ewrt 1a class 6

1. S
EWRT 1A Class 5

2. AGENDA
Teams 1
Review:
Basic features of an Argument essay
Formatting
Sources
Discussion: Chapter 6: Arguing a Position. Pp
276- 287: Statsky, Estrada, and Etzioni.
Writing:
The Argument:
Reasons and support
Counterarguments:
refutation/accommodation

3. 2. The teams will change on or near essay due dates.
3. You must change at least 50% of your team after
each project is completed.
4. You may never be on a team with the same person
more than twice.
5. You may never have a new team composed of more
than 50% of any prior team.
1. We will often use teams to
earn participation points.
Your teams can be made
up of 4 or 5 people.

4. S Points will be earned
for correct answers to
questions, meaningful
contributions to the
discussion, and the
willingness to share
your work. Each team
will track their own
points, but cheating
leads to death (or
loss of 25
participation points).
S Answers, comments,
and questions must
be posed in a manner
that promotes
learning. Those who
speak out of turn or
with maliciousness
will not receive points
for their teams.

5. At the end of each class, you will turn in
a point sheet with the names of everyone
in your group (first name, last initial) and
your accumulated points for the day.
It is your responsibility to make the
sheet, track the points, and turn it in.
Sit near your team
members in class to
facilitate ease of group
discussions
Billy R III
Lan N IIII
Jose S III
Christine L II
13 points

6. Your First Group!
S Get into groups of four. (1-2
minutes)
S If you can’t find a group, please
raise your hand.
S Once your group is established,
choose one person to be the
keeper of the points.
S Write down members’ names
S Keep track of points
S Turn in your sheet at the end of the
class period.

7. Essay #2: The Argument Essay Revisited: (three to
five pages) 150 points
Please see the assignment for the complete prompt.
Please see the calendar for the due date.
Prompt Introduction
Using both your in-class essay and the basic features of an argument
essay, write an essay arguing for the supplies you have chosen to
take with you into the wild. Present the issue to readers, and develop
an argument for the purpose of confirming, challenging, or changing
your readers’ views on which supplies are the most important for
survival. You will use at least two outside sources to help convince
your readers that the supplies you have chosen are the most efficient
for the job. This is not a minor revision, but rather an entirely new
essay. Do not rely on your in-class essay for more than a
brainstorming document.
Review

8. Research: Using Digital Media
Questions?
Exploring Websites can can enrich your understanding of an
issue and help you find statistics, authorities, or other evidence
to support your position. Here are some suggestions:
 Look for sites related wilderness survival. See what experts say about essential
supplies.
 Enter keywords — words or brief phrases related to the issue or your position —into
a search tool such as Google. For example, Statsky could have tried keywords such
as children’s competitive sports, or she could have tried the question Should children
participate in competitive sports? You could also try Googling your keywords plus
statistics, anecdotes, or facts.
 Bookmark or keep a record of the URLs of promising sites. You may want to
download or copy information you could use in your essay, including visuals; if so,
remember to record source information.

9. Getting Started with Sources
Questions?
 There are three main ways to uses sources in your research paper. You
may quote. You may paraphrase. Or you may summarize. All three
require an in-text (parenthetical) citation!
 Make sure you bookmark or keep a record of the URLs of promising
sites. You may want to download or copy information you might use
in your essay, including visuals; if so, remember to record source
information

11. 1” Margins all around
Alphabetical Order Title
Centered
Five
spaces
Works Cited
Last Name 1
Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in
Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, vol.
15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.
The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic, 2008.
Zinkievich, Craig. Interview by Gareth Von Kallenbach. Skewed & Reviewed,
27 Apr. 2009, www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-
online/news/detail/1056940-skewed-%2526-reviewed-interviews-craig.
Accessed 15 Mar. 2009.
Website
Book
Periodical
Specific version

