Ewrt 1 a class 4

Ewrt 1 a class 4

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  EWRT 1A Class4
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  AGENDA  Quiz  DiscussionHPPOA  Discuss Marginalization essay #1 and #2  Review Prompt #1  Read Sample Essay #1  Review Basic features of an Argument essay  Review: Intro and Thesis  The Argument  Reasons and support  Counterarguments refutation/accommodation
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  Quiz! (Chs 1-8) 1.What does Harry do to Aunt Marge? 2. What is the name of the escaped murderer that everyone is worried about? 3. What is Azkaban? What kinds of creatures guard it? 4. Which student’s death does Professor Trelawney predict? 5. What is the name of Hagrid’s hippogriff? Which student does the hippogriff attack?
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  Discussion and Freewrite: TheBoggarts in the Classroom.  Basic info: What is a boggart? What form do boggarts take? What spell is used against a boggart? What does it do? (Think about Neville’s encounter with the boggart.)  Discussion: imagine that you are facing a boggart. What form would the boggart take for you? Explain why. What transformation of the boggart would make you laugh? Describe it in some detail.  Think about your answers (jot them down), then share with your House.
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  In Your Houses:Discuss Marginalization essay #1 and #2 “The Pain of Social Rejection” Kirsten Weir 1. What is the main argument in this paper? 2. What kind of examples does the author provide? Do they support her argument? 3. What are the causes of “Social Rejection” 4. What are the consequences of it? 5. What kind of sources does the author use? 6. How can we use this article as evidence to support our own discussion of marginalization? “How the Stress of Racism Affects Learning” Melinda D. Anderson 1. What anecdote does Anderson use to begin the paper? Is it successful? Why? 2. What is the main argument in this paper? 3. Where do you see definitions being introduced? Are they helpful? 4. What are the consequences of discrimination concerning education? 5. Does the writer offer any solutions? 6. What kind of sources does the author use? 7. How can we use this article as evidence to support our own discussion of marginalization?
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  Essay #1: TheWriting Assignment In this essay, you will argue a position. Please consult chapter 6 in the St. Martin’s Guide for a detailed discussion of the requirements for this type of essay. The essay topic: identify a character in The Chamber Of Secrets who is marginalized in some way. In your essay, do the following: 1. Explain how the character is marginalized and provide examples of the marginalization using quotes from the book and/or from the film. 2. Then discuss ways in which the character responds to the marginalization that you see as productive or unproductive and why. 3. Finally, extend your insights to contemporary society; how does this character’s marginalization compare to others you see who are also marginalized? At some point in your essay, you must include a counterargument and respond to it effectively.
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  Review Basic featuresof an Argument essay 1. A Focused Presentation of the Issue 2. A Clear Position New Writing Today! 3. Plausible Reasons and Convincing Support 4. Anticipating Opposing Positions and Objections What you should have written already
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  In Your Houses,take a look at Sample Essay #1 1. A Focused Presentation of the Issue: Read the introduction. a) Does it focus and present the issue? 2. A Clear Position: Identify the thesis. a. Is the writer’s position clear? b. Is it arguable? 3. Plausible Reasons and Convincing Support: Find the topic sentences for the argument. a. Underline them. Are they clear? b. Do they connect to the thesis? Circle the connecting words or ideas in the topic sentence and the thesis. c. Has the writer offered evidence from the text? Underline the evidence. Does the evidence support the topic sentence? How? d. From an outside source? How does the outside information help the writer explain his position to the audience?
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  A Well-Supported Position:Reasons and Support In arguing for a position, writers may provide various kinds of supporting evidence, including facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, and quotes from authorities.  Facts are statements that can be proven to be true. However, a statement that is not true or only partially true may be asserted as fact. Therefore, readers may need to be reassured that an asserted fact is reliable and comes from a trustworthy source.  Statistics are sometimes mistaken for facts, but they are only interpretations or correlations of numerical data. Their reliability depends on how and by whom the information was collected and interpreted.  Examples and anecdotes illustrate what may be true in certain situations; effective writers do not usually offer them as hard-and-fast evidence of the universal truth of their positions. Using them can, however, make an argument less abstract and enable readers to identify with those affected by the issue. Evidence from a film or novel provides the basis for your analysis in this essay. You may still need other evidence to back up your insights and assertions.  Quotes from authorities can carry weight if readers see them as knowledgeable and trustworthy.
