Argument/Persuasion Essay:
Materials needed:
Ms. Teref's handout,
Writer's Survival Handbook
Critical thinking: Argument essay –
PURPOSE + how does this apply to your
life?
• The most common essays required in college:
definition, cause/effect, example,
comparison/contrast, persuasion/argument.
- How often do we argue our position? Think about
a time:
- you got a detention,
- earned a bad grade  and had to explain it to
your parents
- wanted go to a party your parents didn’t allow you
to go to.
NOTES: What will your essay look like?
How is this critical thinking?
 You'll be writing a research paper with 2 sources arguing your
position about a school-related topic: OUR MANTRA:
1) make a claim/a pro  does this sound familiar?
2) support your claim with evidence: quotes, facts, examples,
appeals to authority, predicting consequences
3) counterclaim/counterargument/ a con  what’s this?
why?
4)refutation/ rebuttal what’s this?
5) analysis what’s the one strategy we use to analyze?
Cornell Notes Topic: Argument Essay
General Journal response: What does the
word
“argument”
mean
to
you?
meaning
List as many meanings as you
can.
Share with your group, share with
the whole class + add to your
notes.
Handbook,p.39.: read the first
paragraph and compare your
answer to the one in the
handbook.
ANNOTATE: An example of
argument/persuasive essay:
Handout: P.150-1 (Evergreen)
P. 150: Let’s read the intro! What’s the function
of each paragraph?
Making predictions: what is the paragraph
going to be about based on the topic
sentence?
Have you ever been in the situation as
described in the claim/topic sentence?
ANNOTATE FOR SHIFTS: Argument
Paragraph: 1st reading
As I read the essay, put a slash every time the
passage shifts from one part to another.
- For example, when the introduction is finished,
put a slash.
- When a description of an event ends and
another one begins, put a slash.
PURPOSE: Why are we doing this? (hint,
hint: EXPLORE)
ANNOTATE: Argument Paragraph: 2nd
reading
 Annotate the essay for the following elements:
1. Claim/Argument:
2. Evidence: quotes, facts, examples, appeals to
authority, predicting consequences
3. Counterclaim/counterargument:
4. Refutation/Rebuttal:
5. Analysis:
Outline the essay
According to your slashes, how many parts/ or
chunks does the essay have?
How is this essay organized or structured?
Break the essay down into its parts and label
each part. For example:
1) What’s the function of the 1st part?_______
2) What’s the function of the 2nd part? ______
…
Review &Transitions
 Can the essay be divided into the following parts?
1. Topic sentence
2. Reason 1:
3. Evidence: facts
4. Reason 2/Counterclaim/a con:
5. Evidence: Appeal to authority
6. Reason 3:
7. Evidence: example
8. Analyisis
 NOW, in groups, highlight the transitions between
each part of the essay.
NOTES:Subtitle: TRANSITIONS?
Discuss and respond to the following:
-Why do we need transitions? What is their
PURPOSE?
- - What function do they perform in reading and
writing? How are they useful to us?
- - Which transitions did you underline?
- - What’s their function?
- Refer to p. 152
 Who is the intended audience of this
paragraph?
 Who was the text written for?
 How do you know? Be specific.
 NOTES: WHAT’S THE ROLE OF AN
AUDIENCE IN WRITING AND SPEAKING?
 HOW DOES YOUR AUDIENCE SHAPE THE
WAY YOU SPEAK/WRITE OR
COMMUNICATE?
What is the RHETORICAL
TRIANGLE? What can you conclude
so far? What is its purpose?
Rhetorical Triangle: answer the
questions in your notes
Why is the • Rhetoric= the art of speaking or
Rhetorical
writing effectively
Triangle
important?
• How do you know you are
communicating (speaking or
writing) effectively?
• What are your tools for
communicating effectively?
NOTES:Example of how to use the
Rhetorical Triangle
 Author: Ms. Teref
 Audience 1: Linguists
Text: In order for a person to speak
coherently in their L2, the affective
filter must be lowered.
 Audience 2: General audience
Text: To learn speak to clearly in a second
language, a person must feel
comfortable to avoid nervousness.
 Audience 3: 1st graders
Text: It’s fun to speak another language.
You’re doing great!
How are these versions different?
Inference?
