Assignment 4 Materials

Week 10

WTL – Defining Argument

Look at the dictionary definitions (The American Heritage DictionaryFourth 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 might you synthesize these different terms to offer a comprehensive definition of the term “argument”?

Follow-up Discussion: 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

Deborah Tannen – “The Argument Culture” Article and Large-Group Discussion

This article is 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.

Claim / Reason / Evidence Tree

Claim / Reason / Evidence Notes

CLAIMS / REASONS / EVIDENCE

  • Since the purpose of many arguments is to convince readers to agree, it’s important to have a central idea for readers to agree with.
  • An argument’s main idea is itscentral claim or thesis statementwhich is a road map for your essay
  • The central claim or thesis should illustrate the following:
  • The specificfocus
  • Theaudience
  • Thepurpose
  • To convince undecided readers to accept your thesis
  • To make opposing readers less resistant to your thesis
  • To convince readers who agree with you to take action
  • The thesis statement can also include the following:
  • Your main reasons
  • A nod to the alternatives
  • Writers build arguments off of claims by providingreasons or key points, statements that showwhythe writer believes the claim to be true.
  • Since reasons often are opinions, they needevidenceto show that they can be considered valid.
  • Each reason needs to be supported with evidence which can include:
  • Firsthand observations
  • Examples from personal experience
  • Statistics
  • Facts and quotations from your research
  • Results of field research, such as interviews,etc. . .
  • Your choices of evidence reflect your:
  • Purposes
  • Audiences
  • Contexts
  • The writer needs to provide connections, explanations, and interpretations to make the evidence meaningful.
  • The writer also needs to pay attention toalternative perspectivesthat are aligned to key reasons and are backed by evidence by bothacknowledgingand refuting them

Claims/Reasons/Evidence Examples

SILLY EXAMPLE (CREATE YOUR OWN!)

Claim:Large dog breeds have often been negatively stereotyped as violent and aggressive; in fact, many giant dog breeds, if properly raised and trained, can be loyal and dependable family pets.

  • Reason # 1:Rottweilersare wonderful companions for both children and adults
  • Evidence:Statistics show that if the children in a family survive a Rottweiler’s first three years of life, the family will, 75% of the time, claim that they would welcome a Rottweiler as a family pet again
  • Evidence:Cesar Milan states that “.. .most dogs just need a small whisper and a little “tsk” sound in their ear to get them to behave. Sure. A Rottweiler? He just needs a bigger whisper . . . okay . . . a yell. A holler. A resounding whoop, you could say. That’s all he needs to be a beloved family member”
  • Alternative:Rottweilersdo not make good family pets
  • Evidence:I.M.Tiny’s 2013 article, “Only Poodles and Abyssinians,” that appears in Volume 5, Issue 6 , of The Institute of Fake Research’s scholarly journal,Believe Me, It’sTrue,Rottweilers“. . . are no more than the living, nightmarish embodiment ofHagrid’smythical dog, Fluffy”

IN PARAGRAPH FORM: EXAMPLE # 1

Large dog breeds have often been negatively stereotyped as violent and aggressive; in fact, many giant dog breeds, if properly raised and trained, can be loyal and dependable family pets.Rottweilersare wonderful companions for both children and adults.The international scholarly journal,It’s Only a Dog Bite: Get Over It, published an article in Volume 6, Issue 7, titled “They’re Not Rotten, They’re Just Big,” by animal rights activistWeraCollar, that provides statistics that if the children in a familysurvive a Rottweiler’s first three years of life, the family will, 75% of the time, claim that they would welcome a Rottweiler as a family pet again. Cesar Milan stated that “ . . . sure, most dogs just need a small whisper and a little “tsk” sound in their ear to get them to behave. Sure. A Rottweiler? He just needs a bigger whisper . . . okay . . . a yell. A holler. A resounding whoop, you could say. That’s all he needs to be a beloved family member” (Milan)

  • This argument starts out with a claim. Agree or disagree? Why or why not?
  • Does it explain how the pieces of evidence connect to each other or how they support the reason? Why or why not?
  • Is there an explained and connected alternative perspective?
  • What’s missing?

IN PARAGRAPH FORM: EXAMPLE # 2

Large dog breeds have often been negatively stereotyped as violent and aggressive; in fact, many giant dog breeds, if properly raised and trained, can be loyal and dependable family pets. It has, for example, been stated thatRottweilersdo not make good family pets. For instance, according to small breed advocate and cat lover, I.M.Tiny’s 2013 article, “Only Poodles and Abyssinians ,” that appears in Volume 5, Issue 6 , of The Institute of Fake Research’s scholarly journal,Believe Me, It’s True,Rottweilers“. . . are no more than the living, nightmarish embodiment ofHagrid’smythical dog, Fluffy and are lethal to all human beings” (22).More compelling research contradicts this belief, and provides evidence to support the idea thatRottweilersare wonderful companions for both children and adults. Case in point, the international scholarly journal,It’s Only a Dog Bite: Get Over It, published an article in Volume 6, Issue 7, titled “They’re Not Rotten, They’re Just Big,” by animal rights activistWeraCollar, that provides statistics that if the children in a family survive a Rottweiler’s first three years of life, the family will, 75% of the time, claim that they would welcome a Rottweiler as a family pet again. The people who have actually experienced life with a giant dog are willing to go on record with an affirmative support of the dog as a family pet. Additionally, in a personal interview I conducted with famous dog trainer Cesar Milan, on October 31, 2013 at a Halloween costume party, at midnight, in a dark, crowded house near Colorado State University’s campus, Milan stated that “ . . . sure, most dogs just need a small whisper and a little “tsk” sound in their ear to get them to behave. Sure. A Rottweiler? He just needs a bigger whisper . . . okay . . . a yell. A holler. A resounding whoop, you could say. That’s all he needs to be a beloved family member” (Milan). Milan’s expertise provides reassuring support for the idea that even a Rottweiler can be a good family pet.