12. S
Discussion:
Review: The Basic Features
Chapter 6: Arguing a Position.
Pp 276- 287: Statsky and Estrada.

13. Reviewing the Basic Features:
Arguing Positions
Pp 294-95
1. A Focused Presentation
of the Issue
2. A Clear Position
3. Plausible Reasons and
Convincing Support
4. Anticipating Opposing
Positions and Objections

14. In Teams
• Essay Discussions: Statsky and Estrada

15. 1. How does Statsky present the issue in a way that prepares readers for
her argument?
2. How does she qualify her position in par. 2?
3. What reasons does she forecast here, and in which paragraphs does
she discuss each reason?
4. How does Statsky try to refute the objection in paragraph 6?
5. How effective do you think Statsky’s argument in par. 7 is? Why?
6. In criticizing some parents’ behavior in pars. 8–9, Statsky risks
alienating her readers. How effective is this part of her argument?
7. How effective is Statsky’s use of concession and refutation in
paragraph 9?
8. How effectively does Statsky conclude her argument?
9. Are Statsky’s sources adequate to support her position, in number and
kind? Has she documented them clearly and accurately?
In your groups, answer the following questions concerning
“Children Need To Play Not Compete” by Jessica Statsky

16. Sticks and Stones and Sports Teams
Names by Richard Estrada
Answer These Questions
1. How does Estrada present his issue? Is it
focused? How?
2. What is his position? Where is his thesis? Is it
clear?
3. What are his plausible reasons for his position?
Does he use statistics, authorities, or anecdotes
for support? Where?
4. Where and what are his counterarguments?
See paragraphs 6 and 7. Highlight the sentence
in each paragraph that best states an opposing
position.

17. The Introduction: A Focused Presentation of
the Issue
Will you start with the original assignment? Or are
you going to use a different approach?
The Thesis: A Clear Position
A statement that tells your readers simply and
directly what you want them to think about the
issue and why. You might also forecast your
reasons, mentioning them in the order in which
you will take them up in your argument
You addressed your first basic
features in your homework:

18. A Well-Supported Position:
Reasons and support
S In arguing for a position, writers may provide various kinds of supporting
evidence, including facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, and quotes from
authorities.
S 􀁳 Facts are statements that can be proven to be true. However, a statement
that is not true or only partially true may be asserted as fact. Therefore,
readers may need to be reassured that an asserted fact is reliable and
comes from a trustworthy source.
S 􀁳 Statistics are sometimes mistaken for facts, but they are only
interpretations or correlations of numerical data. Their reliability depends on
how and by whom the information was collected and interpreted.
S 􀁳 Examples and anecdotes illustrate what may be true in certain situations;
effective writers do not usually offer them as hard-and-fast evidence of the
universal truth of their positions. Using them can, however, make an
argument less abstract and enable readers to identify with those affected by
the issue.
S 􀁳 Quotes from authorities can carry weight if readers see them as
knowledgeable and trustworthy.

19. Developing your
Argument
S State Your Tentative Position. Look at your thesis, that is, your
current position on the issue. As you develop your argument and
counterargument, you may refine this claim and decide how to
formulate it effectively for your readers. For now, say as directly as
you can where you stand on the issue.
S List Possible Reasons. Now, take a moment to list the reasons
for your position. You will need reasons for bringing each of the
tools you argue are the most effective for survival. Try to come up
with as many reasons as you can. Later, you may add reasons or
modify the ones you have listed.

20. Collect Evidence. Make notes of the evidence —
such as authorities, facts, anecdotes, and statistics
— you might be able to use to support your
reasons. You may already have some evidence
you could use. If you need to do research, make
notes of sources you could consult.
Choose the Most Plausible Reasons. Write
several sentences explaining why you think each
reason would be likely to convince your particular
readers to take your argument seriously. Then
identify your most plausible reasons. If you decide
that none of your reasons seems very plausible,
you might need to reconsider your position, do
some more research, or choose another issue.
At Home

21. Counterarguments: acknowledge/
refute/accommodate
S Writers of position essays try to anticipate other widely held positions on the
issue as well as objections and questions readers might raise to their
argument. Writers have three options in anticipating readers’ alternative
positions and objections:
S 􀁳 they can simply acknowledge readers’ views;
S 􀁳 they can accommodate them by making concessions; or
S 􀁳 they can try to refute them.
S Anticipating readers’ positions and objections can enhance the writer’s
credibility and strengthen the argument. When readers holding an opposing
position recognize that the writer takes their position seriously, they are more
likely to listen to what the writer has to say. It can also reassure readers that
they share certain important values and interests with the writer, building a
bridge of common concerns among people who have been separated by
difference and antagonism.