NOTES:Your example of how to use
the Rhetorical Triangle
 Author: Your name
 Audience 1: Address a specific
audience/use technical lingo
Text:
 Audience 2: General audience
Text:
 Audience 3: 1st graders
Text:
How are your versions different?
What did you have to do to adapt
the topic to your audience?
NOTES:CAJ: Critical Analysis Journal
on Argument paragraph p.151
Refer to your handout, and let's analyze the
essay by using the Elements of Thought (p.9
in handbook)
1. PURPOSE: The main purpose of the essay
is to __________________
2. QUESTION: The key question that the author
is addressing is ____________
3.POINT OF VIEW: The essay is told from
_______ of view. This choice is appropriate
because ____________
CAJ – Ms. Teref's example: “Fishcheeks”
1. PURPOSE: The main purpose of the essay
is to convey the complexities of growing up in a
bilingual and bicultural family.
2. QUESTION: The key question that
the author is addressing is the importance of
cultural identity.
3.POINT OF VIEW:The essay is told from the first person
point of view of a grown up woman, Amy Tan.This
choice is appropriate because through Tan's flashback
It is clear that she has matured and accepted her culture.
CAJ: PARAGRAPH
The main purpose of the essay
“Fishcheeks”is to convey the complexities of
growing up in a bilingual and bicultural family.The
key question that the author is addressing is the
importance of our cultural identity.The essay is
told from the point of view of a grown up woman,
Amy Tan.This choice is appropriate because
through Tan's grown-up view of her childhood
dilemma, it is clear that she has matured and
accepted her culture.
NOW, IN YOUR GROUPS, COMPOSE A CAJ
FOR the essay on p. 151.
Finish your Cornell Notes
 Add to the left side: key concepts, questions...
Summarize your Cornell Notes in paragraph
form by using the following sentence stems:
The purpose of our unit on the argument essay
is to ______________________________.
For example, _______________________.
I can conclude that when composing a
argument essay, _______________. Clearly,
what I have learned is _______________.
 Finish your annotations on p. 151
 Finish the questions on p. 151
 TURN IN THE FIRST PART OF YOUR PACKET
 HOMEWORK: WRITE DOWN 3 TOPICS YOU’D
LIKE TO ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST
NOTES: What will your essay look like?
How is this critical thinking?
 You'll be writing a research paper with 2 sources arguing your
position about a school-related topic: OUR MANTRA:
1) make a claim/a pro  does this sound familiar?
2) support your claim with evidence: quotes, facts, examples,
appeals to authority, predicting consequences
3) counterclaim/counterargument/ a con  what’s this?
why?
4)refutation/ rebuttal what’s this?
5) analysis what’s the one strategy we use to analyze?
3 ways to appeal or influence and
inform a reader:
LOGOS
ETHOS
PATHOS
ETHOS
credibility/reliability
of writer or speaker based on
personal experience, knowledge
and/or understanding and using
reliable sources.
e.g Ms. Teref's student and his uncle
who's a gas station attendant
LOGOS
reason with audience and show audience how
reasonable you are;
logical appeal;
laying out an argument clearly and explicitly;
compiling information into easy-to-follow patterns
[ rational ]
PATHOS
appealing to readers’ emotions,
interests, and people/causes they
care about – love, loyalty, a sense of
justice and fairness, etc.
[ irrational ]
Film The Great Debaters:
Purpose and Activity
As you watch the movie, take notes on the points
below and discuss them in your groups:
1. How is the argument constructed? Which
elements of argumentation (our mantra) did
you notice? Write them down + subject/topic.
2. Describe the sense of urgency and passion: how
is this evident? Example: body language:
gesticulations, facial expressions.
3. Ethos, logos, pathos
Great Debaters Scenes 2, 3, 4
from 8-20 min
Setting: 1935, President FDR, “Fireside chats”,
segregation, African American college
-What are the debate topics/subjects?
-What debate-related vocabulary are you
familiar with?
- Vocab: faulty assumption- fallacy ;
” if... then...” or logic-syllogism, a legitimate
source, rebut/refute, affirmative/negative
Great Debaters, Scenes:12, 20end
Oklahoma debate: Should African Americans
attend the same schools as whites?
Harvard debate: CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
Debate vocabulary
- Ethos
-Logos
-Pathos
Inspired by the movie…
Team formation: 4 students per team, may
share sources
Prep for library research
01/30/12
Homework: YOU WILL ADD THIS TO YOUR
NOTES: From the debates we have seen in the
Great Debaters, provide one example for the
following:
1)ethos: An example of ethos from the movie is
____________. This is clearly an example of
ethos because _________.