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  Developing your Argument: in-class writing Explainhow the character is marginalized and provide examples of the marginalization using quotes from the book and/or from the film. You will need reasons for each of the ways you see your character as marginalized.  List Possible Reasons for your character’s marginalization  Once your thesis is clear, take a moment to list the reasons for your position. (Example: in the sample essay, the writer says Myrtle is shamed, isolated, and rejected).  Try to come up with as many reasons as you can. Later, you may add reasons or modify the ones you have listed.  Make a Note of Evidence.  Consider evidence from the novel or movie. Which evidence supports your reasons? (in the sample essay, to show how she is shamed, the writer points out that Calling her “‘Moaning Myrtle’ rather than just “Myrtle” turns her character name into a part of a homonym that simultaneously ridicules and marginalizes her.” Your Tentative Position. Look at your thesis, that is, your current position on the issue. You should have written it as homework for today. As you develop your argument and counterargument, you may refine this claim and decide how to formulate it effectively for your readers. For now, say as directly as you can what you see as the marginalization of a certain character.
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  Consider these twoaspects of the prompt: 1. Discuss ways in which the character responds to the marginalization that you see as productive or unproductive and why. 2. Finally, extend your insights to contemporary society; how does this character’s marginalization compare to others you see who are also marginalized? Take a moment to consider the two articles we discussed earlier. Does any of that information seem particularly relevant to your argument? Does a point in one of the essays serve to support an outcome or behavior of your marginalized character?
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  Tips For WorkingAt Home:  Collect Evidence. Make notes of the evidence — such as authorities, facts, anecdotes, and statistics — you might be able to use to support your reasons. You may already have some evidence you could use. If you need to do research, make notes of sources you could consult.  Choose the Most Plausible Reasons. Write several sentences explaining why you think each reason would be likely to convince your particular readers to take your argument seriously. Then identify your most plausible reasons. If you decide that none of your reasons seems very plausible, you might need to reconsider your position, do some more research, or choose another issue.
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  Counterarguments: Acknowledge/Refute/Accommodate Writers ofposition essays try to anticipate other widely held positions on the issue as well as objections and questions readers might raise to their argument. Writers have three options in anticipating readers’ alternative positions and objections: 􀁳 they can simply acknowledge readers’ views; 􀁳 they can accommodate them by making concessions 􀁳 they can try to refute them. Anticipating readers’ positions and objections can enhance the writer’s credibility and strengthen the argument. When readers holding an opposing position recognize that the writer takes their position seriously, they are more likely to listen to what the writer has to say. It can also reassure readers that they share certain important values and interests with the writer, building a bridge of common concerns among people who have been separated by difference and antagonism.
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  Reread paragraphs 6and 7, where Estrada introduces two opposing arguments to his position. Which sentence in each paragraph best states an opposing position? Examine paragraphs 6–9 to see how Estrada counterargues these two opposing arguments. For example, notice that he both concedes and refutes. Why he would attempt to do both? What seems to be his attitude toward those who disagree with him or, at least, object to parts of his argument? Counterarguments in “Sticks and Stones” To analyze how Estrada anticipates and counterargues opposing positions, let’s go back to his essay.
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  Even Hermione initiallyexpresses distress at the possibility of having to speak with Myrtle, and when doing so is unavoidable, treats Myrtle with condescending politeness, calling out “How are you, Myrtle? [...] It’s nice to see you out of the toilet. […] Just saying – saying—how nice you look tonight” (134). It is clear to Myrtle—and to the reader—that Hermione is not interested in making a personal connection with Myrtle, though she does seem aware that going along with others’ marginalization of Myrtle is troubling when she “sadly” comments “Oh dear” (135) while watching Peeves heckle and chase Myrtle away. But even if we read this as a moment of conflicted sympathy, it remains clear that Hermione is unwilling to stand up for Myrtle in any meaningful way. (Student 4). Let’s return to the essay sample for this essay to look at the counterarguments there. Note the sentence strategy: the writer offers a concession followed by refutation In this example from the argument, the writer concedes that a different reader might argue that Hermione is sympathetic to Myrtle in this scene; but, in a quick turn, the writer firmly refutes that notion as one that detracts from the thesis by pointing out that “Hermione is [still] unwilling to stand up for Myrtle”; ultimately, Hermione also contributes to Myrtle’s marginalization.
