Speech and Argument Unit

Persuasive speeches

We will be writing argument, not just persuasive essays and speeches. We want to recognize advertisement and propaganda, but RISE ABOVE with analysis and evidence.

You will be writing an outline for a persuasive essay and transforming that into a speech! They take the same form, so the essay speech transition should be easy!

ARGUMENTATION

The aim of writing argumentative essays is to convince or persuade the reader.

One attempts to change the reader’s mind and convince the reader to agree with the point of view or claim of the writer.

So an argumentative essay needs to be highly persuasive with GOOD EVIDENCE and logical reasoning.

Writing an Argument

An argument is NOT: A statement of fact (i.e. 26% of Australians prefer dark

chocolate) An assertion or claim (i.e. Wearing a seatbelt reduces the

risk of injury) A prescriptive statement (i.e. The government should spend

more money on healthcare) A conditional statement (i.e. If you drink too much, you will

damage your brain). A series of statements about the same thing.

Writing an argument

An argument IS: A group of statements in which one is a

claim that is supported by at least one of the other statements (Drinking water daily is good for your health as it cleans out your liver and reduces the level of toxins in your blood).

When Will I use this?

To gain access to college or a job; laying out your qualifications and experience

In college, to defend an interpretation of a work of literature or history

In the workplace, an employee might write to recommend a course of action.

Unit Self-Evaluation

We’ll go through the standards one by one and you will evaluate your abilities both at the beginning and end of the unit!

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8

Research! Gather relevant information from multiple

authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively;

assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question;

integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1a

Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1b

Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1c

Use words, phrases, and clauses 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.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1d

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing (and speaking).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1e

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.5

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.3

Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

Defining Terms

First, we will define some terms, and then begin applying them both to mysteries and to argumentative essays.

Elements of Argument

Claim: A claim states your position on the issue you have chosen to write about.

Evidence: relevant and verifiable (has sources)Warrant: explanation of how the evidence

supports the claim; often common sense rules, laws, scientific principles or research, and well-considered definitions.

Counter-arguments: acknowledgement of differing claims

The Claim

Think of the claim in an argument as the most general statement in that argument.

E.g. Juicy Fruit is the Best Gum Ever!

Qualifiers

Qualifiers are words like some, most, many, in general, usually, typically and so on--little words whose value to an argument is immeasurable.

Example of a qualified claim: Many books by Charles Dickens are fun to read.

Example of an unqualified claim: Books by Charles Dickens are fun to read.

An appropriately qualified claim is much easier to defend.

Identifying Exceptions

Exceptions serve to restrict a claim, so that it is understood to apply in some situations but not in others.

A claim like “Most books by Charles Dickens are fun to read” might be limited by the following exception:

Having labored over David Copperfield in high school, I would not rank that book among them.

Exceptions like this one are important, because without them, readers who would like to challenge a claim may begin to concoct exceptions of their own.

The Claim

Writing your claim is the LAST thing you will do, after you have gathered all of your evidence. 1. Look at data from research 2. Formulate a question 3. Create a working thesis.

Research first, THEN write your claim/thesis.

Evidence, Warrant, Counterargument

We’re going to explore evidence and warrants using Lawrence Treat’s Crime and Puzzlement.

Evidence: Rule:

Write a report

If we were the investigative team and this were a real crime, we’d have to write up a report. What information should we include?

Write a report

If we were the investigative team and this were a real crime, we’d have to write up a report. What information should we include?

Individually, write out the evidence and the rules (warrants) that allow you to interpret the evidence. Be sure to include a CLAIM based on your evidence!

Elements of ArgumentRoom For Debate Topic: Reading More but Learning Less? In the

Web 2.0 age, when many Americans see hundreds of articles every day, are we more informed than previous generations were?

Annotate these articles for:ClaimEvidenceWarrant (if not explicitly stated, YOU come up with the

warrant for each piece of evidence)Counter-arguments

As you read, fill out V-Chart with evidence

Judgment:

“A Voluptuary under the horrors of digestion”

Voluptuary: “One who is addicted to sensuous pleasures of given up to indulgence in luxury or gratification of the senses.” This is an image of then Prince of Wales (Later King George IV).

Judgment: What makes a good king?

Trait Justification

How to write a good claim or thesis statement

In academic writing, an argument is usually a main idea, often called a “claim” or “thesis statement,” backed up with evidence that supports the idea.

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable A thesis statement states an attitude or opinion on a topic.

It doesn't just state the topic, itself. A thesis should not be a fact.

The thesis needs to be narrow

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

The thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement: Pollution is bad for the environment.

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution means that something is bad or negative in some way. Further, all studies agree that pollution is a problem, they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is good.

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

The thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on.

Example of a debatable thesis statement: At least twenty-five percent of the federal budget should be spent

on limiting pollution.

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

The thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement: America's anti-pollution efforts should focus on privately owned

cars.

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis or claim needs to be narrow

Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad: Drug use is detrimental to society.

Problems: what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which

might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? In what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths Is drug use

changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? What does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to

America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults?

The thesis or claim needs to be narrow

Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis: Illegal drug use is detrimental because it encourages gang

violence.

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

The thesis or claim needs to be narrow

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1: At least twenty-five percent of the federal budget should be spent

on helping upgrade business to clean technologies, researching renewable energy sources, and planting more trees in order to control or eliminate pollution.

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

The thesis or claim needs to be narrow

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 2: America's anti-pollution efforts should focus on privately owned

cars because it would allow most citizens to contribute to national efforts and care about the outcome.

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

The thesis or claim needs to be narrow

Qualifiers such as "typically," "generally," "usually," or "on average" also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the

almost inevitable exception to the rule.

First: "Standardized tests are biased against female and minority students.“

Qualified: "Many standardized tests are biased against female and minority students"

Quiz time

Your quiz has one side. Do not fill out the back until after the quiz has been graded!

Write your thesis/claim. On the back of your quiz, write the claim you will use

for your speech. Remember:

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable A thesis statement states an attitude or opinion on a topic. It

doesn't just state the topic, itself. A thesis should not be a fact.

The thesis needs to be narrow

A thesis NEVER starts with “Today I will tell you about…”