Planning

Unit 2: Argument

Lesson Materials: 1. PowerPoint Presentation

Lesson Objectives: 1. Understand assignment criteria and requirements, and begin to plan and prepare a research-based Argument paper; 2. Understand how to apply stasis theory to ensure that your research and writing are meaningful; 3. Learn how to produce an outline to organize research; 4. Develop awareness of the rhetorical situation of your writing; 5. Learn to use research to identify your claims and evidence, and to persuade others of your findings

Connection to Major Paper/Project: This sequence of three lessons lays the groundwork to prepare for completing the Research-based Argument Paper

Connection to Course Goals: 1. In this lesson you will continue understanding the various ways a rhetorical situation can influence a piece of writing; 2. This lesson will allow you to continue practicing approaching writing as a process, building on the previous assignment and engaging in multiple drafts; 3. You will engage with a variety of credible sources to make your argument; 4. In this lesson you will use conventions appropriate to standard United States academic writing

Day One Activities:

  1. In-class Reflection: Write a reflection about your experiences with the previous assignment. Use the handout as a guide.
  2.  Applying Stasis Theory to your Research and Writing: 1. The professor will introduce the stasis theory as an invention activity, defining it and explaining its purpose and its components. Use the handout in the course site as a guide.
  3. Think-Pair-Share: 1. Answer the questions in the handout to apply stasis theory to your research and writing. 2. Share your answers with a class mate and be prepared for class discussion. 3. Contribute to a class discussion by explaining how stasis theory relates to your work. For example, consider the importance of close reading and analysis if someone says that students sleep little because professors assign too much work; a close analysis might void this argument by showing that structural issues like taking more rather than fewer credits might actually be beyond a professor’s control.
  4. Thesis Statements: 1. Following the stasis theory invention activity, articulate a one-sentence thesis stating your main claim based on the research you conducted for the previous major assignment. 2. The professor will show you some models which you will revise together as needed in order to visualize how you can refine your statements to make them more focused. 3. Consider the cultural role of the thesis statement in the United States.

Day Two Activities:

  1. Argument Definition: To define an argument and its purposes, watch a video (the link is in the PPT) of what an argument is not, to understand the difference between colloquial and academic references to argument.
  2. Organizing an Argument: 1. The professor will introduce you to the argumentative genre and the Toulmin Method of argument organization using the PPT. 2. Use the handout called Outlining for the Argument Paper to see what your outline should look like.
  3. Think/Write-Pair-Share: 1. Produce an outline based on your research so far. Put your outline in your drafting document as a first draft in the shared Google Drive. Use all your analysis paper sources to complete the outline. 2. Work in teams. Discuss one outline per team and prepare to share with the class. 3. As a team, present your chosen outline with the class, with the professor’s assistance, pointing at strengths and weaknesses so other students can learn from these. Together as a class, discuss strengths and weaknesses of outlines, including thesis statements, quality of claims, sources, support, any fallacies, etc.
  4. Reflect & Revise: If time permits, reflect on the weaker areas in your outline, and then conduct further research and identify additional sources to strengthen those areas.

Day Three Activities:

  1. Background about Political Parties and Ideology: Watch a video (the link is in the PPT) describing the main differences between liberal and conservative ideologies and their corresponding political parties. Discuss and be prepared to use this background as a lens through which to conduct a rhetorical analysis of the corona virus videos.
  2. Rhetorical Analysis, Stasis Theory, and Toulmin Structure: Follow instructions in the PPT to complete the activity and prepare for discussion. 1. Open and download the handout, and then watch the videos. 2. Consult with each other and upload your response as a team to the handout in Google Drive. 3 Discuss each video. Make sure you understand how political ideology/party affiliation influences linguistic, rhetorical, and content choices. Think about how a rhetorical approach can help you unpack and understand argument. Compare the professor’s responses with yours.
  3. Identifying Logical Fallacies: 1. Read the logical fallacies handout in the course website. 2. Re-watch Video One with the purpose of identifying logical fallacies in it. Take time to make notes before sharing fallacies you identified based on the handout definitions. 2. Share fallacies you find in the videos and reflect on them as a class. This activity will be useful practice in looking for fallacies in the information you consume as well as when revising your own writing. 3. Practice by identifying any logical fallacies in your outlines. 4. Share any fallacies they find in their writing and reflect on them as a class.