9th Grade Honors

ARGUMENTATIVE MLA RESEARCH PROJECT
9TH GRADE HONORS

PART I: GET THINKING!

JOURNAL #1
What was your worst writing experience? What was your best writing experience? Explain

LETS LOOK AT SOME STANDARDS FOR ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING:
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

MORE STANDARDS
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

WHAT DO THESE STANDARDS IMPLY?
What words jump out?

Support claims, valid reasoning, relevant, sufficient, clear, appropriate to task, credible, accurate, draw evidence, technology

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSUASION AND ARGUMENTATIVE?

PERSUASION VS. ARGUMENT

THE DIFFERENCE
A particular audience can be persuaded, whereas the universal audience must be convinced; particular audiences can be approached by way of values, whereas the universal audience (which transcends partisan values) must be approached with facts, truths, and presumptions. ~Miller & Charney

ARGUMENT

WHAT IS AN ARGUMENT?
1. To change readers point of view

2. To bring about some action on the readers part.

3. To ask the reader to accept the writers explanation or evaluation of a concept, issue or problem.

IS IT ARGUMENT OR PERSUASION?

IS IT ARGUMENT OR PERSUASION?

IS IT ARGUMENT OR PERSUASION?

IS IT ARGUMENT OR PERSUASION?

ELEMENTS OF ARGUMENT
ClaimEvidence: relevant and verifiableWarrant: explanation of how the evidence supports the claim; often common sense rules, laws, scientific principles or research, and well-considered definitions.Backing: support for the warrant (often extended definitions)Qualifications and Counter-arguments: acknowledgement of differing claims

ZOMBIES!
Read the following comic strips. Discuss:

1. What is the claim?2. What is the evidence?3. What is the warrant?4. Are there any qualifications or counter arguments?

AUDIENCE
How do writers assumptions about audience affect production of a text?1. How much to elaborate based on what they anticipate readers know2. How much to tailor the development of claims3. How much to care, since writers concerns are bigger when audience matters4. How to accommodate audiences if writers don't identify with themConsidering the audience, therefore, is not simply a matter of selecting the information that readers need to understand the argument. Instead, writers must anticipate objections and questions and develop persuasive appeals, including building on common ground, refuting opposing claims, offering an acceptable reader-writer relationship, and presuming upon appropriate beliefs and values."~Miller & Charney

CHOOSING AN ARGUABLE ISSUE

CREATING AN ARGUMENT

FOUR CORNERS
The Supreme Court was right this week to reverse the ban on the sale of violent video games to children.

Strongly Agree? Agree? Disagree? Strongly Disagree? Write for 3 minutes on your opinion.

FOUR CORNERS CONT.
Go to corner of room matching your response. In your groups, you have several minutes to create an argument: claim, convincing evidence and explanation to present a two-minute argument to the rest of the groups.

STEP 1: PICK A TOPIC
At this time, you need to pick a topic for your argumentative essay!

What is your claim?

TOPIC/FOCUS
Chose a topic that interests you.Consider the availability of sources.Ask yourself:Why is this interesting?What makes my argument valid?What should someone know about this topic?

STEP 2: RESEARCH
Find sources that you MIGHT use.

What evidence could you use to support your claim?

SOURCES
A good source will have an author or be a credible website, sponsored by a major company or news organization.Make sure you write/copy/print: all titles (of book, article, web page) name of publisher, company, news organization, dates, place of publication, publisher, editor, page numbers, date site was made, date you accessed the site.

BAD SOURCES
About.comHowstuffworks.com*WikipediaPersonal blogsSites with no author

STEP 3: THESIS STATEMENT
Now that you looked at the research, you need to create a thesis statement.

Definition: a short statement, usually one sentence, that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, etc., and is developed, supported, and explained in the text by means of examples and evidence.

STEP 4: ORGANIZE NOTES
1. Create 3-5 clear points to be made2. Organize research notes/materials to fit into each category.3. Establish your point made through reading the research.

REMEMBER:
ClaimEvidenceExplanation

(For each topic)

GOOD WRITING
Now that you have chosen a topic, written a thesis statement, organized your research and created your claims, its time to write!

Lets look at good writing!

