Welcome to Seminar 2 We will begin on time. Meanwhile, enjoy chatting.

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Welcome to Seminar 2We will begin on
time.Meanwhile, enjoy chatting.
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Welcome to Unit 2!

• Making the Pitch
• How to Win Friends and Influence Audiences
• Focus advertising and persuasion strategies,
  including those that lack logical and ethical
  underpinnings.
• You will develop your big idea into a mission
  statement and pitch in this units project.

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UNIT 2 reading

• Unit 2 overview with discussion of advertising
  and deceptive argument
• The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, pp. 36,
  43, 156-166
• Fallacy Gallery posted in Doc Sharing, Unit 2
• Netemeyer, Andrews, and Burton article on
  antismoking advertising available in Kaplan
  library, Academic Search Premier database
• OHegarty, et. al article on cigarette warning
  labels find link at end of overview reading

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Unit 2 activities

• Invention Lab (Discussion) Develop research
  questions and a potential working thesis
  statement
• Project Elevator pitch of big idea and
  research strategy
• Tech Lab Slide presentations, traditional and
  animated options

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Tech Lab Slide Presentations
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What is a THESIS?

• The main idea expressed in a written or visual
  work
• It may be stated or implied
• The authors hypothesis or argument encapsulated
  in a sentence is the THESIS STATEMENT

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Thesis statement

• A thesis statement is composed of two parts
  your topic some point you want to make about
  your topic.
• Once youve chosen your topic, find a research
  question that youd like to answer. That will
  give you your point.
• Without a thesis, your paper lacks direction.

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Thesis statement

• What question are you asking?
• What is a big idea and what are possible
  solutions for this?
• What is a problem/issue in my community/world and
  how can it be solved?

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Research question

• This is a question YOU would like to answer
  through your research.
• It can help you LIMIT your topic/big idea and
  provide you with a focus for a paper or argument.
• It should be appropriate to the subject and
  limitations of the assignment.

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Sample research questions

• WHO benefits from decreased dependence on foreign
  oil?
• WHAT is the best type of alternative fuel
  vehicle?
• WHEN is the best time to invest in alternative
  fuel vehicles?
• WHERE is the engine in an electric car?
• HOW does an electric car work?
• WHY does the US support offshore drilling?
• SHOULD the US government offer tax incentives?

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Research question to thesis
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Preliminary thesis (hypothesis)

• This is your INITIAL argument, what you think may
  be the answer to your research question.
• Remember that a preliminary thesis CAN and WILL
  change.
• It will be TESTED and REFINED through research.
• If you are arguing a position, that position
  should be clear in the thesis.
• Good persuasive thesis statements often include
  clauses beginning with since, because,
  therefore that indicate why you feel something
  should or should not be done.

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Thesis workshop

• Share your ideas. What are some potential BIG
  IDEAS you might like to focus on this term?
• What are some possible RESEARCH QUESTIONS you
  might like to explore with this topic?
• What are some PRELIMINARY THESIS STATEMENTS you
  might wish to pursue?

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What is an ARGUMENT?

• An argument is an issue that has at least TWO
  SIDES.
• In order to present your side of the argument,
  you must know the various positions on your
  issue. If you dont know the arguments for the
  other side, you leave yourself open to be
  blindsided by an attack. This is true for
  everything in life

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What is a DECEPTIVE ARGUMENT?

• Deceptive arguments may mislead you, causing you
  to believe the wrong information.
• Because deceptive arguments often confuse and
  distract people, they may take attention from
  important issues. Deceptive arguments are often
  more emotionally charged, gaining bigger
  headlines.

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Recognizing and Avoiding Deceptive Arguments

• When researching, you need to read the
  information carefully and to apply your best
  critical thinking skills to what the author is
  saying.
• Analyze and find the holes in the arguments
  that you are reading. Decide which arguments are
  valid and which are not.
• With practice, you will become better at
  detecting deceptive arguments.

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Logical Fallacy Emotional appeal

• Straw man
• False authority
• Appeal to fear
• Bandwagon
• Slippery slope

• Someone presents a misleading view of an opposing
  argument in order to refute the weak or fake
  argument
• Representing someone as an expert who is not an
  expert
• Seeking to persuade an audience by scaring them
• Value is placed on popularity
• Claim that one event, action or idea will
  inevitably lead to anotherusually with terrible
  consequences

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Logical Fallacy/Emotional Appeal

• Either/or
• Ad hominem
• Hasty generalization
• Appeal to force
• False analogy

• falsely claim that there are only two sides of an
  argument or two possible outcomes.
• Latin for to the man. It generally refers to
  argument that attacks an individual or group with
  names or negative insinuations rather than
  addressing the actual arguments of the individual
  or group. It is often used as a tactic of
  diversion or ridicule
• a logical fallacy to make a very broad claim that
  has little or no support
• suggests that violence will be the consequence of
  not doing as the speaker says.
• two things are improperly compared in order to
  make a claim

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Bandwagon the idea that everybody does it or
believes it

• 80 percent of Americans dislike the idea of
  increased taxes therefore, the government should
  reduce taxes in order to improve our economy.
• What is weak in this argument?

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Slippery Slope If A happens, then B will occur

• If we legalize same sex marriage, then eventually
  people will be allowed to marry their family
  members or even more than one person therefore,
  same sex marriage should not be legalized.
• What is weak in this argument?

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Ad hominem an attack on the character of a
person rather than her/his opinions or arguments

• Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because
  they are all liberals and hippies.
• What is weak in this argument?