2) logos: An example of logos from the movie is
___________. This is evidently an example of
logos because ______.
3) pathos: An example of pathos from the movie
is ______. This is undoubtedly an example of
pathos because _______________
Homework, Part 2: Cornell
Notes Summary
The purpose of watching the movie
The Great Debaters is to ______________.
For example, _________.
This activity
will help me in writing my argument paper
because __________________.
Library/Writing Center Visit – 2
days
-
-
1. Narrow down your topics
2. Select 2 sources
3. Exit slip: Student name, selected topic, sources cited in MLA .
4. Homework: annotate the sources for claim, evidence,
refutation/rebuttal, analysis.
http://www.procon.org/
http://debates.juggle.com/education
http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Welcome_to_Debatepe
dia!
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/100-PersuasiveEssay-Topics.htm
http://www.idebate.org/teaching/glossary.phphttp://www.gpoaccess.
gov/serialset/cdocuments/debatetopic.html
01/30/12
Post-library day:
- -Team work: 4 students per team: 2 pros and
- 2 cons
- - Group work: annotating in assigned groups
01/30/12
Easybib. and iClaim- 2-day
activity
- -Review of easybib.com - HOMEWORK #1:
have your works cited page ready for the next
class
- - iClaim: group discussion and note-taking
HOMEWORK #2: Bring your
persuasion/argument packet to the next class
– test!!! :o
01/30/12
Another example of argument writing:
1-DAY ACTIVITY: On your own –
you are being timed
NO Cornell notes this time: Parenting Classes
PURPOSE: Why another argument essay?
Why on your own?
Packet, p. 155:
Read the topic sentence and make a
prediction. Write down your understanding at
the top of page 155:
The passage is discussing _____________.
This is evident because ______________.
PARENTING CLASSES: 1st reading
On your own: Read the essay, put a slash
every time the passage shifts from one part to
another.
- For example, when the introduction is finished,
put a slash.
- When a description of an event ends and
another one begins, put a slash.
PURPOSE: Why are we doing this?
PARENTING CLASSES: 2nd reading
 On your own: Annotate the essay for the following
elements:
1. Claim/Argument:
2. Evidence: quotes, facts, examples, appeals to
authority, predicting consequences
3. Counterclaim/counterargument:
4. Refutation:
5. Analysis:
Transitions + Questions on p. 155
 Highlight all transitions
 Finish the questions on p. 155
 P. 153: Read, and, in the margins, summarize
in no more than 10 words the 4 methods of
persuasion.
 TURN IN YOUR 2ND PART OF YOUR PACKET
 AT THE BOTTOM OF P. 155:
 Who is the intended audience of this
paragraph?
 Who was the text written for?
 How do you know? Be specific.
CAJ: Critical Analysis Journal
Refer to your handout, and let's analyze the
essay by using the Elements of Thought (p.9
in handbook)
1. PURPOSE: The main purpose of the essay
is to convey__________________
2. ASSUMPTIONS (a belief whose truth the
author takes for granted): The main
assumptions underlying the author’s thinking
are____________
3.IMPLICATIONS: If we accept this line of
reasoning, the implications or consequences
Ms. Teref’s CAJ example based on essay
on riding w/ a drunk driver
1. PURPOSE: The main purpose of the essay is
to demonstrate the risks and danger of being
pressured to ride with a drunk driver.
2. ASSUMPTIONS : The main assumption
underlying the author’s thinking is that riding
with a drinker is a life-threatening decision.
3.IMPLICATIONS: If we accept this line of
reasoning, the implications are that riders must
be cautious and stand up for themselves when
riding with others.
Make sure you’ve done the
following:
1) mark the shifts
2) annotate the passage
3) answer the questions on p.
155
4) finish your CAJ
5)TURN THE ABOVE TO MS.
TEREF
Make your evidence stronger with ETHOS,
LOGOS, & PATHOS:BEDFORD READER, P. 551:
 Review of our mantra 
1. Claim/Argument:
2. Evidence: quotes, facts, examples,
appeals to authority, predicting
consequences  strengthen evidence
with 3 appeals: ethos, logos, pathos
3. Counterclaim/counterargument:
4. Refutation/Rebuttal:
5. Analysis: