Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Mid Term

Ashby


English 116

Take Home Mid Term—due 3/22

Part 1—two pages) Create an argument about any topic using the Toulmin method. Begin with an introduction and a strong, debatable claim. Then offer evidence and reasons to support your claim. You must also link your claim to your evidence and reasons with warrants. For example, if your claim is that nuclear energy should be banned, your reason could be that nuclear energy produces nuclear waste. Your warrant could then be that anything that creates nuclear waste in the environment is dangerous. Using the Toulmin method, however, does not mean that you forget the rest of the principles that you have learned. Remember to develop each paragraph using the AXES model. Also, remember the other argumentative elements such as establishing ethos and using appeal to emotion (pathos) and logic (logos). Your argument can also be one of definition, evaluation, fact, meditation, exploration. You may also use humor to enhance your argument—this essay is intended to use the rhetorical elements we have been discussing up to this point in the semester.

Part 2—two pages) Once you have carefully constructed your argument, you will then rhetorically analyze your argument. You will tell me where in your essay you have used the Toulmin method of structuring your argument. You will point out where your claim, evidence, reasons, and warrants are. You will state where and how you have attempted to establish your ethos, where (if at all) you have appealed to reason and emotion. Tell me what type of argument yours is—definition, fact………….. Illustrate through your analysis that you know how to identify and use rhetorical elements.

11 comments:

  1. yo hello prof Ashby and Eng 116 students
    hit me up on my blog
    http://punksven37.blogspot.com/
    this blog stuff is cool

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  2. hi...okay i finally made my blog :)
    -Blanca

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  3. Has anyone started working on this paper yet?

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  4. No have you? Im still trying to think about what argument i want to make... :/

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  5. Hey prof ashby, it is probably too late for you to answer some questions about the midterm, but might as well give it a shot.
    The problem I am having in writing my midterm, is that my warrant turned out to be my claim, and the entire midterm is based upon that. This is what i mean:
    I wrote for my claim: The sticky accelerator could occur in any car, since (reason) Toyota has come up with a solution and is fixing all models affected by this, (warrant) Toyota's are the safest vehicles to drive.

    Because my whole paper is based on supporting the fact that toyota's are the safest car to drive, would there be a way to reword this, or does this work?
    (If anyone has advice i would appreciate it! :)

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  6. Madison i see you're still having trouble.! dont worry its a bit confusing how the warrant and the claim tie in together at some point :/

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  7. tiffany, ya this paper is pretty frustrating. not to mention my brother game me some notes that show an outline for toulmin essays, and that is just confusing me more, because i think if i use that i would have to rearrange my whole essay.

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  8. Also, is it correct to use the word "I" in our toulmin midterm? Using "I" could build credibility with the audience, by giving personal testimony, right? as long as I am not saying "I" followed by my opinion.

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  9. Okay, last comment, haha.
    I probably should have asked these questions sooner, but got a late start on my midterm.
    In part II are we supposed to be taking in third person, as if we are some one else reviewing our own paper, or are we supposed to write it from our own perspective?

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  10. dont worry . i am kind of worried as how the second part turned out :/

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