Argument Essay 2013

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Claim: A statement of your position on a topic or issue.

Evidence: The evidence or data which you cite to support your claim. Like a

lawyer presenting evidence to a jury, you must support your claim with facts; an

unsupported claim is merely an opinion.

Counterargument: An acknowledgement of the other side’s argument – this

shows you are willing to listen to the other side and take it into consideration

Refutation: Explaining why the counterargument is wrong. “Knock ‘em down!”

Conclusion: Does not have to be boring!

EXAMPLE

Claim: A girl simply must have a hair straightener!

Evidence: Models in magazines all have straight hair; the girls at school have

straight hair; girls who want to be in style must have straight hair.

Counterargument: Taylor Swift is pretty cool, and she has curly hair.

Refutation: It took my class 2 minutes to think of someone cool with curly hair,

and all we came up with was Taylor Swift, so she must just an anomaly.

Conclusion: Girls today need to have a hair straightener!

Example outcome:

http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201303#pg21

The Structure of Argument

Due date: You have 7 class days to complete this assignment (including

today). Your due date is by the END of class ____________________. On this day, send what you have complete; time management is crucial.

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Introduction to the issue – must be neutral (use the “formula”)

One page Yes argument, with 2 minimum citations

One page No argument, with 2 minimum citations

6 interview quotes: 3 Yes/3 No – Do this OUTSIDE of class (the

person must not be in this class)

Find out more about this topic with links to 4 resources minimum

Survey (SurveyMonkey is easy): 10 respondents & results in a cool

text box

Suggested steps:

1. With your partner, think about a controversial topic that you want to know more about. This

school library at Dallas High School is a terrific resource to help you choose a topic:

http://www.dallas.k12.or.us/dhs_library/web/popular.htm

2. Choose a topic with your partner. Use search terms such as: “Controversial research topics” /

“Debatable statements” / “Argument topics” / “Argument statements” – “fish” for this!

3. Then choose the side you will argue: Yes/No (rock, paper, scissors if you have to)

4. Recognize the purpose for your writing: argument

5. Complete a Yes/No T-Chart for your topic. Fill it up! One color = Yes and One color = No

Do this before you even find your sources – brainstorm what you already know first! (I will

check this t-chart before you move on.)

6. Look around for 2 (minimum) resources to use for each position – I suggest using:

7. Read your articles, pen & highlighter in hand – highlight and annotate

8. Create your Works Cited page, using bibme.com

9. Add paraphrases & quotes & summaries to T-Chart, avoiding plagiarism: GO ahead and cite

appropriately on your T-Chart, which should be getting very long and full by now.

Requirements:

SIRS - Great for controversial issues

User Name: in0012h

Password: nova

Suggested steps – to ensure quality work!

Argument Essay 2013

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10. Write your introduction for your side, using SOAPS for each article and the introduction

techniques found in the last few AoWs, using this APA formatted template

1. the narrative lead 2. the quotation lead 3. the question lead 4. the statistical lead

5. the mystery lead

6. the descriptive lead

7. the imagine lead

8. the direct lead.

11. Write your claim for your side (Sure, after you’ve done all this work, you will really know your

claim).

12. Use your t-chart to type out the body of your Argument Essay. You have your intro/claim

finished!

13. Write your strong conclusion in which you recognize both points of view and then state your

opinion and the strong reasons you have this opinion. Use your Conclusion techniques – you can

find them on the last couple of AoWs.

1. Include a brief summary of the paper's main points.

2. Ask a provocative question. 3. Use a quotation. 4. Evoke a vivid image. 5. Call for some sort of action.

6. End with a warning. 7. Universalize (compare to other

situations). 8. Look to the future. 9. Suggest results or consequences.

14. STAR revise

Substitute Take out Add Rearrange

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Standards assessed:

12.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and

relevant and sufficient evidence.

This is the standard we’re writing to.

a. & e. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the

claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s),

counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. 20 total points

Grading for a strong yes and strong no claim with and a conclusion which respectfully recognizes both

positions, using Step 11, and a concluding statement that clearly states the viewpoint of your partner and

you. Statement does not equal one sentence!

b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each

while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge

level, concerns, values, and possible biases. 20 total points

Grading for strong evidence that supports each position and which points out the strengths and

limitations of each argument. So you must analyze your own Yes/No position!

W.11-12.4. Clear and coherent writing - the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,

purpose, & audience. 20 total points

Grading for a highly organized presentation of the Requirements of this assignment. Presentation is

persuasive!

12.W.1d and 12.L.1 & 11-12.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar

usage, the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Grading for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. More than 5 errors automatically

results in “below grade level” in this column. 20 total points

11 – 12.W.8 Gather relevant information…and follow a standard format for citation. 20 total points

Grading for flawless in-text citations and Works Cited page. This should no longer be difficult for you.

Quote Sandwiches are a must.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify

the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

Grading for syntax. Use your transitional phrases & I Say/They Say Templates to compare, contrast,

refute, counter argue, make an impact. 20 total points

Standards Assessed

Total ____________ / 120 X 2 + 10 for participation

Argument Essay 2013

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The following templates help writers introduce and discuss sources (‘they’) when writing a literature

review. Additionally, these templates help writers summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of

their sources in order to help the writer establish creditability and provide a solid background for a

research paper or project.