22. S To analyze how Estrada anticipates and counterargues opposing
positions, let’s go back to his essay.
S 􀁳 Reread paragraphs 6 and 7, where Estrada introduces two
opposing arguments to his position. Which sentence in each
paragraph best states an opposing position?
S 􀁳 Examine paragraphs 6–9 to see how Estrada counterargues these
two opposing arguments. For example, notice that he both concedes
and refutes. Why he would attempt to do both? What seems to be
his attitude toward those who disagree with him or, at least, object to
parts of his argument?
Counterarguments in “Sticks
and Stones”

23. From “Sticks and Stones”

24. Counterarguing Readers’ Objections
S List Possible Objections. Look for places where your argument is vulnerable.
For example, think of an assumption that you are making that others might
not accept or a value others might not share. Imagine how people in different
situations — different neighborhoods, occupations, age groups, living
arrangements — might react to each of your reasons.
S Accommodate a Legitimate Objection. Choose one objection that makes
sense to you, and write for a few minutes on how you could accommodate it
into your argument. You may be able simply to acknowledge an objection
and explain why you think it does not negatively affect your argument. If the
criticism is more serious, consider conceding the point and qualifying your
position or changing the way you argue for it. If the criticism seems so
damaging that you cannot accommodate it into your argument, however, you
may need to rethink your position.
S Refute an Illegitimate Objection. Choose one objection that seems to
challenge or weaken your argument, and write for a few minutes on how you
could refute it. Do not choose to refute only the weakest objection while
ignoring the strongest one. Consider whether you can show that the
objection is based on a misunderstanding or that it does not really damage
your argument. You may also need to modify your position to make sure the
objection is not valid.

25. Counterarguing Opposing Positions
S Consider Other Positions. Identify one or more widely held
opposing positions and consider the one you think most likely to be
attractive to your particular readers. Try to represent the argument
accurately and fairly. Decide whether you need to do research to
find out more about this opposing position.
S List Reasons for the Opposing Position. List as many reasons as
you can think of that your readers are likely to give in support of
this position.

26. S Accommodate a Plausible Reason. Choose one reason that makes
sense to you, and write for a few minutes on how you could
accommodate it into your argument. Consider whether you can
concede the point and yet put it aside as not really damaging to
your central argument. You may also have to consider qualifying
your position or changing the way you argue for it.
S Refute an Implausible Reason. Choose one reason that you do not
accept, and write for a few minutes on how you could refute it.
Consider trying one of these strategies: argue that readers’ values
are better served by your position; point out where the reasoning is
flawed (for instance, that it commits a straw-man fallacy by refuting
your weakest reason and ignoring stronger ones); show that the
argument lacks convincing support (for instance, that an example
applies only to certain people in certain situations or that alternative
authorities disagree). If you do not have all the information you
need, make a note of what you need and where you might find it.
(Note: Do not choose to refute a position no one takes seriously.
Also, be careful not to misrepresent other people’s positions or to
criticize people personally.)
At Home

27. HOMEWORK
Collect evidence and choose the most
plausible reasons. Draft the reasons
and support section of your essay
(Slide 20).
Post # 6 Accommodate a legitimate
objection and refute an illegitimate
Objection (Slide 24)
Post # 7 Consider Other Positions.
Accommodate a plausible reason and
refute an implausible reason. For
example, is there a different tool that
most people might choose? Why is
that choice not as strong as yours?
(Slide 26)