Digging Deeper into LDC Module Design: Helping Students Organize an Argumentative Essay

Check on Tech• Audio Wizard

• Elluminate tools– Hand raise– Microphone– Smiley face– Checkmark– Chat box– Polling

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Virtual Meeting NormsPlease…

• participate by using the microphone, answering poll questions, collaborating in breakout rooms and using the chat window.

• raise your hand to indicate that you’d like to use the microphone when it is time for questions.

• release the microphone when you are finished.

• use the door to indicate that you are away from your computer if you need to step out.

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Goals for This Afternoon…

• Introduce organizational structures for an argumentative essay.

• Deconstruct the organization of counterclaims in argumentative writing.

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Organizing an Argument

Introduction

• Hook• Background• Claim

Body

• Definition of Terms• Reasons w/ Evidence• Counterclaims

Conclusion

• Connection to Hook• Point to Broader Implications• Call for Action

A Word about AuthenticityIntroduction Body Conclusion

• Can be more than one paragraph

• Should catch the reader’s attention

• Should introduce the main focus of your essay

• Usually requires several paragraphs

• Should logically organize your main points, arguments, relevant evidence, and counterclaims

• Can be more than one paragraph

• Should end with a connection back to your attention-grabber/hook.

• Should leave the reader with a memorable thought, question, statistic, anecdote, or quotation.

Developing the Claim• Should indicate writer’s position on the issue• Should be debatable• Should be narrow in scope

Student examples:Therefore, zoos should be abolished. ~Gr. 7

Genetically modified foods are increasingly useful to the community and should continue to be in production and distribution. ~Gr. 11/12

Organizing the Introduction

Hook and Background

Establish Controversy

Claim

“Rapid technological advancements and an influx of media in today's society have connected us in more ways than ever thought possible. Television, movies, newspapers, magazines, the internet, and other forms of the media all contribute to the highly connected global society. This intricate network of communication has vastly expanded our sphere of knowledge and understanding in the cultural context. Through television and the internet, we can access news and events in other countries minutes after they happen. Through pictures and stories, we can learn about the various cultures and practices all the way across the world. However, with this expanded access also come certain limitations. Often overlooked is the fact that the information has been filtered through numerous entities, only allowing us to see through the eyes of the creator, greatly limiting our perceptions of the world. Sometimes subtle and unintentional, other times blatantly obvious and highly structured, the influences of the media present society with a constructed reality, as each article, be it a news story, photograph, or even voice, is strategically selected and presented to convey a certain message. This process becomes destructive when it begins to shape our opinions, perceptions, and ideologies, especially concerning other cultures.”

~College Freshman

The Introduction

http://depts.washington.edu/owrc/Handouts/Claims%20Claims%20Claims.pdf

The IntroductionIt’s come to my attention, being I am a teenager myself, that adolescents are the vulnerable target of the flourishing energy drink industry market. With advertisements that specifically target teenagers, sponsorships with influential celebrities and little information on the ingredients – energy drinks appear to only have positive consequences. What worries me most is that this addicting ingredient- caffeine- can cause so much damage to your body. Caffeine is the most active ingredient in energy drinks. Dr. Ayala in her article “Energy drinks: Is it safe to Caffeinate kids?” explains that not only do these drinks already contain about 80 mg of caffeine per serving, but the drinks normally contain several servings which would certainly surpass the recommended 100 mg1 of caffeine for a teen per day. Therefore, it would be appropriate for government agencies to construct a law which bands minors to having access to these harmful drinks. Furthermore, it would be responsible for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to test and regulate ingredients of energy drinks.

