Class Plan -- Unit Two, Day 21

Class Plan -- Unit Two, Day 21

Goals

Shaping using classical argument
Learning to unpack a claim and shaping strategies based on claim
Sign up for conferences

Assignment for Day 22
Reading - Read about MLA in-text parenthetical documentation in the PHG (In the Writing a Research Paper chapter). Make a list of questions you have about how to do in-text documentation.

Writing - (Re)Write your claim. Try outlining your argument in classical argument format. If that doesn't work, unpack your claim to determine a possible organization and outline your argument using that. Bring your outline to your conference appointment.

Activities:
Daily - Was "The Games the Military Play" an effective essay? Why or why not?

Pass out conference sign-up.

Discuss "The Games the Military Play." You can review the answers to the questions in the PHG or you can focus more generally on how Thomas used the classical argument format and how he dealt with opposing viewpoints. Be sure to discuss the essay's effectiveness in terms of key features of argument.

You might suggest to students that classical argument format is a good starting place for shaping an academic argument. The assignment for Wed. asks them to try outlining their argument in classical form to see if it will work.

Discussion/Activity - using your claim to shape your essay. Design an activity/lesson that will show students how to "unpack" their claim in order to figure out what they need to prove in their argument. Show them how their claim suggests particular strategies. Point them to areas of the PHG that discuss shaping for such strategies, i.e. cause-effect in Explaining chapter, policy in Problem Solving chapter.

One way to do this is to get volunteers to write their claim on the board and have the whole class discuss what claims are implied.