Researching, Evaluating, Documenting

(1) Please number your list if you have not done so

(2) Make a copy of it.

(A) Save as Presents Paragraphs

(B) Pick five items on your numbered list and write them as paragraphs

(C) Delete everything else on the document

(D) Each of these five paragraphs needs to have five sentences

(E) I care that you use transitions between ideas and between paragraphs

(F) Do have both an introduction and a conclusion--these two paragraphs do NOT need to be five sentences each

(G) Start with the words "Dear Santa"

New Assignment: Title as "All I want for Christmas"

Start here: Mom, Dad I want ____ for Christmas.

You fill in the blank, then you answer these 26 questions about the thing you want for Christmas.

Complete this assignment as a list, not as paragraphs.

1. Reasons: List reasons why someone should agree with your thesis
2. Problems: Think of your thesis as a solution. Then describe the problem that your thesis is solving.
3. Support: How can you prove that the problem(s) you stated are, indeed, problems?
4. Policy: Once upon a time we had no need for your thesis; however, things changed and now your thesis is necessary; so what changed?
5. Alternatives: We have other ways to solve those problems; your opponents will list them to avoid doing your thesis, so what will your opponents list as alternative solutions to the problem(s) you just listed?
6. Better: How is your thesis still better than the alternatives
7. Save: How can your thesis save or generate time, money, resources, or efficiency?
8. Value: Every argument can be connected to some value; what value(s) does your argument embody (see list below)?
9. Harm: Who gets hurt if your thesis is rejected; that is, who is placed in harm or disfranchised or deprived of a right or a privilege or forced to endure obstacles or hardship if your thesis is rejected?
10. Negative: In what ways is your idea bad (be honest!); later you compare your thesis to the alternatives, while your idea is “bad,” you show how the alternatives are worse.
11. Agree: Write three statements about your thesis or your topic that your opponent would agree with
12. Disagree: (Step 1) Write one statement about your thesis or your topic that your opponent would disagree with, (Step 2) Type Opponent's Response: and write what you think your opponent would say in response to your statement, (step 3) Type My Reply: and write what you would say in response to your opponent's words
13. Concessions: This is what I will NOT argue; I will agree with my opponent on these items:
14. History: Here are items that my audience will probably be ignorant about that I will have to explain to them; I will have to do this so that other parts of my argument will make sense
15. Fact: a thing that is indisputably the case
16. Opinion: a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge; a belief held by a large number of people
17. Expert Opinion: the view or judgment of a notable and/or respected person
18. Example: a thing characteristic of its kind or illustrating a general rule
19. Anecdote: a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person
20. Statistic: a fact or piece of data from a study of a large quantity of numerical data; a number or a percentage
21. Comparison: An analogy, a description of your point done by showing what your argument is like or similar to
22. Definition: Explain your thesis using different words; rewrite your thesis using different words
23. Description: Explain some item related to your thesis or your reasons by using what that item looks, smells, sounds, tastes, and feels like
24. Quotation: What famous person said what famous thing about your topic? Copy it and give credit to that person
25. Responsibility: Who has to do your idea, pay for it being done, monitor that it is done
26. Brave New World: What would life be like in a world where we did do what you want done?

List of Values: Achievement, aesthetics, altruism, autonomy, creativity, emotional health, honesty, justice, knowledge, love, loyalty, morality, physical health, physical looks, pleasure, power, recognition, religious faith, skill, wealth, wisdom

Critical Thinking Website

Websites for creating citations (use MLA style, follow the steps):

• Son of Citation Machine
• Easy Bib
• Citation Maker
• OSLIS
• Internet Citation Maker

Sample Paper using MLA format with explanations (pretty useful, actually!)

• Iowa AEA Online
  • Username: 2862hmsms
  • Password: nwaea

Master Checklist for an Argument

Instructions: (1) Copy and Paste, (2) Answer each question

Title your Google doc as "Master Checklist Your Name"

The more information you can complete on this list, the better your argument will be. Remember: Your opponents will also come up with ideas about your argument--better for you to predict what might be said and how to respond instead of being caught by surprise.

Propaganda

1. Appeal to the people (bandwagon): Everybody agrees or is doing it. If everyone is skipping school that day, it’s okay for me to do it too.
2. Appeal to authority: Higher authority or power is used as the last word on the subject. My mom always used [ingredient], and it always turned out fine.
3. Appeal to emotions: Tell a sad story. If un-adopted, these puppies will die.
4. Stack the Deck: Only the good side is mentioned; ignore unfavorable facts. This product whitens teeth but may also cause gum disease. You must write and then strike through the information that you will are not revealing.
5. Broad Generalization: Broad statements with little substance are made. Math is for losers. All high school boys are immature.
6. Circular Thinking: The conclusion just restates the beginning. This is a boring class because it is not interesting.
7. Appeal to Ignorance: It must be true because no one has proven it false. There must be life on Mars because scientists can’t prove that there’s not life on Mars, can they?
8. Either/Or: Analyzing a complex situation as if it has only two sides. Either you are with us or against us.
9. Oversimplification: Making complicated issues or problems seem overly simple or easy to solve. Having open campus is about one thing: fairness.
10. Straw Man: Exaggerating or oversimplifying the other side’s point of view so it can be rejected as ridiculous. Those who support no open campus do not care about students’ happiness.
11. Irrelevant Evidence: Using information that is not related to the issue. Most students have a job; therefore, students should have open campus.
12. Loaded Words: Using words that are associated with strong emotions. Many radicals support that idea, which will hurt hard-working families.
13. Plain Folks Appeal: Common, everyday people support it. A grandmotherly person is rolling biscuits by hand in an advertisement for fast-food restaurant.
14. Assertion: assertion is an enthusiastic or energetic statement presented as a fact, although it is not necessarily true.
15. Glittering Generalities: words that have different positive meaning for individual subjects, but are linked to highly valued concepts.
16. Snob appeal: involves making a claim that one should act or think in a certain way because of the high social status associated with the action or thought.
17. Lesser of Two Evils: tries to convince us of an idea or proposal by presenting it as the least offensive option.

Fallacies in Logic