GENERAL QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE WRITING
Grouping ideas into sentences and paragraphs that carry meaning efficiently and move ideas forwardCreating an effective thesisIntroducing an idea effectivelyConnecting ideas (between sentences and paragraphs)Punctuating correctlyCreating and maintaining an appropriate toneConcluding meaningfullyUsing words eloquently

THE STRUCTURES AND LANGUAGE OF ARGUMENT
Incorporating others words or ideasSubordinating opposing viewsOrganizing for greatest effectMaintaining an academic toneAnalyzing and explaining data/sources adequately Recognizing the difference between reasons and evidenceEvaluating quality of evidence/research

CONNECTING IDEAS EFFECTIVELY
Why? To establish clear relations between ideasThe best compositions establish a sense of momentum and direction by making explicit connections among their different parts, so that what is said in one sentence (or paragraph) not only sets up what is to come but is clearly informed by what has already been said. When you write a sentence, you create an expectation in the readers mind that the next sentence will in some way echo and be an extension of the first, even ifespecially ifthe second one takes your argument in a new direction. ~Graff & Birkenstein

WAYS TO MAKE CONNECTIONS
TransitionsPointing wordsRepetition of key words and phrasesSynonymsIdea hooks

EXAMPLE
The only thing more dangerous than being on the back of a racehorse was being thrown from one. Some jockeys took two hundred or more falls in their careers. Some were shot into the air when horses would prop, or plant their front hooves and slow abruptly. Others went down when their mounts would bolt, crashing into the rails or even the grandstand. A common accident was clipping heels, in which trailing horses tripped over leading horses hind hooves, usually sending the trailing horse and rider into a somersault. Finally, horses could break down, racings euphemism for incurring leg injuries. Seabiscuit, Hillenbrand

TRANSITIONS
EXAMPLES: Also, besides, furthermore, in addition, similarly, in other words, for example, for instance, although, but, despite the fact that, however, as a result, since, so, therefore, admittedly, as a result, consequently, yetSpot is a good dog. He has fleas. Spot is a good dog, even though he has fleas.

Courage is resistance to fear.Courage is mastery of fear.Courage is not absence of fear.

POINTING WORDS
EXAMPLES: this, these, that, those, their, such, her, it, etc.Children wanted their kiddy-cars to go faster. First, the animal design was done away with. Then off went a couple of the wheels. The two remaining wheels were greatly enlarged and then aligned down the center of the vehicle. Finally, handlebars and footrests were added. These primitive two-wheelers went much faster than the four-wheeled kiddy-cars. ~ Toys! WulffsonRiders didnt even have to leave the saddle to be badly hurt. Their hands and shins were smashed and their knee ligaments ripped when horses twisted beneath them or banged into the rails and walls. Their ankles were crushed when their feet became caught in the starters webbing.~ Seabiscuit, Hillenbrand

REPETITION OF KEY WORDS OR PHRASES
She sighed as she realized she was tired. Not tired from work but tired of putting white people first. Tired of stepping off sidewalks to let white people pass, tired of eating at separate lunch counters and learning at separate schools. She was tired of Colored entrances, Colored drinking fountains, and Colored taxis. She was tired of getting somewhere first and being waited on last. Tired of separate, and definitely tired of not equal. ~ Rosa, Giovanni

SYNONYMS AND PRONOUNS
Candy is almost pure sugar. It is empty of nutritional value. It is an extravagance. It dissolves in water. It melts in your mouth, not in your hands. Its the icing on the cake. Candy is so impossibly sweet and good that eating it should be the simplest thing in the world. So how can there be anything of substance to say about it? ~ Candy and Me, LiftinReligion was central to Egyptian life from the beginning, and the pharaoh played a key role in its rituals. In life, the ruler was thought to be the son of Ra, the all-powerful sun god. ~ Secrets of the Sphinx, Giblin

IDEA HOOKS
Mark Twain is established in the minds of most Americans as a kindly humorist, a gentle and delightful funny man. No doubt his photographs have helped promote this image. Everybody is familiar with the Twain face. He looks like every childs ideal grandfather, a dear old white-thatched gentleman who embodies the very spirit of loving-kindness. Such a view of Twain would probably have been a source of high amusement to the author himself. ~ Lively Art of Writing, Payne

IN COMBINATION
Jebel Musa in the morning is like a tiger at dawn, a cat curled up in the shadows, its coat the color of pumpkin pie, its demeanor a misleading message: tame. As we arrived at the small plateau where climbers prep for the hike to come, the mountain seemed almost inert, waiting. At 7,455 feet, its not a particularly tall mountain: half as high as the tallest mountain in the Colorado Rockies; roughly as tall as the highest peak in the Appalachians. But it is impressive, completely dominating the landscape around it like a mother elephant dwarfing her babies. A mixture of red and gray granite fused together in an imposing, almost threatening mass, Mount Moses rises straight from the ground and softens slightly at the top like a drip castle. Though not as angular as Mount Ararat, nor as tall as nearby Mount Katarina, it still seems like a particularly imposing backdrop, waiting for some particularly majestic drama to take place in front of it. ~ Walking the Bible, Feiler

STEP 5: WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT!
(But how to I use my research information correctly?)

