CM 220 College Composition II Unit 2 Making

CM 220 College Composition II Unit 2: Making the Pitch: How to Win Friends and Influence Audiences Sheli Ayers General Education, Composition Kaplan University 1

Unit 2 OVERVIEW OF ASSIGNMENTS 2

UNIT 2 Reading • Unit 2 overview with discussion of advertising and deceptive argument • The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, pp. 5 -6 in ch. 1 (logical fallacy chart), pp. 36 -43 in ch. 6 • Netemeyer, Andrews, and Burton article on antismoking advertising [available in Kaplan library, Academic Search Premier database] • O’Hegarty, et. al article on cigarette warning labels [find link by clicking on Reading icon for unit 2] • Review Writing Center resources on thesis statements, logical fallacies, and persuasive writing 3

Unit 2 Activities • Invention Lab: Develop research questions and a potential working thesis statement • Project: Revision of thesis statement, “elevator pitch” of big idea and research strategy • Tech Lab: Slide presentations, traditional and animated options like Animoto **Note: The tech labs are meant to prepare you for the unit 7 Invention Lab and final project—no tech assignment due before then. Review the video included in the tech lab introductory instructions. 4

Tech Lab: Slide Presentations 5

Unit 2 THESIS STATEMENTS 6

What is a THESIS? • The main idea expressed in a written or visual work. • It may be stated or implied. • The author’s argument encapsulated in a sentence is the THESIS STATEMENT. 7

Thesis statement • A thesis statement is composed of one or two sentences. • The thesis statement in a persuasive paper should make a claim (debatable statement) that you can support in the body of your essay. • The thesis statement helps to keep the writer focused. It also helps to ensure that the reader understands the main argument. 8

Thesis Statement Strategies #1 Brainstorm research questions. The thesis statement could be the answer to one (or more) of your research questions. Just remember that you may not be fully informed about the answer until you actually do the research. #2 You can use this formula for problem-solution essays like ours: Who should do what and why? Example: “Congress should pass legislation that prevents car companies from integrating distracting electronic devices in cars. ” #3 Here is more open formula: Your topic + the main point you want to make about it. 9

Research questions • These are questions YOU would like to answer through your research. • It can help you LIMIT your topic/big idea and provide you with a focus for a paper or argument. • It should be appropriate to the subject and limitations of the assignment. 10

Research ? to thesis • Education • Public Health Topic/BIG IDEAS 11 Research Question/LIMITATION • How can student performance be improved in public schools? • Should health insurance for smokers be more expensive? • Adopting an all year school schedule will improve student performance. • Insurance premiums for smokers should not be increased. Thesis/POSITION

Research questions (informative) • What are the current federal guidelines for nutritional requirements under the National School Lunch Program? • How much sugar and calories are children consuming in school meals each day? • What nutritional value does a typical school meal have in terms of vitamins and minerals? • What is the USDA’s position on current nutritional guidelines? Do they feel changes are needed? • What do federal and state governments currently spend on the school lunch program? How many children get assistance? 12

Research questions (persuasive) • What changes need to be made to federal guidelines to ensure healthier meals at the local level? • How can our local school district increase the nutritional value of meals? • Will improving nutritional quality of meals lead to better academic performance as well as healthier kids? • Should all students be required to purchase school meals once these changes are made to ensure that everyone is eating healthier? • Should schools be required to have a certain amount of fresh fruits and vegetables (not canned, frozen, or otherwise processed) in the meal plan? 13

Research for unit 2 project • You will not need to reference actual sources this week; however, review the library databases and try a few search terms to see if there is research on your topic. • ERIC (education) • Academic Search Premier (general interest) • Health Source: Consumer • CQ Researcher (controversial issues) • Green. File (environment) 14

Possible search terms • Healthy school lunches • Nutritional requirements for school lunches • Federal guidelines for school lunches • Federal school lunch program • USDA and school lunches 15

From research ? to thesis • Question: Will improving nutritional quality of meals lead to better academic performance as well as healthier kids? • Thesis: Schools should require students to eat healthy meals because this will help overweight students and improve everyone’s academic performance. 16

Preliminary thesis (hypothesis or “working thesis statement”) • This is your INITIAL argument, what you think may be the answer to your research question. • Remember that a preliminary thesis CAN and WILL change. • It will be TESTED and REFINED through research. • Since this project will be persuasive in nature, you must take a position on an issue, and that position should be clear in thesis. • Good persuasive thesis statements often include clauses beginning with “since, because, therefore” that indicate why you feel something should or should not be done. 17

Thesis workshop • Share your ideas. What are some potential BIG IDEAS you might like to focus on this term? • What are some possible RESEARCH QUESTIONS you might like to explore with this topic? • What are some PRELIMINARY THESIS STATEMENTS you might wish to pursue? 18

Unit 2 LOGICAL FALLACIES 19

What is an ARGUMENT? • An argument is an issue that has at least two sides. • In order to present your side of the argument, you must know the various positions on your issue. If you don’t know the likely opposing arguments, you may leave yourself open to be blindsided by an attack. 20

What is a DECEPTIVE ARGUMENT? • Deceptive arguments may mislead you, causing you to believe the wrong information. • Because deceptive arguments often confuse and distract people, they may take attention from important issues. Deceptive arguments are often more emotionally charged, gaining bigger headlines. 21

Recognizing and Avoiding Deceptive Arguments • When researching, you need to read the information carefully and to apply your best critical thinking skills to what the author is saying. • Analyze and find the “holes” in the arguments that you are reading. Decide which arguments are valid and which are not. • With practice, you will become better at detecting deceptive arguments. 22

Bandwagon: the idea that everybody does it or believes it 80 percent of Americans dislike the idea of increased taxes; therefore, the government should reduce taxes in order to improve our economy. What is weak in this argument? 23

Ad hominem: an attack on the character of a person rather than her/his opinions or arguments Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because they are all liberals and hippies. What is weak in this argument? 24

Some other common fallacies • Post hoc ergo propter hoc: assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A. ' • Appeal to Authority: If X says so, it must be so. • Either/Or Simplification: The arguer suggests here that only two options exist: one can support the petition or one can reject it and suffer the consequences. • Hasty Generalization: Drawing a conclusion on insufficient evidence. 25

Some other common fallacies • Begging the Question: accept this conclusion without evidence (also may present an argument where the premise and conclusion are the same) • False Analogy: Comparing two things without offering any proof that they share a connection • Slippery Slope: If A happens, then B will occur 26

Name That Fallacy • The people who favor the tax-increase bill will give you lots of reasons why they think it should be passed. But, in fact it is a lousy bill that should be defeated because it Senator Whitney Berton supports it. You know him, the guy who is widely suspected of being guilty of tax evasion. 27

Answer: Ad hominem attack The speaker attempts to discredit the bill based on allegations against the senator who authored it. From a logical point of view, these allegations have nothing to do with the merits of the bill itself. 28

Name That Fallacy • Students from Jefferson High School are all so friendly and helpful. I’m sure of this because just last week I got lost and a very helpful and friendly student got me all straightened out. • Robert Jarvik, inventor of the first artificial heart, recommends Lipitor for cholesterol reduction. If he says it works, it must be so! 29

Answer: Hasty generalization The speaker assumes that all of the students are friendly even though she or he met just one of them. Answer: Appeal to authority The speaker assumes that anything that Jarvik says related to hearts or heart disease must be true because Jarvik is (or claims to be) an authority. 30

Name That Fallacy • We could improve the undergraduate experience with co-ed dorms since both men and women benefit from living with the opposite gender. • It should be against the law to fire a woman because she gets pregnant. They don't fire a man for fathering a child. 31

Answer: Begging the question No evidence or support is offered for the idea that both men and women benefit from living with the opposite gender. Answer: False analogy Being pregnant and fathering a child are not the same thing, and, more importantly, the consequences for an employer are likely to be different. (However, notice that this does not mean that pregnant women should be fired. ) 32

Name That Fallacy • Legalization of abortion will lead to murder of the old and the physically and mentally handicapped. • We may support this petition for a Gender Studies major, or we may turn our backs on progress, reject the petition and suffer the consequences. 33

Answer: Slippery slope The speaker assumes that the legalization of abortion will inevitably lead to dire consequences such murdering the elderly. Answer: Either/or simplification The speaker presents two choices—sign the position or give up on progress. This ignores other possibilities, such as writing a new and improved petition or pursuing some other course of action. 34

Name That Fallacy • After President Clinton raised taxes, our economy went into decline; therefore the increase in taxes caused our economic downturn. • You will love our House Blend. It is the most popular coffee we sell! 35

Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc The speaker assumes that Clinton raising taxes caused the economy to decline because the tax hike occurred before the economic decline. In other words, he or she assumes that A caused B because A happened before B. No evidence is offered. Answer: Bandwagon Appeal The speaker tries to persuade someone to try a product based on that product’s popularity. 36

Unit 2 DISCUSSION OF READING 37

Applying what you know. . . Let’s review the article by O’Hegarty, et al. • The article concludes that the U. S. should use graphic warnings on cigarette packages because these are likely to be effective in encouraging people not to smoke. • Is their research valid? Does it have any weaknesses? Could the hypothesis be tested further? Would the use of graphic warnings be an example of the “appeal to fear” fallacy and, if so, would using them in an anti-smoking campaign be ethical? • What were drawbacks that study participants noted with some of the ads? • Does their argument rely on any LOGICAL FALLACIES? 38

Canadian warnings 39

How do we AVOID fallacies in our own writing? • Imagine you disagree with your own argument. Which of your arguments would not convince you and why? Which arguments are “fishy” or weak? • List your argument. List the evidence you provide for each claim. Look critically at this evidence. • Ask yourself which fallacies you are prone to make. Look for these in your arguments. • Review your argument for absolutes and sweeping generalizations (all, every, never, always) • Review the types of Logical Fallacies listed in the handbook on pp. 56 and review your argument for these problems. 40

Writing Center resources • Writing Center Reference Library (see The Writing Process section, Getting Started and Drafting): • “From Topic to Research Question to Thesis” • “Name that Logical Fallacy” (worksheet) 41