~10th Grade Student

Organizing the Body of an Argument

• Present one reason at a timeo Explain and Support with Evidence

Types of Evidence Relevant Statistics and Facts from Research Real Examples from Research Quotes from Experts and/or Highly-Respected Authorities Real Anecdotes from Research

• Integrate one or more counterclaims within the body of the essay

Example of Reason w/ EvidenceProtecting innocent lives is just as important as self-defense. According to Tapper, protecting American citizens and citizens of allied countries has caused many wars. The sinking of the Lusitania, a British passenger ship carrying American soldiers, caused a stirring in the United States as it’s citizens cried for war. America declared war on Germany soon after and entered World War I. While under the brutal rule of Spain, Cuban citizens were dying in the streets because of the lack of food and water and the killings due to unfair laws. America went to war with Spain to protect and gain an ally with Cuba (Tapper). Even recently the United States declared war against Gaddafi to protect the innocent citizens of Libya. They were forced to live without food, water, or electricity and those who rebelled were killed (Obama’s Speech on Libya). If the United States had not helped, innocent lives could have been lost.

~7th Grade Student

Organization of Counterclaims within the Essay

Middle School• Introduction & Claim• Opposing View• Rebuttal w/ Evidence• Reasons and Evidence• Conclusion

High School• Introduction & Claim• Fairly Developed Opposing

View• Rebuttal w/ Evidence• Reason w/ Evidence• Fairly Developed Opposing

View• Rebuttal w/ Evidence• Reason w/ Evidence• Conclusion

Ways to Organize a Counterclaim

• Option A: Hamburger StyleoWriter takes a stand consistent with his/her stanceo Recognize the oppositiono Counter the opposition

• Option B: Set Them Up; Knock Them DownoWriter begins by developing the counterclaimoWriter spends rest of paragraph refuting it

Gallagher, K. (2011). Write like this. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. Print.

Published Example of Counterclaim:Hamburger Style

According to the voting guide, “Late budgets waste tax money and inflate the costs of building schools and roads.” Last year, for example “when the budget was late, road projects were shut down then restarted days later, costing taxpayers millions of dollars and further damaging California’s credit rating.” Some might argue this is the price we have to pay to ensure that a reasonable budget gets passed, but I disagree. As the voter’s guide states, “Real people suffer when legislators play games with the budget.” Taxpayers are punished, funding for schools is delayed, public safety is underfunded, and health care and services for seniors are used as bargaining chips. Prop 25 won’t make all of these issues disappear, but it will certainly encourage lawmakers to address them in a more timely manner.

p. 184

Gallagher, K. (2011). Write like this. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. Print.

Student Example of Counterclaim: Hamburger Style

Energy drinks contain some very harmful ingredients including: taurine, ginseng, sweeteners and guarana.11 Companies purposely add these other stimulants to further enhance the already extreme effects of caffeine, and they also make large fallacies about what these added ingredients are capable of.12 For example, energy companies claim ginseng can “speed illness recovery; improves mental, physical, and sexual performance; controls blood glucose and lowers blood pressure”.13 In actuality there is absolutely no scientific evidence that exists to support any of the claims listed above. My question to you is: Are there effects that you are hiding from your buyers? Emma Hitt in her article “Energy Drinks Pose Serious Health Risks for Young People” suggest that we need to research and run more trials on these supplemental additives, because “The fact that there is no known safe does of any of those additives, or of caffeine, poses a risk”.14

~10th Grade Student

Published Example of Counterclaim:Set Them Up; Knock Them Down

Unfortunately, some education advocates in New York, Los Angeles and other cities are claiming that a good personnel system can be based on ranking teachers according to their “value-added rating” — a measurement of their impact on students’ test scores — and publicizing the names and rankings online and in the media. But shaming poorly performing teachers doesn’t fix the problem because it doesn’t give them specific feedback.

Value-added ratings are one important piece of a complete personnel system. But student test scores alone aren’t a sensitive enough measure to gauge effective teaching, nor are they diagnostic enough to identify areas of improvement. Teaching is multifaceted, complex work. A reliable evaluation system must incorporate other measures of effectiveness, like students’ feedback about their teachers and classroom observations by highly trained peer evaluators and principals.

