RWS 100 AND THE LOWER
DIVISION WRITING PROGRAM
 We ask students to interpret, analyze, evaluate
and produce written arguments because this is
central to academic literacy, critical thinking,
and civic life
- Lasch: “argument is the essence of
education,” and “central to democratic culture”;
- Norgaard: Universities are “houses of
argument.”
- Graff: “Argument literacy” is key to higher
education.
RWS 100 AND THE LOWER
DIVISION WRITING PROGRAM

We want students to be able to identify
claims, evaluate evidence and
reasons, locate assumptions, identify
argumentative moves, pose critical
questions, produce sophisticated
arguments, etc.

We do this not only because it’s good
for their souls, critical thinking, ability to
reason, deliberate, be engaged
citizens, etc. But also because it’s key
to their professional futures – every
gateway requires it.
WHY WE FIGHT!
(4 YOUR RIGHT TO WRITE,
ARGUE & ANALYZE WELL)

These skills are central to business,
law, professional life, and to
academic study (including graduate
school).

Students tested for these skills in the
WPA, the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE – all
the gateways to professional life.

Consider the LSAT…
SAMPLE LSAT QUESTION

FIND THE MAIN CLAIM
Pediatrician: “Some parents have decided not to have their children receive the
MMR vaccine because they fear that it may cause autism. They cite a study that
found a possible link between the vaccine and the disease. However, two other
much larger studies have found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
These parents have, therefore, willfully put their own children and many others at
risk of catching measles, mumps, and rubella, while failing to do anything to
prevent their children from becoming autistic.” Which most accurately expresses
the main claim of the pediatrician’s argument?
(A) Parents should not pay attention to medical studies because they can’t
understand them; instead, they should get advice from their pediatricians.
(B) The study that found a link between autism and the MMR vaccine was
unsound because the doctor who conducted it was being paid by a group of trial
lawyers who wanted him to find a connection so they could carry out a lawsuit.
(C) Public health needs require that parents have their kids vaccinated regardless
of their fears about the procedure.
(D) Parents’ refusal to have their kids take the vaccine is both medically unjustified
and dangerous, because the vaccine has known disease-preventing benefits and
refusing it will have no effect on whether their kids become autistic.
(E) Despite the results of the two large studies, there is still some possibility that
the MMR vaccine might cause autism.
ANALYTICAL WRITING TASKS

Present Your Views on an Issue (45 minutes,
choice of 2 topics)

Analyze an Argument (30 minutes)

Each essay is scored on a 0-6 scale using
holistic scoring
Two scores for each essay
GRE Website presents directions, actual
topics, scoring guide, and sample essays for
both the Issue and Argument tasks
(www.gre.org/gentest.html)


Argumentation/Justification
•
In Wolfe’s 2010 study, assignments from a broad range of
disciplines were collected and examined. Results?
Argumentation is valued across the curriculum. “Argument is
the key word for good writing and the absence of
argument constitutes the central problem in students’
written work” (Wolfe, p. 50).
•
Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa’s Academically Adrift, a
comprehensive review of undergraduate education –
argument is key.
NUDGING STUDENTS TOWARD A
RHETORICAL STANCE…

We want to move students from a focus on what texts
say (content) to what they do and how they do it
(rhetoric). Rhetorical self consciousness = achieving a
kind of double vision – of looking “at” as well as
through language.

Rhetorical self consciousness – understanding what
texts do - is an important skill for students. Revealing
the rhetorical moves that writers make, the strategies
they draw on, is part of achieving academic literacy,
and of acculturation into disciplinary communities.
When you recognize the moves you not only
understand the disciplinary conversation better, you
are better equipped to join it.
Focusing on strategies and what texts do = good
ways of introducing rhetoric.

BASIC RHETORICAL STRATEGIES

How do texts position readers?

What point of view do they adopt?

From what perspective do they invite us to view the world?
Consider these chewing gum ads:
Texts That Reveal Their Own Rhetoric
We often use texts that are “self-reflexive,” that self
consciously reveal rhetorical devices and persuasive
strategies. Advertising and marketing that does this can be
fun to examine, and a good way to introduce rhetoric.
• Vince Parry, “Branding a Condition”
• Tales of Mere Existence
• Kotex advertisements So Obnoxious and “How Do I Feel
About My Period?
RHETORIC IS “EVERYWHERE” & AN “EVERYDAY”
THING





When a politician tries to get you to vote for them, they are using
rhetoric.
When a lawyer tries to move a jury, they are using rhetoric.
When a government produces propaganda, they are using rhetoric.
When an advertisement tries to get you to buy something, it is using
rhetoric.
When the president gives a speech, he is using rhetoric.
But rhetoric can be much subtler (and quite positive) as well:
 When someone writes an office memo, they are using rhetoric.
 When a newspaper offers their depiction of what happened last night,
they are using rhetoric.
 When a scientist presents theories or results, they are using rhetoric.
 When you write your mom or dad an email, you are using rhetoric.
 Thought itself is rhetorical - when you think, you engage in “inner
argument,” or “inner persuasion” in order to reach a decision or act.
HEADLINES DESCRIBING MEDICAL MARIJUANA DECISION
Salon
Magazine “Court rules against pot for sick people”
New
York Times: “High Court Allows Prosecution of Medical
Marijuana Users”
USA
San
Today: “MEDICAL MARIJUANA BAN UPHELD”
Diego Union Tribune: “Court OKs Marijuana Crackdown”
L.A.
Times: “Justices Give Feds Last Word on Medical
Marijuana”
Christian
Science Monitor: “US Court Rules Against Pot For
Sick People”
Christian
News Source: “Medical Marijuana Laws Don't Shield
Users From Prosecution”
TELEMARKETING STRATEGIES
SCRIPT

Pre-introduction: (Ask to speak to the decision-maker)
Introduction: (Introduce yourself and the reason for your call)
Attention Getter: (Mention the key features of the offer and qualify
them for eligibility)
Probing Questions: (Always ask for information that will be useful
for rebuttals)
Offer: (Explain the product/service and terms of commitment)
Close: (ALWAYS ASK FOR THE SALE)
Rebuttal (deal with objections)
Sales Continuation: (Agree, use rebuttals, sell benefits, CLOSE)
Up/down/cross-sell: (If there is another product of less-price this is
the time to sell it.)
Confirmation Close: (Review the terms of the offer to reduce buyer
remorse)
Final Close: (End on a positive note. Thank the customer and leave
a dial free number for customer support)
EVERYDAY WORDS, NAMES, DEFINITIONS,
CATEGORIES – HOW THEY ARE SELECTED OR
CONSTRUCTED = RHETORICAL. CONSIDER:
Cash advance (vs. high interest loan)
 Second Mortgage vs. Home equity loan
 “War on terror,” vs. “war against Islamic extremists,” vs. “fight against Al
Queda” (scope, agents involved, action)
 “The 1%,” “job creators”
 Military contractors, mercenaries
 “War on drugs”’ “Axis of Evil”;
 “Body bags” vs. “transfer tubes”
 “Doctor assisted suicide” vs. “death with dignity”
 “Defense of marriage” vs. “marriage equality”
 “French Fries/Freedom fries”
 “Death Tax/Estate Tax”
 “Habit forming” vs. “addictive”
 “Erectile dysfunction” vs. “impotence”
 “Halitosis” vs. “bad breath”
 “Male pattern baldness” vs. “losing your hair”
 “Viagra!”

• What happens in the teaching internship
• Preparing to apply
• The value of the internship/teaching
• What we look for in applications
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