As a group, create a top ten list of tips on how to argue. (In other words, how do you get other people to listen to you and accept what you've got to say?) Have fun with it.
Prepare to share your list with the class.
Late Night Theme Song
my top ten...
know your audience
know your purpose
recognize that not all arguments need to be a contest where one person prevails over another (this is an american tradition)
care about what you have to say (and what others have to say)
be thoughtful—willing to ponder, slow to accept
my top ten...
make an ethical use of persuasive appeals (relying mostly on sound reason)
work to know what you believe and why you believe it (but don't assume you know this off the bat)
use clear reason and compelling evidence to support your claims
seek truly to understand others' perspectives (not necessarily to accept them) before you judge them or dismiss them
ask questions first; know what you're talking about
three persuasive appeals
Logos
The essential appeal; based on sound logic, reasoning, a reliance on facts and evidence.
Pathos
The powerful appeal of emotion, based on emotionally charged, highly connotative words, appeals to people's fears, concerns, passions, vanity, sense of justice, and so forth. Pathos takes advantage of the rhythm and refrain in language. Emotion is powerful, but without logic, it is seens as manipulative.
Ethos
The appeal of one's character or credibility as the source of the message. Credibility is increased when the use of logic and sound reasoning is increased. It is used when one points to experts or an authority outside of oneself. It is furthered when one demonstrates that they fair- and open-minded.
an argument concerning our vision of school today
This will be
replaced
by the player.
an argument from Michael Wesch of Kansas State
on not giving a damn...
Elie Wiesel is a Holocaust survivor. He has written over 40 books and and was awareded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
An excerpt from "The Perils of Indifference" delivered 12 April 1999, Washington, D.C.
like whatever!
This will be
replaced
by the player.
an argument from Taylor Mali, in poem form
feeling guilty?
This will be
replaced
by the player.
an appeal to stop global warming from the ad council
when the truth hurts
This will be
replaced
by the player.
clip from the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth
when we dare to dream
This will be
replaced
by the player.
Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream"
if Mussolini were a salesman
This will be
replaced
by the player.
Cip from TV show "The Office"
hey, what do you make?
This will be
replaced
by the player.
Taylor Mali's "What Teachers Make"
the declaration of independence
On July 4, 1776 fifty-six men, representing each of the original 13 British colonies signed the Declaration of Independence decreeing their independence from the tyranny of British rule.
The Declaration of Independence as read on NPR.
ask not what your country can do for you...
On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy accepted the Presidency of the United States of America and imparted onto the American people a tremedous responsibility.
JFK's 1961 Innaugural Address
for next class
read yet again Freire and be ready to talk about it
prepare the task assigned to you and your reading role
if you committed to turning in a draft on 9/30, that's next class
start reading Pratt's “Arts of the Contact Zone” (don't fall behind)
