Chapter Four Take-Home Quiz (bring answers to class Tuesday to hand in)

1. Give two examples of evidence you might use to support an argument that appeals to logos. (5 pts.)


2. Which statements are unequivocal examples of hard evidence? For those which are not, explain why not. (2 pts. each)

a. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

b. Drunk drivers are involved in more than 50% of traffic deaths.

c. A psychologist testified that teenage violence could not be blamed on video games.

d. DNA tests of skin samples found under the victim's fingernails suggest that the defendant was responsible for the assault.

e. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, while 49% of students whose parents are college graduates will themselves graduate within six years, that number drops to 15% for first-generation students.


3. Is Wikipedia a reliable source for argument-based writing in a college classroom? Why or why not? (5 pts.)


4. How do you know if any website is a reliable source for information, facts, statistics, etc? (5 pts.)


5. Write two survey questions on a contemporary issue. Word the questions in such a way as to evoke opposite responses to the same basic question. (Another wording of this question can be found in the "Respond" on pg. 66. Don't use the same example given in the chapter -- come up with a different issue/questions.) (5 pts.)

6. Explain the following terms in terms of Argument and Logos: Degree, Analogy, Precedent (3 pts. each)

This quiz is worth 40 points total (1 pt. for putting your name on it).

Logos vs. Pathos

As I mentioned in class, the recent gun control debates offer some great examples for us in examining how rhetoric is being used to sway public opinion on both sides. A friend of mine re-posted this piece on twitter today about seeing the photographs of the children killed in Newtown: "Photos of Sandy Hook Would Change Debate." Her accompanying comment was: "Would releasing the photos prove a point, or would it be pandering to pathos?" Good question. The photos are technically evidence (logos) which could show the reality of the damage inflicted by certain types of weapons. Yet, could people have anything but an emotional response to these pictures and would that hamper their ability to process the facts? What do you think?

Reminders for Thursday

We will be covering Chapter Four on Logos. We may have a quiz if I can get my printer to work!

Please post your In-class writing on your facebook ethos on your blog.

For homework, also do the Respond Prompt on page 63 and post it on your blog.

Quick-Write Assignment #2: Due Tues 1/29

Listen to and/or read President Obama's Inauguration Speech delivered this past Monday.
Analyze it and make an argument about what kind of ethos he is trying to craft using his language, images, allusions, and even body language. (Your thesis statement should be a sum of your analysis/argument.) Use specific language (direct quotes) from the speech as evidence to back up your ideas and help prove your thesis.

A transcript of the speech can be found here.

A video of the speech can be found here.

An Argument concerning Michelle Obama's Belt

As I was driving home from class today, I heard a fashion commentator making the argument that Michelle Obama's belt from J. Crew, worn over her coat at the Inaugeration, signalled that she is down to earth and "just like the rest of us." What do you think? Agree? Was she hoping to send that message to audiences?

Homework for Chapter 2 -- Pathos

For Thursday, we are reading Chapter 2 on Pathos. Please also complete Activity #4 on page 41 for homework and bring it to class on Thursday. You can find lots of examples of humorous arguments on facebook, twitter, pinterest, google images, etc. Bring in examples that resonate with you in some way.

Here is one that resonates with the English teacher in me:

It is making an argument about the way that many people no longer learn grammar rules and the repercussions of that, how that lack of attention to rules of punctuation, for example, is harmful to our society (aking to being eaten by a monster or large animal as in this image).

Visual Argument Exercise: For Thursday's Class

What arguments are being presented in the following images? And to what audiences? And why are these arguments important?

"I have rewritten--often several times--every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers." -- Vladimir Nabokov

The Writing Center is a useful and free resource on campus. Take advantage of it to help you do well in this class, especially in revising and polishing your writing -- taking it to that next level.

Here are the Hours of Operation for Spring 2013:

MON 11:00 – 7:30

TUE 11:00 – 4:30

WED 11:00 – 7:30

THU 11:00 – 4:30

FRI 11:00 – 1:00


For appointments:

203-392-6824

or stop in EN A-012

SCSU vs. The Flu

If you are sick with the flu or otherwise, don't come to class -- just email me and let me know the situation. The English Dept. attendance policy is designed to ensure students attend most to all classes, but personal health is more important and sickness will not be penalized.

Today we received the following information from University Health officials:

In light of the recent CDC reports regarding the earlier onset and possible increased severity of the flu season, it is important for us to prepare for the start of the semester. Unlike H1N1, which was a novel virus at the onset, the current strains that are circulating have been around in the past. It appears that one of the more common strains seems to be causing more severe illness.

The first and most important preventative action is to obtain the influenza vaccine if you haven’t already done so. This is particularly crucial for those people with chronic illnesses or pregnancy. It is not too late as the season can sometimes continue until as late as April or May. Flu shots will be available in limited supply at Health Services when our shipment arrives this week and can also be obtained at local pharmacies or walk-in clinics (see Health Services website for contact information). An email update will be distributed as soon as a definitive time can be determined.

Be conscious of the usual precautions which include hand washing, avoiding contact with sick persons, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with adequate rest, hydration, and nutrition. Medication may be prescribed early in the course of the illness but is used to shorten the duration of symptoms and minimize the transmission to others. There is no “cure” for the infection. For any questions regarding specifics of the upcoming flu season please refer to CDC.gov/flu or contact the Granoff Health and Wellness Center at (203) 392-6300 to schedule an appointment.

For current students, in the event that you are sick with a fever and flu-like symptoms - which may include sudden onset of cough, sore throat, headache, or fatigue - please prepare a plan to manage your symptoms as well as any classwork that may be missed. For residential students, you may wish to make arrangements to return home and notify your RA. If this is not possible, take-out containers of food are available at Connecticut Hall and may be obtained by a friend if they present your Hoot Loot card. Have adequate supplies of acetaminophen to control fever and water to prevent dehydration.

Arrangements should be made with professors by email as soon as possible after the onset of illness, and students should not return to class until fever has resolved for 24 hours without medication.

"The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe." -- Gustave Flaubert

Welcome to the English 112, Section 72 blog! This page will function as homebase for our writing adventures this semester. I will use it to post assignments, links to additional readings, and follow-up discussions from class. I will also link to student blogs to help facilitate electronic peer review.

For the first week of class, you need to get the syllabus from your SCSU email, begin reading the first chapter of Everything's an Argument, create your own blog on Blogger and send me the link, post your first in-class writing, "A Self-Representation Argument," and fill out the "20 Pieces of Information" and hand it in to me.

I look forward to a semester of lively discussion, interesting thinking, excellent writing, and creative blogging!