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  One might objectthat Myrtle needs to be more assertive in standing up for herself and that she could finally gain some measure of respect if she were to push back at the bullying and abuse that she faces. However, this objection ignores the unfair irony that, just before her murder, Myrtle was privately dealing with the aftermath of bullying in the girls’ bathroom, and she took the brave action of shooing away a boy who should not have been in the bathroom. She paid with her life for revealing herself and speaking out against him, as that boy was Tom Riddle/Voldemort, speaking in Parseltongue to the snake, and when Myrtle opened her stall, she was killed by the snake’s deadly stare. In this situation, standing up to patriarchal violence (in the form of Tom Riddle) resulted in Myrtle’s death. (Student 5) Here, in the first sentence of this paragraph, we see a more obvious objection to the thesis of the paper. This time, the writer turns the counterargument to his thesis back around by using the phrase, “however.” This language makes it clear that the writer will explain how the argument against the thesis is illegitimate by providing information that the first reader has not considered—When Myrtle did assert herself by telling Tom Riddle to exit the girls bathroom, she was murdered by a male who asserted his patriarchal privilege in claiming space earmarked specifically for females.
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  The concession-refutation move,sometimes called the “yes-but” strategy, is important in most arguments. Following is an outline of some other kinds of language authors rely on to introduce their concession-refutation moves:
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  Counterarguing Readers’ Objections: in-class writing  ListPossible Objections. Look for places where your argument is vulnerable. For example, think of an assumption that you are making that others might not accept or a value others might not share. Imagine how people in different situations — different neighborhoods, occupations, age groups, living arrangements — might react to each of your reasons.  Accommodate a Legitimate Objection. Choose one objection that makes sense to you, and write for a few minutes on how you could accommodate it into your argument. You may be able simply to acknowledge an objection and explain why you think it does not negatively affect your argument. If the criticism is more serious, consider conceding the point and qualifying your position or changing the way you argue for it. If the criticism seems so damaging that you cannot accommodate it into your argument, however, you may need to rethink your position.  Refute an Illegitimate Objection. Choose one objection that seems to challenge or weaken your argument, and write for a few minutes on how you could refute it. Do not choose to refute only the weakest objection while ignoring the strongest one. Consider whether you can show that the objection is based on a misunderstanding or that it does not really damage your argument. You may also need to modify your position to make sure the objection is not valid.
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  Tips For WorkingAt Home:  Accommodate a Plausible Reason. Choose one reason that makes sense to you, and write for a few minutes on how you could accommodate it into your argument. Consider whether you can concede the point and yet put it aside as not really damaging to your central argument. You may also have to consider qualifying your position or changing the way you argue for it.  Refute an Implausible Reason. Choose one reason that you do not accept, and write for a few minutes on how you could refute it. Consider trying one of these strategies: argue that readers’ values are better served by your position; point out where the reasoning is flawed (for instance, that it commits a straw-man fallacy by refuting your weakest reason and ignoring stronger ones); show that the argument lacks convincing support (for instance, that an example applies only to certain people in certain situations or that alternative authorities disagree). If you do not have all the information you need, make a note of what you need and where you might find it. (Note: Do not choose to refute a position no one takes seriously. Also, be careful not to misrepresent other people’s positions or to criticize people personally.)
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  Homework  Read HPPOA (Chapter 9-10 )  Collect evidence from Chamber of Secrets novel or film and marginalization essays. Choose the most plausible support for your argument. Draft the reasons and support section of your essay (20)  Discussion #4: The Argument: 1. Your two best body paragraphs  Discussion #5: The Counterargument: 1. Accommodate a legitimate objection 2. Refute an illegitimate Objection