https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

What does it mean to “enter the

conversation”?

What IS an argument? Argue for your

own definition.

Major Premise

Minor Premise

Conclusion

› All Dogs are Amazing

› Stewart is a Dog

› Stewart is Amazing

------------------------------------------------

› All of my students are daydreaming

› No student who daydreams will pass this course

› None of my students will pass this course

With a partner, choose a topic that you

both care about.

Construct a Syllogism which argues your

perspective on the topic.

› Example: Capital Punishment

The United States is a Western industrial power.

All other Western industrial powers have abolished

the death penalty.

The United States should abolish the death penalty.

Vaccinations cause autism in children

All citizens have the right to own firearms

Meat is murder

Dolphins have spiritual powers

Abortion should be legal for all

Dogs are amazing

Claim› A conclusion to be proven; a thesis.

Grounds› A foundational fact supporting the Claim.

Warrant› Logical statement connecting the Grounds to the Claim.

Backing› Credentials or Evidence needed to support the Warrant

and/or Grounds

Rebuttal› Restrictions or constraints that can be applied to the Claim

Qualifier› Words or phrases expressing the degree of certainty in the

Claim

With your partner, expand your Syllogism

in to an Argument using the Toulmin

model.

Because people just can’t resist a good

acronym, the Rhetorical Situation can be

remembered via TRACE:

› Text

› Reader

› Author

› Constraints

› Exigence

The written argument which consists of

any type of text including but not limited

to essays, letters, books, etc. The text can

be in any format such as a video,

website, advertisement, etc.

Ask Yourself:

What kind of text is it? What are the special qualities and features of this

genre? What is the text about? What is its topic?

The author has to make sure that the

reader is drawn into the essay enough to

want to pay attention and analyze the

argument, because the author and the

argument have the potential to change

the reader's stance on a certain issue.

Ask Yourself:

Who is the targeted audience? What is the nature of this group? Can they be

convinced? How do you as a reader compare with the targeted

audience? What is your initial position? Are you motivated to change your

mind or the situation?

Through the text, the author reveals his or

her stance concerning the argument. It is

through the text that the audience gains

information about the author.

Ask Yourself:

Who is the author? Consider background, experience, education, affiliations,

and value. What is motivating the author to write?

Constraints are the people, events,

beliefs, attitudes, prejudices, interests,

habits, and rules that cause an audience

to react a certain way. Can draw the

audience to, or push them away from,

the author.

Ask Yourself:

What special constraining circumstances will influence the author's or the

audience's responses to the subject? What beliefs, attitudes, prejudices,

habits, events, circumstances, or traditions are already in place that will limit or

constrain their perceptions? What are your constraints?

"Exigence is the part of the situation that

signals that something controversial has

occurred. A problem needs to be

resolved by some response from an

audience." (Wood).

Ask Yourself:

What happened to cause this argument? Why is it perceived as a defect or

problem? Is it new or recurring?

With your partner, analyze the Rhetorical

Situation of your Argument, using the

TRACE elements.