USING OTHERS IDEAS APPROPRIATELY
Quoting: using the exact words of another. Words must be placed in quotation marks and the author cited. Summarizing: putting the ideas of another in your own words and condensing them. Author must be identified. Paraphrasing: putting someone elses ideas in your words but keeping approximately the same length as the original. Paraphrase must be original in both structure and wording, and accurate in representing authors intent. It can not just be switching out synonyms in the original sentence. Author must be identified.

QUOTING
Why use quotations?when the speakers name and reputation add credibilitywhen the phrasing of the quotation is interesting or revealing and cannot be stated another way as effectivelyHow effective are these examples?Many students improve their reading ability by looking at a text closely and by giving their first reactions to it (Burke 46). Mem Fox contests, worksheets are the dead-end streets of literacy: theres a non-message on each line, going nowhere, for no reason (69). Hints: cut quotes to the core and use them like spice, sparingly

SUMMARIZING
SummariesShould be shorter than original textShould include the main ideas of the originalShould reflect the structure of the original text somewhatShould include important detailsIs this an effective summary of Source B?At the moment of harvest, food begins to lose vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals important for fighting disease and maintaining health. Because the decrease is negligible, however, even if food is days or weeks from harvest, its still possible to derive nutrition from it and be healthy by making smart food choices.

PARAPHRASING
Source: People of African descent in the Diaspora do not speak languages of Africa as their mother tongue.Inappropriate Paraphrase: People of African descent no longer speak the languages of Africa as their first language. Appropriate Paraphrase: Painter contends that cultural factors like language and religion divide African Americans from their ancestors. Black Americans speak a wide variety of languages, but usually these are not African.

INTRODUCING OTHERS IDEAS
Put source names either before the idea [Painter insists that the hula hoop can help fight diabetes] or after the idea in parentheses [Others find the idea ridiculous (Smith, Wilson)]. Use vivid and precise verb signals more than says or believes to show how an author feels or how an idea might relate to other ideas: agrees, recommends, insists, explains Make sure the idea adds to the point you are making. Dropping in unrelated quotes or names diminishes your credibility. SHOW how the idea contributes to YOUR argument.

NOW ITS TIME FOR MLA
Is this torture over yet???

Step 6: Preparing the final copy

WHAT IS MLA?
MLA stands for Modern Language Association which promulgates guidelines for preparing student research papers and projects and scholarly manuscripts in the humanities. MLA style refers to a system of citing research sources.

SETTING UP YOUR PAPER
1. 1 inch margins 2. Set paper on double spacing2. Header: Name and page numbers (upper right hand corner)3. Heading: Your name, teachers name, name of class, date (day-month-year)4. Title: Centered

FORMAL MLA FORMAT

FORMATTING QUOTATIONS
Citation follows the quotation directly At the time we thought, gone are the days of care (Frick 29), but now we know different. Punctuation always outside parenthesisDo dreams always alter our perception of waking reality (Wilson 8)?

HOW DO I CITE?
There are two parts to citing according to MLA style:

1. Brief In-text citations (in parentheses) within the body of your essay or paper

2. List of full citations in the Works Cited page at the end of your paper

WORKS CITED PAGE
The Works Cited Page appears at the end of your paper on its own page.Everything you referenced in your text must be listed in your Works Cited page. Conversely, everything you list in the Works Cited page must be cited in your essay. The Works Cited page provides the information needed for a reader to find and retrieve any source used in your paper.

SAMPLE WORKS CITED PAGE
*Sources are listed alphabetically
Indent all lines after the first inch foreach work listed
*The entire Works Cited page is double-spaced
Title Works Cited is centered at the top of the page
Be sure that each citation has a format descriptor (properly placed within the citation); e.g., Web, Print, Film
All citations end in a period (.)

STILL NOT SURE?
Use your Central Dauphin MLA Handbook for reference

Read box insertwhat is difference?
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This issue complicates. How does a genre vs. mode position help? We cant always give students genres. Sometimes, they just write an argument for class. What to do about audience in those situations?
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Is this an argument? Why or why not? How does it differ from academic arguments?
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Does this make a claim? What is evidence? What is explanation? What does this tell us about shaping an argument?
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Discuss: What would have to have happened in class prior to writing this? In your notes, write a short argument for a new mascot for your school. Share at tables.
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Benefits to teaching transitions? Problems with it?
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Identify the transitions. Then, go back to writing at beginning of day and see where you could add effective transitions. Share at tables.
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