Fake news, character assassination, and logical fallacies have gotten us where we are today.
Can we at least agree that we will train our students to make more cogent arguments than those we have witnessed regarding political issues and actions?
Where do we start?
Students who understand
- What is the purpose of an argumentation essay?
- What are its elements?
- What is excellence in each of the elements?
Will be better able to form and critique communications that are based on evidence, rational, and persuasive.
Argumentation changes the reader’s point of view, brings about some action on the reader’s aprt, or asks the reader to accept the writer’s explanation of an issue.
Kathy Glass articulates that a good argumentation essay will introduce a topic, state an opinion or claim, support the claim with reasons and relevant evidence, acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and provide a conclusion. Supporting a claim involves facts, statistics, expert testimony, anecdotes, and examples through quotations, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
While persuasion often uses appeals about the credibility, character, or authority of the writer (or speaker) or an appeal to the audience’s self-interest, sense of identity, or emotions, argumentation convinces the audience through evidence and logic rather than emotional appeals.
Students need to learn the difference; both in their own communications and in the communications of others.
You may want to listen to Kathy on Edchat Interactive as she describes and models concrete strategies to impart these skills in students on Thursday, February 16.
Unless you’re happy with the current level of discourse.
