p3

It is very important that you UNDERSTAND exactly what is being asked of you

with the REFUTATION paper.

This type of argument is very specific and requires very strategic "moves' as you consider someone else's argument and then COMBAT it with your own.

Just as always, you MUST STUDY the assignment sheet AND pay attention to your relevant book chapter.

HOWEVER, YOUR TOPIC has to start with AN ACTUAL ARGUMENTATIVE MESSAGE THAT WAS PUBLISHED and WITH WHICH YOU CAN DISAGREE!

You can choose a short published article, a video capturing a speech, or an op ed (opinon piece) from an online magazine, newspaper, or blog.  

BE CAREFUL IN CHOOSING -- the message you choose to "refute" must present an argument......... building a case for a certain view that YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH!

WHAT YOU WILL DO IN UNIT 4:

1) READ all of Chapter 13.  It will help you with your paper!

2) READ & STUDY the ASSIGNMENT SHEET FOR PROJECT 4  -- This is your best way to ensure you are fulfilling the learning goals and paper specifications.

3) READ all of the prof notes in Week 7 of Blackboard!

4) DO RESEARCH to find a published article or video that shares an argument with which you DISAGREE.   Remember to use our library database search! There's even a chatbox with a librarian to help you 24 hours a day!  If you want to use online sources, that is ok, but you need enough of a "text" (around 2 to 3 pages written or at least 5 minutes if a speech) to argue against.  Give yourself good material to use for a developed response "opposing" it!

5) POST IN THE DISCUSSION BOARD the article and your answers to the provided questions

6) DO MORE RESEARCH to find support for your own argument to fulfill the research requirements

7) WRITE A COMPLETE DRAFT and post it on time!

8) "SHOW UP" for your REVIEW PARTNERS by completing and posting your reviews on time!

9) REVISE, REVISE, REVISE, EDIT, SEE A TUTOR FOR HELP, PROOFREAD, have your Aunt Barbara read your paper for you! ;) 

10) UPLOAD YOUR FINAL PAPER by the posted deadline in Blackboard using Word or PDF format.  All final copies must be submitted in Blackboard for plagiarism scan and evaluation feedback. 

Prof Notes: 

These prof notes will give you scholarly ways to think about and to complete your tasks for Unit 4: 1) Be sure you are searching for TEXTS ONLINE THAT PUT FORTH AN ACTUAL ARGUMENT!  Searching for EDITORIALS, "OP ED articles," or FINDING INTERESTING ISSUES IN THE OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS SERIES = a great time-saver!2) Remember, you have to find an argument that you DISAGREE WITH first.  Then, your challenge is to DISPROVE that argument WITH YOUR OWN, "WINNING" THE CASE by offering sound claims and reasons that are STRONGER than those of your opponent.  This classical form of argumentation is called "REFUTATION," and it is a worthy CRITICAL THINKING CHALLENGE!  The best path is to find a worthwhile argument that makes some good points but with which you cannot agree.  You MUST read the chapter in our course textbook to understand the strategies available to you as an author who is REFUTING another author. 3) YES, it is also ok to use VIDEO CAPTURES OF SPEECHES, but such a video would have to capture a STRONG OPINION that you DISAGREE with.  You will need to download the script capture for the speech to be able to analyze the text for it closely. 4) so, A TEXT-BASED PUBLISHED opinionated article, or a SPEECH or TEDTALK that gives you enough to DISAGREE aggressively enough with = the goal.  5) READ THE CHAPTER.  DON'T SKIP THE CHAPTER.  THE CHAPTER FOR THIS UNIT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE VOICE AND TONE AND ORGANIZED POINTS YOU MUST MAKE IN YOUR PAPER! 6) STUDY the assignment sheet.  THE ASSIGNMENT SHEET IS YOUR MAP TO SUCCESS.  DON'T SKIP IT.  THE ASSIGNMENT SHEET WILL SAVE YOU TIME AND FRUSTRATION.  FOLLOW THE MAP TO YOUR DESTINATION!7) IT will be important to apply the FOUR RHETORICAL CONCEPTS that you see notes on below WITHIN YOUR P4 PAPER.  You should NOT ONLY ANALYZE HOW THESE ARE USED BY YOUR OPPONENT in the text you choose to refute, but you will ALSO BE USING THEM YOURSELF AS THE CREATOR OF YOUR OWN ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION TO THE OTHER VIEWPOINT. RHETORICAL TERMS TO STUDY AND TO APPLY DURING UNIT 4 (REFUTATION):

• ethos (an appeal to CREDIBILITY -- an argument based on the author/speaker's ability to be trustworthy.  Are the author's credentials impressive? Has the author done a lot of research or no?  Is the author presenting legitimate information or unfounded bias? What is worth praising about the sources of the info or the author's way of presenting it?
• pathos (an appeal to VALUES OR EMOTIONS / FEELINGS -- an argument that makes the audience FEEL a call upon their personal values, their "soft spots," topics that give them strong responses but not always the most rational responses); Pathos is located IN THE AUDIENCE and is dependent upon HOW the author has reached or not reached those emotional or value-based "buttons" in the audience's mental makeup
• logos (an appeal to REASONING, PRACTICAL REASONING, LOGIC, OR RATIONAL THOUGHT IN A SEQUENCE OF POINTS); Logos is based in the message itself -- the WORD (which is what logos means in Greek); Pay attention to the REASONS PROVIDED by the author.  Are they valid and presented in a logical and thoughtful way? What logical appeals are made? Does the author make claims in a reasoned way that shows fair and critical thinking within the text or message itself? Are there weaknesses in the practical reasoning in the text? -- Are there FALLACIES -- errors in logic that show manipulation or simply illogical thinking?  For example, is the author guilty of OVERGENERALIZING? SPEAKING FOR OTHERS? DISTRACTING THE AUDIENCE FROM THE REAL ISSUE? LEAVING OUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION or SKEWING details? creating a "SNOWBALL HEADED FOR HELL" slippery slope fallacy, etc?  (You can look up fun lists of fallacies online and apply them to your selected text if you like).
• Kairos (this Greek word means TIMELY OPPORTUNITY -- think of it as the OPPORTUNITY THAT DEVELOPS WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT [or WRONG] for something.  Kairos can be related to historical context, overdue justice and its timely arrival, the need for something to finally happen, happening "in the right time," etc.  APPLY THIS RHETORICAL CONCEPT in interesting ways to explore what time constraints and opportunities are available, unavailable, appropriate/inappropriate, etc. 

YOU ARE LEARNING ABOUT RHETORICAL STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO USE THEM TO ANALYZE THE TEXT YOU WILL ARGUE AGAINST AS WELL AS THE ARGUMENT YOU CREATE AS A RESPONSE.