Blessings Book

Part I: ENTERING ARGUMENT. 1. Inventing Arguments. What is Argument? What is Academic Argument? What is Rhetoric? What is Invention? 2. Claims. What is a Claim? Types of Claims. Characteristics of Claims. Reading: "A Community of Cars," Ryan Brown (student). Assignment: Identifying and Describing Claims. 3. Support. Evidence. Example. Appeals. Appeals to Logic. Appeals to Emotion. Appeals to Need. Appeals to Value. Reading: "Disconnected," Lynda Smith (student). Assignment: Summarizing Arguments. 4. Opposition. Counterargument. Concession. Qualifiers. Reading: "Learning, Styles, Freedom, and Oppression," Simon Benlow. Assignment: Identifying and Summarizing Opposition. 5. Hidden Layers. Assumptions. Underlying Values. Reading: "In Defense of Darkness" Holly Wren Spaulding. Arguments in Disguise. The Objectivity Disguise. The Personal Taste Disguise. Spin. Propaganda. Assignment: Identifying & Summarizing Hidden Layers. 6. Analyzing Argument. The Analytical Posture. Summary and Analysis. Summary vs. Analysis. Four Common Pitfalls. Readings: "Chief Seattle's Speech on the Land." "Seattle's Rhetoric," Andy Buchner (student). Analyzing Visual Arguments. "The Hearts of Argument: Benetton's Advertising Appeal," Megan Ward. "Progressive Profiteering: The Appeal and Argumentation of Avatar," Ben Wetherbee (student). Assignment: Inventing a Rhetorical Analysis. Part II: INVENTING ARGUMENT. 7. Arguing Definitions. "What's the Economy for, Anyway?" John de Graaf. "Warfare: An Invention—Not a Biological Necessity," Margaret Mead. "The Fashion Punk Paradox," Andrew Hyde (Student). "Standardized Testing vs. Education," Justin James (Student). "If It's Not a Baby," bumper sticker. "Preserve Marriage" image. Exploring for Topics. Inventing a Claim. Inventing Support. Arrangement. Audience and Voice. Revision. 8. Arguing Causes. "No Sex Please, We're Middle Class," Camille Paglia. "Disparities Demystified," Pedro A. Noguera and Antwi Akom. "More Than Cherries," Samantha Tengelitsch (Student). "All for a Virtual Cause: The Reasons Behind MMORPG Success," J. Noel Trapp (Student). "Why You Are Hated," image. Exploring for Topics. Inventing a Claim. Inventing Support. Arrangement. Audience and Voice. Revision. 9. Arguing Value. "Evaluation of 'The Education of Ms. Groves,'" John Adams. "Adventure Is Calling," Michael Hilliard (Student). "Higher Education through Discombobulation," Betsy Chitwood (Student). "The Value of a Happy Meal," image. Exploring for Topics. Inventing a Claim. Inventing Support. Arrangement. Audience and Voice. Revision. 10. Arguing Crisis. "The Idols of Environmentalism," Curtis White. "Big House in the Wilderness: Moratoriums on Building and Individual Responsibility," Tracy Webster. "The Pack Rat Among Us," Laurie Schutza (Student). "Citizens and Consumers," Amber Edmondson (Student). "Is Bottled Water a Crisis?" image. Exploring for Topics. Inventing a Claim. Inventing Support. Arrangement. Audience and Voice. Revision. 11. Arguing the Past. "Shakespeare and Narcotics," David Pinching. "A Nation Made of Poetry," Joannie Fischer. "Red (White and Blue) Scare," Stephen Pell (Student). "Somewhere in the Past: Clarksville's School and Community Life," Cameron Johnson (Student). "Apache Children," image. "Carr Fork Canyon," image. Exploring for Topics. Inventing a Claim. Inventing Support. Arrangement. Audience and Voice. Revision. 12. Arguing the Future. "Live Forever," Raymond Kurzweil. "Video Games, the Next Storytelling Frontier," Michael Hanson. "Investing in Futures: The Cost of College," Charles Nelson (Student). "Around the Table in Traverse City," Joel Papcun. "Smart Car," image. Exploring for Topics. Inventing a Claim. Inventing Support. Arrangement. Audience and Voice. Revision. Part III: RESEARCH. 13. The Research Guide. Overview of Research. The Research Path. Conducting Primary Research. Conducting Secondary Research. Evaluating Sources. Integrating Sources. Documenting Sources. Sample Research Essays. Part IV: ARGUMENT ANTHOLOGY. 14. Politics. "The Bill of Rights." "The Audacity of Hope," Barack Obama. "Cry Baby Cry." "America's Real Death Panels," Diana Novak. The Irrefutable Mr. Jefferson, Robert "Frank" Jakubowicz. Schoolhouse Rock's "Elbow Room," Lynn Ahrens. Hurricane Katrina photographs. 15. Men and Women. "Real Nanny Diaries," Michelle Goldberg. "Fantastic Ideals," Jennifer Worley. "Declaration of Sentiments." "What Happened to the Women's Movement?" Barbara L. Epstein. "Different Strategies Are Necessary Now," Joan Acker. "A Man's Feminism," Raja Johnson-Howe. "Body Shop" ad. Suffrage parade photograph. 16. Race. "What Is Race?" Victor M. Fernandez. Brown v. Board of Education 347 U.S. 483 (1954), U.S. Supreme Court. "Another Inconvenient Truth," Willis D. Hawley and Sonia Nieto. "It's Racism, Stupid: Bias, Not Affirmative Action," Tim Wise. "Letter from Mecca," Malcolm X. 17. Environment. "Lunar Eclipse: November 8, 2003," Ed Bell. "Squeaky Clean," Monica Potts. "Vegetarian is the New Prius," Kathy Freston. 18. Education. "How Facts Backfire," Joe Keohane. "Remembrance of Food Past, Darra Goldstein. "What Is a Freethinker and Why Does It Matter?" Fred Edwords. "Critical Literacy in Democratic Education" Elaine J. O'Quinn. "No Child Left Behind" cartoon, Clay Bennett. 19. Consumption. "Letter to Kohl's," K.T. Glency. "Credit Cards on Campus," Robert D. Manning. "Intoxitwitching: The Energy Drink Buzz," Simon Benlow. "The Origin of Rhubarb," Barcley Owens. "Consumed by the Other: What Spam Means," Judy Chu. "Antibacterial Soap," Amy Zachary. 20. Popular Culture and the Media. "Still Missing Women in the Media," Megan Tady. "The Daily Show Generation," Mary Zeiss Stange. "Text Me All About Yourself," Clayton Dach. "The Origin of Grunge," Jay Harrington. "Ad Nation," Wayne Grytting. 21. Technology. "The Technology Slaves," Ross Wheatley. "Advances in Medical Technology: The Flip Side," Jan Potts. "Isolated Community: Hidden Dangers of MMORPGs", Rachel Schofield. "Letters from the Past," Laurie Schutza. 22. Philosophy and Humanity. "The Law of Human Nature," C.S. Lewis. "Natural Passions," Laura Tangley. "The Cell That Makes Us Human," Helen Phillips. "The Mystery of the Missing Links," Mary Wakefield. "What's It All About?" cartoon, Hardin.