Part 1—Understanding Argument An Introduction to Argument

Recognizing Arguments

　　　　 Why Instructors Assign Argument [box]

Defining Argument

　　　　 What Kinds of Statements Are Not Debatable? [box]

Arguments in Real Life

Winning and Losing Arguments

The Rhetorical Situation

Considering the Writer

Considering the Purpose

Considering the Audience

Considering the Question

Considering the Context

Logos, Pathos, and Ethos

　　　　 The Appeal to Reason (logos)

　　　　 Logos in Action

　　　　 The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

　　　　 Pathos in Action

　　　　 The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

　　　　 Ethos in Action

The Rhetorical Triangle

The Audience for Argument

1—The Four Pillars of Argument
AT ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

The Elements of Argument

　　　　 Thesis Statement

　　　　 Evidence

　　　　 Refutation

　　　　 Concluding Statement

　　　　 Checklist: Does Your Argument Stand Up?

　　　　 Nia Tuckson, Why Foreign-Language Study Should Be Required [student essay] 　

　　　　Andrew Herman, Raise the Drinking Age to Twenty-Five
READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

*David Leonhardt, Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say
Marty Nemko, We Send Too Many Students to College
Jennie Le, What Does It Mean to Be a College Grad?
Dale Stephens, College Is a Waste of Time
*Bridget Terry Long, College Is Worth It – Some of the Time

*Mary C. Daly and Leila Bengali, Is It Still Worth Going to College?
Tony Brummel, Practical Experience Trumps Fancy Degrees

Part 2—Reading and Responding to Arguments
2—Thinking and Reading Critically
AT ISSUE: Do Violent Media Images Trigger Violent Behavior? Thinking Critically

　　　　 Using Critical-Thinking Skills [box]

Reading Critically

　　　　 Guidelines for Reading Critically [box]

Becoming an Active Reader

　　　　 Previewing

　　　　 Close Reading

　　　　 Comprehension Clues [box]

Gerard Jones, Violent Media Is Good for Kids
　　　　 Highlighting

　　　　John Leo, When Life Imitates Video [student highlighting]

　　　　 Annotating

　　　　 Checklist: Questions for Annotating

　　　　John Leo, When Life Imitates Video [student annotations]

　　　　 Jessica Robbins, Don’t Withhold Violent Games
　　　　*American Psychological Association, Violence in Mass Media
Writing a Critical Response

　　　　 Checklist: Questions for Critical Reading

　　　　 Katherine Choi, Response to "When Life Imitates Video" [student response]

Template for Writing a Critical Response

3—Decoding Visual Arguments
AT ISSUE: Do Violent Media Images Trigger Violent Behavior? [continued]

Thinking Critically about Visual Arguments

　　　　 Visuals versus Visual Arguments [box]

Using Active Reading Strategies with Visual Arguments

　　　　 Comprehension Clues [box]

　　　　 Appeals: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos [box]

　　　　 Todd Davidson, Media Violence [visual]

　　　　*Max Fisher, Gun-related murders and video game consumption [graphs]

　　　　*Bob Engelhart, Violent Video Games [cartoon] 　

　　　　 Parenthood Library, Distribution of Language, Sex, and Violence Codes in PG-Rated Movies [chart] 　

　　　　Boy Playing a First Person Shooter Game [photograph]

　　　　Ways to Die in a Children’s Cartoon [Chart] 　

　　　　* Lauren Dazzara, Why Gaming Is a Positive Element in Life [Infographic]

Highlighting and Annotating Visuals

　　　　Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto IV [advertisement]

　　*Nate Londa, Silence the Violence [image]

Responding Critically to Visual Arguments

　　　　 Checklist: Questions for Responding to Visual Arguments

　　　　 Jason Savona, Response to Grand Theft Auto IV [student response] 　

　　　　 Template for Responding to Visual Arguments

4—Writing a Rhetorical Analysis
AT ISSUE: Is It Ethical to Buy Counterfeit Designer Merchandise?

What Is a Rhetorical Analysis?

　　　　 Overview: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. [box]

Considering the Rhetorical Situation

　　　　 Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation [box]

　　　　 The Writer

　　　　Analyzing the Writer [box]

　　　　 The Writer’s Purpose

　　　　Analyzing the Writer’s Purpose [box]

　　　　 The Writer’s Audience

　　　　Analyzing the Writer’s Audience [box]

　　　　 The Question

Analyzing the Question [box]

　　　　 The Context

　　　　Analyzing the Context [box]

Considering the Means of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, Ethos

　　　　 The Appeal to Reason (logos)

　　　　 The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

　　　　 The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

Considering the Writer’s Rhetorical Strategies

　　　　 Thesis

　　　　 Organization

　　　　 Evidence

　　　　 Stylistic Techniques

Assessing the Argument

　　　　 Checklist: Preparing to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Sample Rhetorical Analysis

　　　　 Dana Thomas, Terror's Purse Strings
　　　　 Deniz Bilgutay, A Powerful Call to Action [student essay]

　　　　 Rajeev Ravisankar, Sweatshop Oppression
　　　 Template for Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

　　　　 Nicholas D. Kristof, Where Sweatshops Are a Dream

5—Understanding Logic and Recognizing Logical Fallacies
AT ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

What Is Deductive Reasoning?