First, a note about VERB TENSE & SOURCES: APA: In APA, when you discuss cited sources, you are required to use PAST TENSE (e.g.,

Smith argued) or PRESENT PERFECT TENSE (e.g., Smith [and Jones] has [have] argued).

THEY SAY: Reporting what authors are saying about a topic

Introducing an Ongoing Debate

In discussion of X, one controversial issue has been _. On the one hand,

argued _. On the other hand, contended _. Some

researchers, such as_ _, have maintained _.

Templates for Introducing “Standard Views”

Standard views are views that have become so widely accepted that by now it is essentially the

conventional way of thinking about a topic. [The underlined word can be replaced with other

nouns appropriate to your field of study—researchers, scientists, politicians, feminists, etc.]

Americans today tend to believe that

Conventional wisdom has it that_ _.

The standard way of thinking about topic X has been_ .

Many students assume that _.

Introducing Quotations and Summaries: notice the verbs are past tense

She demonstrated that (author, year, para. #)..

In X’s study of _, she found that (year, para. #)..

They argued _ (author, year, para. #).

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Since quotations do not speak for themselves, you need to build a frame around them in which you do

that speaking for them; We call this a Quote Sandwich, which looks like this:

Introduce the quotation adequately by explaining who is speaking and setting

up what the quotation says. Then follow up with explaining why you consider

the quotation important and what you take it to say. [The (parenthesis)

represents the placement of your in-text citation.]

For introducing quotations

X (year) stated, “ _” (p. #). As the prominent researcher/scholar X (year) put it, “ _” (p. #).

According to X (year), “ ” (p. #).

X (year) himself wrote, “ _” (p. #).

In her book, , X (year) maintained that “ ” (p. #).

For explaining quotations

Basically, X is saying _.

In other words, X believes _.

In making this comment, X argues that .

X is insisting that _.

X’s point is that _.

The essence of X’s argument is that _.

Argument Essay 2013

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The following templates help writers introduce and discuss your own ideas as a writer (‘I’) when

writing a paper that requires the writer’s response to or stance/position on a topic. Furthermore, these

templates help writers agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with sources in order to declare

their position relative to the views they’ve summarized or quoted.

I SAY: a writer offering his/her own argument as a response to what ‘they’ said Experienced writers know how to express their thoughts. Since academic writing, broadly speaking, is argumentative, college writers need to argue well. Thus, writers need to be able to assert their own

ideas as well as enter the ongoing conversation (they say) of a topic and use the ideas of others as a

launching pad for furthering their ideas. Many times the use of “I” is appropriate; however, check with

your professor. (Trinkle says, “go for it!”)

Disagreeing, with Reasons

I think X is mistaken because she overlooks _.

X’s claim that rests upon the questionable assumption that _.

I disagree with X’s view that because, as recent research has shown, _.

X contradicts himself/can’t have it both ways. On the one hand, he argues _. But on

the other hand, he also says _.

By focusing on _, X overlooks the deeper problem of _.

X claims _, but we don’t need him to tell us that. Anyone familiar with has long

known that _.

Agreeing

I agree that because my experience confirms it.

X is surely right about because, as she may not be aware, recent studies have shown that

_.

X’s theory of is extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult problem of

_.

I agree that _, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe .

Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically

boils down to _.

Agreeing and Disagreeing Simultaneously

Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that _.

Although I disagree with much that X says, I fully endorse his final conclusion that .

Though I concede that , I still insist that _.

X is right that , but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that _.

While X is probably wrong when she claims that , she is right that .

Whereas X provides ample evidence that , Y and Z’s research on and

convinces me that instead.

I’m of two minds about X’s claims that _. On the one hand, I agree that . On the

other hand, I’m not sure if _.

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Signaling who is Saying What in Your Own Writing

“I” can be used in well-grounded and well supported arguments just as those that don’t use “I”. Some

occasions may warrant avoiding first person (“I”). Overuse of “I” can also result in a monotonous

series of “I” statements—“I believe, I think, I argue”. It is a good idea to mix first-person assertions

with assertions that signal your position without using “I”. Ask me about this!

X argues_ .

According to both X and Y _.

Politicians, X argues, should .

Most athletes will tell you that _.

My own view, however, is that _.

I agree, as X may not realize, that _.

X is right that _.

X’s assertion that does not fit the facts.

Anyone familiar with should agree that

But are real, and are arguably the most significant factor in _.

To minimize stereotyping…

Although not all Christians think alike, some of them will probably dispute my claim that _.

Non-native English speakers are so diverse in their views that it’s hard to generalize about

them, but some are likely to object on the grounds that .

Making Concessions While Still Standing Your Ground

Although I grant that _, I still maintain that _.

Proponents of X are right to argue that . But they exaggerate when they claim that

_.

While it is true that , it does not necessarily follow that _.

On the one hand, I agree with X that_ _. But on the other hand, I still insist that .