INTRODUCTION TO ARGUMENTATION

LESSON #4

CHAPTERS 1, 2, 3

OBJECTIVES

BY THE END OF LESSON #4 YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTICS AND DEFINING FEATURES OF ACADEMIC ARGUMENTATION 

USE A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES TO FIND ARGUABLE ISSUES TO EXPLORE 

DESCRIBE A TEXT'S RHETORICAL CONTEXT

READ TO BELIEVE AND READ TO DOUBT

ANALYZE AND DISCUSS THE FEATURES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A VARIETY OF ARGUMENTS ABOUT VIDEO GAMES

UNDERSTAND THE CLASSICAL STRUCTURE OF ARGUMENT

DESCRIBE, IDENTIFY, AND GIVE EXAMPLES OF THE CLASSICAL APPEALS

DEFINE AND IDENTIFY AN "ISSUE QUESTION"

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A GENUINE ARGUMENT AND A PSEUDO-ARGUMENT

DEFINE AND DISTINGUISH BETWEEN "CLAIMS" AND "REASONS"

You try! Informal Writing #1: 2. Discuss the sample argument essay, "Petition to Waive the University Mathematics Requirement," on pages 18-21 in your Writing Arguments textbook on the “Informal Writing #1” forum of the discussion board. With your classmates, discuss whether or not you think the student who wrote the letter should be exempted from the math requirement and why or why not. Don't forget that discussion comments should be at least one fully-developed paragraph. After the discussion, consider how your thinking evolved during the discussion. Did any of your classmates' views cause you to rethink your own?

You try! Informal Writing #1: 1. Brainstorm 5 debatable issues that you could debate for the first essay; formulate an issue question for each, and share these with your classmates by posting them on the “Informal Writing #1 discussion forum.” Read your classmates' comments and use these ideas for inspiration if you can't think of something to write about for this class and others throughout the semester.

You try! Informal Writing #1: 3. Complete the “For Class Discussion” activity on page 30 of your Writing Arguments textbook for ONE of the statements and post your answer and then post a reply to someone who chose a different statement suggesting different ways to believe and doubt the statement.

You try! Informal Writing #1:4. For each of the 5 questions on page 63 (the “For Class Discussion Activity”), decide whether the question is an issue question or an information question. If it could be both, explain in what context it would be an issue question and in what context it would be an information question. Post your answer and then read your classmates’ answers and see if you agree or disagree with their reasoning.

You try! Informal Writing #1:5. Decide whether each of the issue questions on page 65 (the “For Class Discussion Activity”) would lead to a reasonable argument or a pseudo-argument. If you believe it would lead to a pseudo-argument, explain why.