Constructing Sound Syllogisms

　　　　 Syllogism with an Illogical Middle Term

　　　　 Syllogism with a Key Term Whose Meaning Shifts

　　　　 Syllogisms with Negative Premise

Recognizing Enthymemes

　　　　 Bumper-Sticker Thinking [box]

Writing Deductive Arguments

　　　　 Crystal Sanchez, College Should Be for Everyone [student essay]

What Is Inductive Reasoning?

　　　　 Reaching Inductive Conclusions [box]

Making Inferences

Constructing Strong Inductive Arguments

　　　　 Generalization Too Broad

　　　　 Insufficient Evidence

　　　　 Irrelevant Evidence

　　　　 Exceptions to the Rule

Writing Inductive Arguments

　　　　 William Saletan, Please Do Not Feed the Humans
Recognizing Logical Fallacies

　　　　 Begging the Question

　　　　 Circular Reasoning

　　　　 Weak Analogy

　　　　Ad Hominem Fallacy (Personal Attack)

　　　　 Creating a Straw Man

　　　　 Hasty or Sweeping Generalization (Jumping to a Conclusion)

　　　　 Either/Or Fallacy (False Dilemma)

　　　　 Equivocation

　　　　 Red Herring

　　　　 Slippery Slope

　　　　 You Also (Tu Quoque)

　　　　 Appeal to Doubtful Authority

　　　　 Misuse of Statistics

　　　　 Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (After This, Therefore Because of This)

　　　　 Non Sequitur (It Does Not Follow)

　　　　 Bandwagon Fallacy

Patrick J. Buchanan, Immigration Time-Out
READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: *How Free Should Free Speech Be?

*Thane Rosenbaum, Should Neo-Nazis Be Allowed Free Speech? 　
*Sol Stern, The Unfree Speech Movement
*American Association of University Professors, On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes 　
*Wendy Kaminer, Progressive Ideas Have Killed Free Speech on Campus

*Judith Shulevitz, In College and Hiding from Scary Ideas

*Eric Posner, Universities Are Right to Crack Down on Speech and Behavior
Template for Writing a Deductive Argument

Template for Writing an Inductive Argument

6—Rogerian Argument, Toulmin Logic, and Oral Arguments
AT ISSUE: Is Online Education Better than Classroom Education?

Understanding Rogerian Argument

Structuring Rogerian Arguments

Writing Rogerian Arguments

　　　　 Zoya Kahn, Why Cell Phones Do Not Belong in the Classroom [student essay]

Understanding Toulmin Logic

Constructing Toulmin Arguments

Writing Toulmin Arguments

　　　　 Jen Davis, Competitive Cheerleaders Are Athletes [student essay]

Understanding Oral Arguments

Planning an Oral Argument

Checklist: Designing and Displaying Visuals

Delivering Oral Arguments

Dealing with Nervousness [box]

Composing an Oral Argument

　　　　 Chantee Steele, An Argument in Support of the "Gap Year" [student speech] 　

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Is Online Education Better Than Classroom Education?

　　　　*Scott Newstok, A Plea for Close Learning
　　　　*CollegeDegreeSearch.net, The Evolution of Online Learning (Infographic)

　　　　 Chris Bustamante, The Risks and Rewards of Online Learning
　　　　 David Smith, Reliance on Online Materials Hinders Learning Potential for Students
　　　　 Elena Kadvany, Online Education Needs Connection
　　　　 John Crisp, Short Distance Learning
　　　*Ray McNulty, Old Flames and New Beacons
　　　　*Pete Rorabaugh, Trading Classroom Authority for Online Community
Template for Writing a Rogerian Argument

Template for Writng a Toulmin Argument

Part 3—Writing an Argumentative Essay
7—Planning, Drafting, and Revising an Argumentative Essay
AT ISSUE: Should College Campuses Go Green?

Choosing a Topic

　　　　 Topics to Avoid [box]

Thinking about Your Topic

　　　　 Freewriting

　　　　 Brainstorming

　　　　 Clustering

　　　　 Informal Outline

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Understanding Your Purpose and Audience

Gathering Evidence

　　　　 Evaluating the Evidence in Your Sources

　　　　 Detecting Bias in Your Sources

Refuting Opposing Arguments
Using Analogies as Evidence [box]

Strategies for Refuting Opposing Arguments

Revising Your Thesis Statement

Structuring Your Essay

　　　　 Supplying Background Information [box]

　　　　 Using Induction and Deduction

Identifying a Strategy for Your Argument

　　　　 Constructing a Formal Outline

Establishing Credibility

　　　　 Being Well-Informed

　　　　 Being Reasonable

　　　　 Being Fair

　　　　 Maintaining Your Credibility [box]

Drafting Your Essay

　　　　 Suggested Transitions for Argument [box]

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Parallelism

Revising Your Essay

　　　　 Asking Questions

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Structure and Style

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Supporting Evidence

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Purpose and Audience

　　　　 Using Outlines and Templates

　　　　 Getting Feedback

　　　　 Adding Visuals

Polishing Your Essay

　　　　 Editing

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

　　　　 Proofreading

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Contractions vs. Possessive Pronouns

　　　　 Choosing a Title

　　　　 Checking Format

Shawn Holton, Going Green [student essay]

Part 4—Using Sources to Support Your Argument
8—Finding and Evaluating Sources
AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy?

Finding Sources

　　　　 Finding Information in the Library

　　　　 Finding Information Online

Evaluating Sources

Evaluating Print Sources

　　　　 Nicholas Thompson, Bigger Brother: The Exponential Law of Privacy Loss
　　　　 USA Today Editorial Board, Time To Enact "Do Not Track"
　　　*Rebecca MacKinnon, Privacy and Facebook
　　　　Evaluating Online Sources
　　　　 Using a Site’s URL to Assess Its Objectivity [box]

　　　　 Avoiding Confirmation Bias [box]

　　　　 *The Chronicle of Higher Education, Home Page [website]

　　　　 *Glamour Magazine, Home Page [website]

　　　*The Chronicle of Higher Education, About the Chronicle [website]

　　　　 *Glamour Magazine, About Glamour [website]

　　　　*Jonathan Mahler, Who Spewed That Abuse? Anonymous YikYak App Isn’t Telling

　　　　*Jennifer Golbeck, All Eyes on You

　　　　*Craig Desson, My Creepy Instagram Map Knows Where I Live

　　　　*Sharon Jayson, Is Online Dating Safe?
　　　　*Sam Laird, Should Athletes Have Social Media Privacy? One Bill Says Yes

9—Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Synthesizing Sources
AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy? (continued)

Summarizing Sources

　　　　 When to Summarize [box]

　　　　 Summarizing Sources [box]

Paraphrasing Sources

　　　　 When to Paraphrase [box]

　　　　 Paraphrasing Sources [box]

Quoting Sources

　　　　 When to Quote [box]

　　　　 Quoting Sources [box]

　　　*Shelley Fralic, Don’t Fall for the Myths about Online Privacy
Working Source Material into Your Argument

　　　　 Using Identifying Tags

　　　　 Template for Using Identifying Tags [box]

　　　　 Working Quotations into Your Sentences

　　　　 Misrepresenting Quotations [box]

Synthesizing Sources

10—Documenting Sources: MLA
Using Parenthetical References

Preparing the Works-Cited List

　　　　 Periodicals

　　　　 Guidelines for Citing a Periodical Article　　　　

　　　　Books

　　　　 Guidelines for Citing a Book

Audiovisual Sources

　　　　 Internet Sources

　　　　 Guidelines for Citing a Website

　　　　 Legal Case

　　　　 Government Document

MLA Paper Guidelines [box]

　　　　 Erin Blaine, Should Data Posted on Social Networking Sites Be "Fair Game" for Employers?　[Model MLA Paper]

11—Using Sources Responsibly
AT ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

Understanding Plagiarism

　　　　 Two Definitions of Plagiarism [box]

Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism

　　　Online Sources and Plagiarism [box]

　　　　 Intentional Plagiarism [box]

Knowing What to Document

　　　　 Loos Diallo, Plagiarism Policy [image]

Austin American-Statesman, Cheaters Never Win

Revising to Eliminate Plagiarism

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

　　　　 Jack Shafer, Sidebar: Comparing the Copy
　　　　　Lawrence M. Hinman, How to Fight College Cheating
　　　　 Trip Gabriel, Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age
　　　　 Elizabeth Minkel, Too Hard Not to Cheat in the Internet Age?
　　　　 Richard A. Posner, The Truth about Plagiarism
　　　*Dylan Byers, Plagiarism and BuzzFeed’s Achilles’ Heel
　　　*K. Balibalos and J. Gopalakrishnan, OK or Not?
　　　　*Dan Ariely, Essay Mills: A Course Lesson in Cheating

Term Papers for Sale Advertisement [Web page]
Template for Writing an Argument about Plagiarism

Writing Assignments: Avoiding Plagiarism

Appendix A—Writing Literary Arguments

What Is a Literary Argument?

Stating an Argumentative Thesis

Choosing Evidence

Writing a Literary Argument

Megan McGovern, Confessions of a Misunderstood Poem: An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" [student essay]

Loren Martinez, Not Just a "Girl"[student essay]

Appendix B—Documenting Sources: APA
Using Parenthetical References

Preparing a Reference List

Examples of APA Citations