Identifying and Finding Arguments
Jasmine Mulliken
RHE 306
CWRL Lesson Plan
Objective
Part of Unit I in RHE 306 focuses on identifying arguments (as opposed to, say, background information) within a controversy. This lesson is a small-group exercise that asks students to use sample articles to identify the arguments and label them according to Chapter 3 of Good Reasons. By working with their peers to read and break down an argument article, students should come away with a better understanding of what makes up and argument and how to read critically to find major types of arguments in a published article.
Technological Objectives
As an early assignment in the semester, the activity familiarizes students with using and navigating the course website. As an in-class activity it allows for instructor assistance with using the technology. The use of different computer applications conveys to the students the different modes of work and communication the course offers and the expectations of the use of the technology. Students also learn to use the comment function in Word, a function the instructor uses in grading their essays and that they can use in peer review. Submitting the assignment through email (instructors may also choose to use the teacher folder method) establishes the process that will be used for submitting all work in the class and also provides the students with several contacts for later use in the even of missing class or needing help with an assignment.
Description
Before the lesson, students should have read Good Reasons, Chapter 3: “Finding Arguments.” After a fifteen- to twenty-minute class discussion of the types of arguments defined by Faigley in the Chapter, students break into groups of three or four around a computer and access the course website for links to the pre-chosen articles. There are six articles representing current controversies or debates in the U.S. Directions for completing the assignment are also on the assignment page on the website.
Students read their group’s assigned article and discuss its major arguments. They then copy and paste the text and any images from the article that convey an argument into a Word document. Using the comment function, students label and explain the types of arguments they observe. After fifteen to twenty minutes, The groups trade places and read the other group’s article and the comments they made. They add additional comments where necessary and discuss any disagreements they might have with the previous group’s identifications.
At the end of the class, the groups email the Word document to themselves, the other group, and the instructor. The instructor offers feedback and sends it back to the students.
Instructions for Students
- As a group read the assigned article and see if you can pinpoint the different types of argument (definition, value, compare/contrast, consequence, countering objections).
- Group 1: School Vouchers
- Group 2: School Vouchers
- Group 3: Campaign Strategies
- Group 4: Is Palin Qualified?
- Group 5: Is Obama frlz?
- Group 6: Sex Ed
- Next, copy and paste the text of the article, and pictures if applicable, into a Word document and add comments to identify the arguments you found. Explain in a sentence or two what makes each argument one of definition, value, compare/contrast, consequence, or countering objections.
- Leaving the Word document and the article still up on the computer screen, switch places with another group (Groups 1 and 2 trade places, Groups 4 and 5 trade places, and Groups 3 and 6 trade places). Read the new article and the comments made by the other group. Insert additional comments if you see an argument the previous group missed. Also discuss what arguments the previous identified. Do you agree? Would you have labeled the arguments differently?
| Attachment | Size |
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| Jasmine_Mulliken_Fall2008.pdf | 32.87 KB |
