Today’s GoalsIntroduce classical argument essays as a

genre

Learn basic strategies for evaluating/creating theses

Peer review final draft of our informative articles

What is Classical Argument? Closed form proseExtreme focus on powerful thesis and

rhetorical supportCounterarguments make up an entire section

of several paragraphs of the essayThesis should take place in an ‘academic

conversation’ with secondary sources but remain original

Highly structured based off of classical Greek methods

Classical Argument StructureIntroduction

(Good place to establish ethos) Thesis- should be an arguable claim with a supporting reason Forecasting of body paragraphs

Body paragraphs Usually 2-4 strong reasons supported with evidence Should utilize logos and pathos (and sometimes ethos)

Counter arguments may sometimes occur before body paragraphs or even in the

introduction This is the only part of the essay that you can freely move without

breaking from classical argument structure However, you should never end your essay with counter arguments

(think of the serial positioning effect!)Conclusion

Classical Argument DevelopmentYou MUST utilize all three rhetorical appeals in

your essayA single supporting point could be argued with

different appeals depending on your strategyA single supporting point can utilize multiple

appeals at once. Even pathos centered arguments can benefit from some facts and statistics

Thesis DevelopmentWhich of the following claims would be easier

to defend and why?

Watching violent TV cartoons increases aggressive play behavior in boys

Watching violent TV cartoons can increase aggressive play behavior in some boys

Qualifying Your ClaimStrong claim: watching violent TV cartoons

increases aggressive play behavior in boysQualified claim: watching violent TV cartoons can

increase aggressive play behavior in some boysQualifying a claim: limits the scope of your

argument to make it more specific and less vulnerable to attack or being refuted

Qualifying your claim is easily done with the use of certain adverbials and auxiliary verbs, such as: Perhaps, tentatively, can, should, often, probably,

may, might, maybe, generally, sometimes, usually, likely

What makes a good thesis? Clear

How long is your thesis? How many clauses does it have? The best theses will be concise and direct. They will often only have one clause (the exception being theses that directly incorporate their supporting reasons, such as those with a ‘because’ clause)

What pronouns or determiners do you use in your thesis? You should avoid almost pronouns or stand alone determiners. Any people, places, or things should be named explicitly to avoid ambiguity and vague referents.

Original Consider how your thesis relates to the theses of the secondary research articles you

have acquired. If it aligns too closely with one of these other ideas, you may need to revise. Being as specific as possible or offering up suggestions to solve a problem or dilemma are often the easiest methods to make your thesis arguable

Credible Carefully consider the wording of your thesis. Basing your thesis on opinions or beliefs in

an essay like this, rather than facts, reasons, appeals, or data, will make your thesis seem less objective and more like a statement of your own beliefs Avoid first person here!

Arguable Consider what would happened if you asked a random sample of ten people if they

agreed with your thesis without hearing any evidence. If there is an overwhelming agreement you may need to revise to a different, more contentious stance

Example Student ThesesA. “Despite all the claims that a number of individuals might state,

colleges must increase tuition rates out of necessity for survival”

B. “I say hybrid classes are an efficient strategy in working to benefit teachers ability to engage students and promote student’s learning overall”

C. “Although evident drawbacks do exist with the legalization of firearms, the advantages outweigh the negative ramifications. However, that does not mean that these weapons should be allowed among civilians without strict iron-fisted regulations”

D. “I believe the blend of traditional and virtual learning in hybrid courses will have a positive academic effect on students”

E. “Due to the expectations and demands of university and college athletic programs, like the NCAA, student-athletes have a higher stress level than the average post-secondary student.”

Group Activity: Thesis WorkshopIn your unit 3 groupsAnswer questions 1-2 individually, share your

answers with the group, and then answers 3-5 together. 1. Revise the 5 previous theses carefully for clarity,

originality, credibility, and arguability. 2. Based on your previous background research,

what are the most common viewpoints or beliefs on each students’ classical argument topic?

3. What is a possible thesis each student could use for their essay? How do these relate to the previously mentioned common views?

Group Activity: Final Draft Peer Review Select one new peer review partner with which to work Exchange the final drafts of your informative articles. Read through them carefully,

answer the questions below, and share the answers with your peers. 1. What is the student’s thesis question or thesis statement? If you cannot find it easily,

inform your peer and have them show you its location2. Based on the formatting and visual rhetoric in the article, does it have the appearance

of and follow the genre conventions of the publication? What else could be done to improve this?

3. How many times throughout the essay are secondary sources used? (Hint: look for quotes, in-text citations, and attributive tags)

4. What primary research method(s) is/are used? How many times are they referenced in the article? (Count any tables/graphs, quotes, and numbers or statistics used)

5. How does the answer from question 3 compare to the answer from question 4? Is the primary research relied upon enough to say that this article is centered and supported primarily with primary research?

6. How would you describe the writing style on the factors below? Does this seem appropriate for the publication?

Humorous or serious? Conversational diction or pedantic diction? Formal or informal voice? (Consider use of 1st vs 3rd person as well as how the writer addresses

the reader and talks about research)

HomeworkInformative Article Final Draft

Due by Sunday 4/12 at midnight to Turnitin.com

Test submission slots are open if you would like to check your originality score or make sure your formatting is preserved upon submission