Day 7 - Thursday

Day 7 - Thursday

I. Housekeeping

  • sign-in

II. First Essay Assignment

Distribute and discuss, both guidelines and topics.

General questions:

  • What sources that we've read would be useful in making an argument about this topic? What other kinds of sources?
  • What might different claims about this topic sound like?
  • What are some other topics you've thought about writing on?

Emphasize:

  • Papers should have traditional "paper parts": introduction, conclusion, transitions, etc. Paper writing isn't brand new to you; use what you know about how papers are put together. We'll deal with these principles in more detail later, but you should apply them to the best of your ability now.
  • Papers should be organized according to reasons, to answers to the question "WHY?" Just as in skeletal arguments, discuss one reason at a time.
  • These papers will be revised. You'll go back to them after you've learned more, and you'll change them.

 

III. Reasoning Revisited: Avoiding Logical Fallacies

Putting together an argument is a process of reasoning.

 

Understanding logical fallacies helps you
1) not include such errors in your own work and
2) identify such errors in others' work (handy in A/R)

 

Silver Cup activity

 

IV. Introduction to Workshopping

DO:

  • Discuss the paper in terms of what you've been taught, what we've discussed.
  • Be focused. Point to specific parts of the paper that you find problematic.

 

DON'T:

  • Worry about things we haven't covered as a class.
  • Solve the problems for the writer. Let him/her work them out for himself/herself based on your suggestions.
  • Be rude or blow sunshine. Neither attitude is useful.

 

V. Workshopping

Practice workshopping session with the A/R paragraphs assigned last class. Discuss and evaluate them according to what you've learned about A/R. Does it acknowledge effectively? Does it respond appropriately? Does it effectively invalidate the opposing position?

 

Homework: Bring to next class 1) a statement of your claim and 2) one reason written out in paragraph form. Bring 6 copies (1 me, 1 you, 4 workshopping group).