Class Goals: To teach the use of Toulmin analysis to self-check use of support in their own essays, as well as to analyze the arguments in any essays they encounter.
Connection to Course Goals: Revision and self-critique.
Activities:
Using the following information on Toulmin analysis (you can also see more on the Online Writing Center), devise a workshop for them:
- Have the class define: a claim, support, and a reason. This seems intuitive, but often students confuse reasons with support.
- Examples
of a better definition of these, which they will need to use throughout their essays. Claims are always tied to reasons and support.
- I am against abortion because I am a Catholic and the Pope has deemed it a sin.
- Claim:
I am against abortion.
- Support
: The Pope’s words.
- Reason:
I am a Catholic.
The Pope’s words alone will not sway someone who does not see him as an important authority.
- I am a vegetarian because I don’t think animals are inferior to humans in terms of "rights" and slaughterhouses treat animals with extreme cruelty.
- Claim
: I am a vegetarian.
- Support:
slaughterhouses are cruel
- Reason
: belief that there is no inherent superiority of humans to other animals on the planet
Without this support, it is harder to support why I think slaughterhouses are vicious..
- Have them read the article in the appendix and underline claims as they read. Then they should compile a list with one entry for each claim:
claim 1:
support 1:
reason 1:
claim 2:
support 2:
reason 2:
- Workshop
their essay using these analytical strategies.
Assignment: Complete the EIP to hand in in its portfolio for Thursday.