Unit 1 and 3 of the 9th Grade Springboard Textbook

(Step #1, #2, #3) Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

This is another online resource to either read the ebook or listen to an audio book (you will need to create a sign in but it is all free)

The videos below support further and local insight to this historical time period of World War II

Unit 1 of the 9th Grade Springboard Textbook (Unit 4 in 8th)

(Step #4) Argumentative Essay

First Step: PICK A TOPIC! This is the most critical phase of writing an argumentative essay or beginning a research paper. A topic that is not timely or relevant will leave your readers/listeners wondering why they should care. Begin by looking through the website ProCon.org or possible topics. There is a plethora (a lot!) so don't let it overwhelm you. Maybe skim through the information and pick a quick five that seem intriguing to you. Then go back and really look at the claims/reasons/points to see if you gravitate to the PRO or the CON side of the argument. There are numerous websites out there with lists upon lists of debatable topics but ProCon.org tends to be the best at providing solid evidence for both sides of any topic.

Next Step: while conducting research, make sure you are not falling victim to biases and misleading information. This would be a good time to view the videos in the 'Propaganda (History and Usage)' section. The Advertising Techniques PowerPoint reviews each technique and gives examples-- which are mostly print. This doesn't mean that these techniques are absent from video and web media sources. The Evaluating Websites PowerPoint explains certain qualifiers to use when viewing an electronic source.

Propaganda (History and Usage)

Third Step: put together a prewrite. This can look different among different students but it is an essential step. As your academic writing becomes more rigorous and layered, a prewrite will help with initial organization. It is also a way to uncover if there is even enough information to write on the topic in the first place. There are sample prewrites below.

At this point, you might be confused about how to design the reasoning paragraphs because the middle is a little more 'you' driven as far as the structure. Here are the options:

• Paragraph 2- reason why to believe the thesis / evidence to support your reasoning (ethos, pathos, logos based) / counter reasoning (counterclaim) with rebuttal

• Paragraph 3- reason why to believe the thesis / evidence to support your reasoning (ethos, pathos, logos based) / counter reasoning (counterclaim) with rebuttal

• Paragraph 4- reason why to believe the thesis / evidence to support your reasoning (ethos, pathos, logos based) / counter reasoning (counterclaim) with rebuttal

• Paragraph 2- reason why to believe the thesis / evidence to support your reasoning (ethos, pathos, logos based)

• Paragraph 3- reason why to believe the thesis / evidence to support your reasoning (ethos, pathos, logos based)

• Paragraph 4- main counter reasoning (counterclaim) with rebuttal

The choice of ethos, pathos, and logos for the evidence is, again, up to you. The first option allows you to pick each one for a really rounded support of the thesis. This structure works well if you have three counterclaims you really want to address as well. An aside is that you can 'tuck' a reason you want to use, but is maybe not as strong as the other two, in the middle (classic debate strategy). The second option only includes two so should be your two strongest reasons. Also, it is always better debate tactics to not choose the same rhetorical appeals for all evidence (e.g. no logos, logos, logos). For the first option you could do 2 the same and 1 different though. It really just depends on the evidence you are finding for your topic.

Student Question: How many rhetorical appeals and placement in the essay?

That depends on the structure you want to use. If you have three reasons why to believe your thesis, then you could do two logos and a pathos... two ethos and a logos? It is really linked to your topic and the strength of your reasons to believe the thesis. Also, you can structure the argument to be paragraph 2 and 3 reasons (so you would only have two) and paragraph 4 could be devoted to the counterclaim. This structure works well if you have a really strong counterclaim to your topic that you have to address. Ex: Topic is abortion with the pro-choice stance (for it). The opposing side always cites how it is murder to kill a baby. Devoting a whole paragraph to the counterclaim would allow you time to refute it.

Student Question: Does the counterclaim have to use the same rhetorical appeal?

The counterclaim does not have to reflect the rhetorical appeal; it just needs to be in line with the reason itself. Looking at your topic, using the pathos of animals' have feelings too and a counterclaim could be more logos that beta fish are not as developed as humans and concept of feelings should not be applied. Then you would want to come back with a line or two to refute the counterclaim.

Student Question: How do I narrow a topic to what I am interested in?

If you look at a topic like gun violence, it might be too general for an effective argument. At this point, start asking yourself some questions. What part of gun violence are you interested in? Do you think there is too much gun violence in the U.S. today? Saying yes to that means you might want to focus on gun control. Getting even more specific, this position could look at banning semiautomatic weapons. Or, pass federal laws that are very strict surrounding the sale/access to firearms. Really, the topic is very important because it can be difficult to dive into the research if you aren't interested in the topic. The subject of gun violence could be narrowed to a specific action. Maybe either mass shootings (the movie theater and clubs that have come under fire lately) or schools? Here is one possible way to structure the argument:

Topic- School Shootings

Thesis- In order to stop the ever increasing rate of school shootings, gun violence must be controlled through more strict firearm regulations.

Reason #1- Statistical increase in occurrence and amount of people involved... where will it stop without regulation? (logos)

Reason #2- Mentally unstable individuals and their access to weapons

Reason #3: ________________________

Fourth Step: start drafting. I would start with the middle paragraphs. Granted, you don't have to if you have already developed a drafting system that works for you. However, I would still be open to other methods because, as there are more demands on your academic writing, you might have to employ different techniques. This is where a good, solid prewrite can be your best friend. A more developed prewrite allows to you to just start 'filling in the holes'. We will be focusing on different parts of the draft during our class meeting times. The information will be linked to this webpage as well.

There will be several student examples along the way too. I hesitate to give a plethora because using your original academic voice is important but these are unusually times and it is harder to communicate like we would in the classroom so... examples it is. Please, though, refrain from copying; that's plagiarism (which will have it's own lesson).

Fifth Step: gain feedback. Part of the writing process is seeking and considering feedback. This can involve many different labels (comment, critique, response, review, etc...) but two are typically used with regard to writing. The first is editing which highlights grammar, word choice (diction), syntax, and the smaller details. The second is revisions which is a more macro form of feedback. This entails sentence fluency (length and first four words), format, structure, and ideas. This step also encourages multiple editors so there are several perspectives on the writing.

Sixth Step: continue drafting (it's loop!). It is a great idea to create a new draft whenever you make significant changes to a paper or project and then continue forward on the most recent draft. In high school and beyond, you might have five, ten, fifteen drafts depending on the feedback possess and academic rigor.

Seventh Step: develop a works cited and/or bibliography.

Eight Step: final (maybe?). Just when you think you are done, you really are not. That's the writing process--dare I say, the LIFE process. It is a continual feedback loop where you are brainstorming, prewriting, drafting, seeking feedback, and producing a 'polished' final only to realize that you probably could have added one more item. This is called learning and why research, thinking, and adopting new information it is a cyclical process. Of course, there is a deadline in most cases but that does not mean you cannot go back and 'tinker' with your paper or project later. Like our friend Walt Whitman who revised Leaves of Grass over 40 years, so to is our journey full of looking back to go forward.

Ninth Step: self-evaluation of final paper. Any self-eval is done after you think you have a polished final completed. Usually, this entails revisited the rubric or guiding requirements to use as a checklist against the final. The process is unique to each person though. Depending on deadlines, some academics like to walk away from the final for a couple days to obtain objective perspective. Others might take the process in chunks. However it pans out, this is one of the steps that is the most overlooked or ignored. Just link rereading the directions on a test, the self-eval is rereading the expectations of a project or paper.

Tenth Step: FINAL! Phew! It's done... now... DO A LITTLE DANCE