Subject: Approaches to argumentative writing
AIMS:
- to develop argumentative writing by strengthening the PIE/ PEEL structure
- to practice the use of different approaches in writing
ACTIVITY: Fill in the tables below by responding to stimulus 1 or 2
STIMULI:
1. You don’t teach kids games to build their egos. That’s what poetry class if for. You teach
them games so they’ll be ready for life. Dodge ball is a perfect metaphor for adulthood.
Or
2. Life is rough, it’s tumble and there’s always the danger you’ll get smacked upside the
head. Life is dodge ball. The sooner our kids learn that the better they’ll be.
THE ONE-SIDED APPROACH
INTRODUCTION of the topic
THESIS STATEMENT (= CLEAR OPINION)
POINT 1 (P in PIE structure)
ILLUSTRATION or further INFORMATION,
justification + EVIDENCE or EXAMPLE (IE
in PIE structure)
LINK (L in PEEL structure)
POINT 2 (P in PIE structure)
ILLUSTRATION or further INFORMATION,
justification + EVIDENCE or EXAMPLE (IE
in PIE structure
LINK (L in PEEL structure)
Counter Argument (PIE/ PEEL structure:
POINT + ILLUSTRATION + EVIDENCE/
EXAMPLE and/or LINK)
Your opinion + rebuttal towards the counter
argument
CONCLUSION
Life is rough, it’s tumble and there’s always the danger you’ll get smacked upside
the head. Life is dodge ball. The sooner our kids learn that the better they’ll be.
THE BALANCED BUT UNDECIDED APPROACH
INTRODUCTION of the topic
Life resembles unpredictable journey, full of
victories, as well as defeats. It is often
compared to a game, where in order to win
we have to navigate our way through
obstacles, trying not to get smacked upside
the head by its challenges
THESIS STATEMENT – the one that
introduces the balanced approach (no room
for your opinion here)
Some may agree with statement that life is
dangerous and we should explore it with
caution, always being prepared for
unexpected hardships. Hence, people often
compare life to a dodge ball, where in order
to not get eliminated we have to dodge
everything that life throws at us. On the
other hand, we have to bear in mind that life
is also full of success and happiness, and all
challenges can be overcome. Those
approaches to life can be metaphorically
viewed as two sides of the same coin, which
I will explain further on.
ARGUMENT FOR 1: POINT
When speaking of life as a dodge ball, the
first image that comes to our mind is
competition.
ILLUSTRATION/ INFORMATION
It is as simple as that, get hit and you’re
out, catch ball and you have chance to
eliminate other players. That idea is
perfectly resembled in life, where in pursuit
of success, we often have to rival against
other people, and we can come out either
victorious or defeated.
EXAMPLE/ EVIDENCE
The best example that could be used here is
application for university. As we all know,
the higher number of applicants, the less
chance of our enrolment. That is why we do
our best, by studying and preparing
motivational letters, that are meant to differ
us from other applicants, increasing our
chance of being enrolled.
LINK
On top of that, it should not be overlooked
that […]
ARGUMENT FOR 2: POINT
[…] life, similarly, to dodgeball, always
comes with danger of getting smacked
upside the head.
ILLUSTRATION/ INFORMATION
As a human being, we face many obstacles
and hardships on our path. Some
percentage of them will always be reserved
for negative experiences, that teach us
valuable lessons, and show us the rough the
life could become.
EXAMPLE/ EVIDENCE
Perfect example can be found in text “Why
have physical education in school” by Lindor
Reynolds. She explains the harsh reality of
the world by explaining the unfairness that
awaits all of us, despite our good intentions:
“You may think it’s a happy play time and
we’re all working together in a team until
the first time one of your office playmates
dates the boss and gets a promotion.
WHUMP!” Her message directly compares
the challenges and injustice we face in our
lives with a game of volleyball, where one
moment of inattention can get you
eliminated from the game.
LINK
Nevertheless, it is important to have a look
at the other side of the coin.
ARGUMENT AGAINST 1: POINT
It is essential to acknowledge that life
encompasses more than just victories and
setbacks.
ILLUSTRATION/ INFORMATION
Thinking of life as a game may often have
negative results and can be a cause of
intrusive thoughts and blinded perception of
the world. Many people, when faced with
competitive tasks, do not hesitate to exploit
the rules and cheat, to gain advantage over
their peers, or other people.
EXAMPLE/ EVIDENCE
Finding someone who did not cheat during
examination is like looking for a needle in
the hay. Regardless, if the reason was
blatant or not, most of us have cheated on
exam at least once in our lifetime, proving
that in order to catch up to others level and
expectations, we are capable of doing evil,
just because we view the world as a game,
where we can either win, or lose.
LINK
Moreover, in addition to dodge ball being
seen as overly competitive, […]
ARGUMENT AGAINST 2: POINT
[…] viewing life as “survival of the fittest” is
ethically questionable.
ILLUSTRATION/ INFORMATION
Analogy of dodge ball emphasises
individualism and lack of cooperation,
whereas in real world cooperation, empathy
and understanding play significant role in
society. Had we improved and developed
those values as a whole, we would create
righteous and compassionate world.
EXAMPLE/ EVIDENCE
Take, for example, social relationships put in
perspective of dodge ball. Analogy of dodge
ball instils in us strong sense of
individualism, and may even lead to antisocial behaviour, which originates from lack
of need for help from our friends. Such
behaviour may cause problems with
employment, making new friends and can
undermine our reputation.
LINK
After getting acquainted with broaden
perspective, it’s now time to summarize
everything mentioned before.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the analogy of life as a game
of dodgeball provides us with a specific
perspective of the world as a whole. While it
highlights the importance of success and
competition, it also underscores the need for
ethical considerations and significant values
such as cooperation and empathy to
navigate through life.
You may share your opinion here
THE ANALYTICAL APPROACH
INTRODUCTION of the topic
GENERAL ARGUMENT that arises from the
topic
Discussion POINT 1 (PIE/ PEEL)
Discussion POINT 2 (PIE/ PEEL)
Discussion POINT 3 (PIE/ PEEL)
CONCLUSION (mention the ideas you would
support and why)
Analytical vs Argumentative Essay: How Do They Compare?
https://www.helpforassessment.com/blog/analytical-vs-argumentativeessay/#:~:text=An%20argumentative%20essay%20presents%20two,put%20together%20in
%20one%20document.
How to Write an Analytical Essay
https://essaypro.com/blog/analytical-essay