  • What is different in this example?
  • How is the evidence presented?

Argument 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 exerciseadapted 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?

Types of Claims

Types of Claims

(Definitions and examples are taken fromEssentials of Argumentby Nancy Wood)

In her bookEssentials of Argument, Nancy Wood shares the following regarding claims: “Virtually all arguments can be categorized according to one of five types of claims. You can identify each argument type by identifying the questions the argument answers. Here are the five categories of claims, along with the main questions they answer:

  1. Claims of fact:Did it happen? Does it exist?
  • Wood offers the following as examples: ‘Women are as effective as men in combat”; ‘The ozone layer is becoming depleted’
  1. Claims of definition: What is it? How should we define it?
  • Wood offers the following as examples: ‘Marriage as an institution needs to be redefined to include modern variations on the traditional family’; ‘wars in the modern era can all be defined as ‘just’ rather than ‘unjust wars.’
  1. Claims of cause:What caused it? Or, what are its effects?
  • Wood offers the following as examples: ‘Obesity can cause disease and early death’; inadequate funding for AIDS victims in Africa could cause a serious resurgence of the disease.’
  1. Claims of value: Is it good or bad? What criteria will help us decide?
  • Wood offers the following as examples: ‘Public schools are better than private schools’; ‘The contributions of homemakers are as valuable as those of professional women.’

Guidelines for an Effective Thesis

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AN EFFECTIVE THESIS

(adaptedfrom Jack Dodd’s The Ready Reference Handbook, 2ndEd.)

Your thesis is the “guide map” for your writing that will keep you on course as you draft, so it’s important to have an effective claim in mind as you begin writing. As you write and refine your claim, keep the following in mind:

  • Make assertions instead of asking questions.
  • Write a sentence that makes a point but doesnotask a question.
  • Original Question:How does online education compare with traditional, in-person education?
  • Revised into a claim:Though in many cases it’s more convenient to take classes online, online education isn’t as effective as traditional, in-person education for most students because students have less ability to think on their feet and apply their knowledge to situations in the workplace.
  • Write athesis statement instead of apurposestatement.
  • A thesis focuses on your topic and makes an argument that the writer will attempt to prove. A purpose statement is simply a sentence that describes your topic.
  • Purpose Statement: In my paper, I intend to examine benefits of online education.
  • Thesis Statement:Online education, though it may seem easier and less demanding than traditional, face-to-face education, can be rigorous and relevant when students commit time and effort to their studies. Therefore, potential college students considering online education should seriously consider taking all – or at least part – of their classes online.
  • Avoid “So?” statements.
  • A “So?” statement prompts readers to ask “So? What’s the point?”Establish debatability and exigency while considering why the issue is important.
  • “So?” Statement:The numbers of part-time and contingent faculty are increasing at many colleges and universities, and many of these faculty don’t have contracts.
  • Thesis Statement:As the numbers of part-time and contingent faculty grow at colleges and universities, many of these instructors don’t have long-term contracts at the schools they’re working for. Instructors’ uncertainty about their futures can harm student learning since faculty have little incentive to invest in their institution and its students when they don’t feel connected to or appreciated by their school.
  • Use accurate and specific words.
  • Replace broad, vague words with specific words that communicate exactly what you mean.
  • Vague:Exploring the history of and reasons for Colorado State University’s on-campus living requirement for first-year students provides us with a good perspective on how the school hopes to foster campus community.
  • Specific:Exploring the history of and reasons for Colorado State University’s on-campus living requirement for first-year students reveals that living on campus is a way of fostering campus community, increasing student engagement with their peers and instructors, and increasing student retention.
  • Match your thesis with your supporting information.
  • Be sure that the facts and evidence you’ve gathered actually support your thesis. Revise your thesis and the body of your writing until they fit each other point by point.
  • In other words: Don’t have a beautiful, sparkling, fabulous thesis statement that isn’t proven in the body of your paper.
  • Remember…sometimes as we write we “figure out” what we mean. Writing is a thinking process, as much as it is a writing process. If this happens to you as you write your paper, make sure that you go back and revise your thesis statement to match what you’re actually arguing in your paper.
  • In her bookEssentials of Argument, Nancy Wood also reminds us that sometimes, “it is necessary toqualifythe original claim in order to make it acceptable to more of the audience members. Qualifying involves adding word and phrases to the claim like‘sometimes, seems to be, may be, or possiblyto make it more acceptable to the audience” (97-98).
  • 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.