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Post hoc ergo propter hoc assumes that if 'A'
occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.'

• After President Clinton raised taxes, our economy
  went into decline therefore the increase in
  taxes caused our economic downturn.
• What is weak in this argument?

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Appeal to Authority If X says so, it must be so.

• President Ronald Reagan supported the death
  penalty therefore, we should continue to support
  capital punishment.
• What is weak in this argument?

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Begging the Question accept this conclusion
without evidence (also may present an argument
where the premise and conclusion are the same)

• Active euthanasia is morally acceptable. It is a
  decent, ethical thing to help another human being
  escape suffering through death.
• What is weak in this argument?

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Applying what you know. . .

• Lets review the article by OHegarty, et al.
• The article concludes that the U.S. should use
  graphic warnings on cigarette packages because
  these are likely to be effective in encouraging
  people not to smoke.
• Is their research valid? Does it have any
  weaknesses? Could the hypothesis be tested
  further? Would the use of graphic warnings be an
  example of the appeal to fear fallacy and, if
  so, would using them in an anti-smoking campaign
  be ethical?
• What were drawbacks that study participants noted
  with some of the ads?
• Does their argument rely on any LOGICAL
  FALLACIES?

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Canadian warnings
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How do we AVOID fallacies in our own writing?

• Imagine you disagree with your own argument.
  Which of your arguments would not convince you
  and why? Which arguments are fishy or weak?
• List your argument. List the evidence you provide
  for each claim. Look critically at this evidence.
• Ask yourself which fallacies you are prone to
  make. Look for these in your arguments.
• Review your argument for absolutes and sweeping
  generalizations (all, every, never, always)
• Review the types of Logical Fallacies listed in
  the handbook on pp. 5-6 and review your argument
  for these problems.

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Unit 2 Evaluating research logic

• Academic arguments use credible research and
  sound logic.
• Research provides evidence to support or refute
  claims.
• Logic guides how we conduct research, how we put
  the pieces of research together, and how we
  present our arguments.

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Unit 2 Analyzing argument

• Claim the main idea of the argument
• Is argumentative arguing a certain point
• debatable
• define the essays goals, directions, scope
• is supported by evidence, quotations,
• argumentation, statistics, telling details
• is specific

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Research

• Credible research starts with a provisional idea
  (hypothesis.) Then research is conducted to test
  the idea. If the research does not support the
  idea, that is what the researcher reports to the
  reader.

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Research

• Academic writers generally seek to base their
  arguments on credible research and sound logic.
  That does not mean that they always succeed.
• You should read every argument carefully and
  evaluate it on its own merits.

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Unit 2 Discussion

• Part 1
• Brainstorm four research questions related to
  your topic. These questions are what you would
  like to find out in the process of your research.
  After writing the four questions, write down what
  you think the answer will be to each question,
  based on what you already know.
• (Naturally, your answers to these questions might
  change as you continue your research, and that is
  fine!)

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Unit 2 Discussion

• How much money is spent yearly in the United
  States on anti-smoking campaigns? Provisional
  answer I really dont know yet, but I read that
  anti-smoking campaign funding is going down and
  anti-obesity funding is going up.
• How do researchers determine how well an
  anti-smoking campaign works? Provisional answer
  Researchers can determine whether an anti-smoking
  campaign works by using focus groups or surveys
  to find out if smokers think that the campaign
  message influences them to change their behavior.
  Maybe they could also track a study group and a
  control group over time to see if exposure to
  certain anti-smoking messages causes the study
  participants to smoke fewer cigarettes or stop
  smoking.
• Is second-hand smoke really harmful? Provisional
  answer Yes. Second-hand smoke is harmful.
• Should the United States require tobacco
  companies to include graphic warnings on
  cigarette packs? Provisional answer Yes. The
  United States should require tobacco companies to
  include graphic warnings on cigarette packs.
  Notice how the first two or three questions may
  lead to factual answers. However, any answer to
  the fourth question would probably be a debatable
  claim, which would make it an appropriate thesis
  statement for a persuasive argument.

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Unit 2 Discussion

• Part 2
• Do you think any of your provisional answers
  might be your working thesis statement? Which one
  might be a good thesis?
• Please post your first attempt at a thesis
  statement.
• What challenges will you face in trying to prove
  this thesis?

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Unit 2 Discussion

• Your response to the two parts of discussion
  should be approximately 200-250 words.
• Respond to two classmates with posts of a minimum
  of 100 words each.
• In those responses, note any challenges you think
  your classmate may face in proving the thesis and
  any recommendations you have for overcoming those
  challenges.

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Unit 2 Project

• Create a pitch for your big idea
• 1. Revise the provisional thesis statement that
  you generated in the unit 2 discussion, turning
  it into a concise mission statement that
  identifies your big idea and its purpose

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Unit 2 Project

• Do you think this thesis will be an effective
  one?
• If so, discuss a research strategy for finding
  sources that could help you to answer your
  research question.
• How will you avoid biased research that uses
  logical fallacies?

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Unit 2 Project

• If you feel the thesis statement will not be
  effective, try working backwards.
• Come up with a working thesis statement and then
  write the research question(s) that could lead to
  that claim.
• Discuss a research strategy for finding sources
  that could help you to answer that research
  question.
• How will you avoid biased research?

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Unit 2 Project

• Once you have established a possible thesis
  statement and research strategy, write a
  paragraph creating a pitch for your big idea.
• You could write this to a local organization such
  as a PTA, a larger one like a state legislature,
  or the audience you imagine you could have on
  your blog.