~Bill Gates, Op-Ed ArticleNew York Times

Student Example of Counterclaim:Set Them Up; Knock Them Down

However, doubts are still being tossed around, proclaiming that China will only continue to pollute our air and water further and further into corruption. China is the largest coal-consuming country in the world, causing rapid pollution which can lead to severe headaches, nausea, and disorientation. Fortunately, China has come to realize this fact and in BBC News, it says, “China is building a coal plant a week, but is dedicated to having the clean energy sector take off. That is amazingly visionary and inspirational,” (“China Leads The World In Green Energy Investments,” 2011.) China plans to use only clean coal and in 2001, they have already launched the “Clean Coal” project that was apart of the 863 program. Also, China plans on using only efficient coal power plant. This has been a step up for China in helping our environment.

~High School Student

The Conclusion

DO• Ask a provocative question• Leave with an interesting

quotation• Call for action• Loop back to the anecdote in the

introduction• End with a warning• Paint a strong image• Express your hopes• Answer the “So what?” question• Point to broader implications

DON’T• Simply restate your thesis

statement• Introduce a brand new idea• Focus on a minor point in the

essay• Use the following phrases: “In

conclusion,” “In summary,” or “In closing”

• Add extra information that should have been in the body of the essay.

Gallagher, K. (2011). Write like this. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. Print.

Organizing an Argument for LDC Task #’s 7 and 8

“The point of the essay is to change things.”

~Edward Tufte, Educator

Organizing the Argumentative Problem-Solution Essay

• Part 1: Describe the problem. Define the problem. Who says it is a problem, and why do they say so? Try to use specific facts and figures in describing the problem.

• Part 2: Propose a solution. Describe your solution(s). Are your solutions practical? Are they obtainable? How so? Be very specific in outlining the steps of your solution.

• Part 3: Defend your proposal. Why will your ideas work? Anticipate what the opposition will say and counter their concerns.

• Part 4: Conclude. Remind the readers why this problem needs their attention. What action do you hope is prompted by the writing of this piece?

Gallagher, K. (2011). Write like this. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. Print.

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What Instruction?Skills Cluster 4: Writing Process

1. Controlling idea Ability to establish a controlling idea and consolidate information relevant to task.

2. Planning Ability to develop a line of thought and text structure appropriate to an argumentative task.

3. Development Ability to construct an initial draft with an emerging line of thought and structure.

4. Revision Ability to refine texts, including line of thought, language usage, and tone as appropriate to audience and purpose.

5. Editing Ability to proofread and format a piece to make it more effective.

6. Completion Ability to submit final piece that meets expectations.

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Argument Matters

“If young people grow up learning to participate in

logical, reasoned, evidence-based arguments, this

will mean that they are given a voice. Our

democracy is dependent on an educated, concerned

citizenry, exercising the right to be heard.”~Calkins, Ehrenworth, Lehman, 2012

Additional Resources

• Purdue OWL Online Writing Labo Developing Your Claim: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/01/o Organizing Your Argument: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/03/o Logic in Argumentative Writing: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/1/

Upcoming Webinars

• November 29th – (3:00 – 3:45) Providing Feedback on Student Writing• January 17th – (3:00 – 3:45) Helping Students Read and Analyze Complex Text• January 31st – (3:00 – 3:45) Paideia/Socratic Seminar and LDC

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Contact Us!Barbara Smith- LDC Site LeadEmail: barbaraa_smith@iu13.org Phone: (717) 606-1374Cell Phone: (717) 644-1144Skype: barbaraa_smith_iuTwitter: @BarbSmith2 Kelly Galbraith- LDC ConsultantEmail: kelly_galbraith@iu13.org Phone: (717) 606-1667Cell Phone: (717) 419-4069Skype: kelly.galbraith.iuTwitter: @galbraith_kelly Marisa Stoner-LDC Program AssistantEmail: marisa_stoner@iu13.org Phone: (717) 606-1939

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