Oral Comm 6/7

Online Lesson
Gail Georgeson, Instructor
April 10, 2020
 ENTRY TICKET

 Answer the following question in the chat box

while we wait for your classmates to join:
• Before you came to the U.S. to study, what had
your heard about guns and gun violence here?
 CLASS OBJECTIVES

Today’s class:
 Review Definition of Arguments – Purposes and Appeals
 Argument Assignment for next Wednesday April 15: you
will give an informal 10-minute presentation which will
be an argument about gun control in the U.S.
 Use some or all of the appeals we review in class:
Ethos; Logos; Pathos.
 Consider your audience, what do they know about gun
control, how can you persuade them to support your
argument?

TEACHER TIP: Click on the Slide Show icon at the bottom, right of your
screen to expand your screen and to be able to click on links.
Definition of an Argument

 Any text- written, spoken, or visual – that

expresses a point of view. Most obvious
are those that make a direct claim based
on evidence; they try to persuade the
audience to recognize a problem, or to
take a position on an issue.
Arguments to Persuade: Examples are
advertisements, political blogs and
newspaper editorials which use Rhetoric
to motivate action, produce change or
win a point.

Rhetoric: The art of persuasive speaking

or writing, designed to have an effect on
an audience. Uses certain appeals to the
audience, such as Ethos (credibility of
the speaker); Logos ( Logic, facts,
evidence) and Pathos (appeals to
emotions.
Which states require background
checks at gun shows?

 https://www.governing.com/g
ov-data/safety-justice/gun-sho
w-firearms-bankground-checks-
state-laws-map.html
 How have mass shootings
affected gun control in the
U.S.?

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

New York Times video on Gun Cont
rol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=r0JLdN9vx3E
What are Assault Weapons?
 Assault weapon is a term used in the 
United States to define some types of 
firearms. At the time that the now-
defunct Federal Assault Weapons Ban
 passed in 1994, the 
U.S. Department of Justice said, "In
general, assault weapons are
semiautomatic firearms with a large
magazine of ammunition that were
designed and configured for rapid fire and
combat use."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assa
ult_weapon
Semiautomatic pistol with a
magazine
 What has the federal
government done about
Assault Weapons?
“Assault weapons legislation in the United
States refers to bills and laws (active,
expired, proposed or failed) that define and
restrict or make illegal the manufacture,
transfer, and possession of assault weapons.
... The Federal Assault Weapons Ban
enacted in 1994 expired in 2004.”

Source: Assault weapons legislation in the U

nited States - Wikipedia
.
 Now let’s go into breakout
rooms and discuss what your
viewpoint is about the
availability of guns in the U.S.
compared to your country. Are
they easier or harder to
purchase and use? We just
heard about some groups in the
U.S. that influence gun control
laws. How about in your home
country? Who influences laws
on guns?

This will inform how you make

YOUR argument about whether
gun control should stay the
same, become more restrictive
(more regulations) or become
less restrictive in the U.S.
 Let’s check in. We will
come back together to see
how it went.
Volunteers to share their
discussions with the class.
Let’s Take a Break!

 Be back in…
 15 minutes
Argument Assignment
 We will have persuasive arguments in class next
Wednesday April 15 on the topic of gun control
in the United States. Do you think the current
regulations on ownership of handguns in the U.S.
are strict enough? What if any additional
restrictions should be placed on owning and
carrying a gun?
 You can choose whichever side you would like to
argue, and since you have only ten minutes, you
should focus on one specific type of law or
regulation.
 You will conduct research online to find support
for your argument.
 Each student will present their argument to the
entire class on April 15.
Ideas for sources for gun
control debate in the U.S.
 https://www.heritage.org/firearms/commentary/we-d
ont-need-sweeping-overhaul-gun-laws

 https://gun-control.procon.org/
 https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/04
/mass-shooting-gun-culture-227502
 https://www.dw.com/en/8-facts-about-gun-control-in-
the-us/a-40816418

 https://cbsaustin.com/news/election/trump-campaigns
-as-a-2nd-amendment-warrior

 https://www.nraila.org/articles/20200316/on-guns-joe-
biden-is-full-of-it
 My Class PowerPoints will
be posted on our Canvas
page under MODULES after
class meetings
Please email me if you have any
difficulty accessing Canvas or finding
the homework assignments. My Email:
ctr_ggeorgeson@salemstate.edu
 To lift your spirits, check
out the Getty Museum
Photo Challenge!
https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/getty-artwo
rks-recreated-with-household-items-by-c
reative-geniuses-the-world-over/