emphasize how everything connects as often as possible. A4 pulls it all together; makes sure students see and are making the connections.
  • Check the instructor’s manual for Joining the Conversation for activities designed to help students understand inquiry. As you move ahead, check out “Teaching Chapter Ten: Writing to Convince or Persuade” (116-130).
  • Don’t hesitate to ask any of the Comp Administrators for ideas if you’re stumped about a lecture or lesson.