UWRT 150

WEEK 3
FINALIZING SPQ + APA/FINDING RESEARCH TOPICS
INTRO TO ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING

Instructor
Ms. Leen Bou Nassereddine
Week 3: Objectives/Plan

■ Finding Topics (Research Paper)

■ Finalizing SPQ + APA in preparation for the test
next session
■ Introduction to Argumentative Writing
SPQ ASSIGNMENT DISCUSSION

COMMON MISTAKES I FOUND:

• Incorrect In-text citations or No citations

 According to Ripley (2023)
 “Now, my home is filled with other noises. Nova’s incessant meows have inspired me to
rediscover my own voice. His vocal nature contrasted my own self-imposed silence on
social media. I talk about the news for a living, but I didn’t do much talking the rest of
the time” (Ripley, 2023, para.2). *Make sure it is paragraph number NOT page number.
*
 If you direct quote in the middle of your sentence make sure to CITE.

• Including Opinions/Analysis: This article is unique…

 Stay objective: The article states…, *remember no opinions in a summary*
COMPILE A REFERENCE PAGE (10 minutes)

ONE BOOK
ONE JOURNAL ARTICLE
ONE NEWS ARTICLE
Reference List Entry: Journal Article
Authors’ first and middle
names initials Article’s title
Authors’ last names
Year

Gelkopf, M., Ryan, P., Cotton, S. J., & Berger, R. (2008). The impact of
“training the trainers” for helping tsunami-survivor children on
Sri Lankan disaster volunteer workers. International Journal of
Stress Management, 15(2), 117–135. doi.org/10.1037/10725245.15.2.117
Journal’s
Volume Issue pages DOI/
title
URL
 Reference List Entry: Newspaper Article
Last name, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article. Title of Publication. URL

Richards, C. (2019, December 9). Best music of 2019: Lana Del Rey sings lullabies about the end of

America. Washington Post.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/best-music-of-2019-lana-del-rey-sings-l

ullabies-about-the-end-of-america/2019/12/06/6e82c5ec-15d8-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.ht

ml
 Reference List Entry: Book

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher Name.
DOI (if available)

Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend. Yale University Press.
• On a new page

• Center the title (References) at

the top of the page. Bold this
title.

• Double-space reference entries

• Flush left the first line of the

entry and indent subsequent lines

• Order entries alphabetically by

the surname of the first author of
each work
 HOMEWORK DISCUSSION

Read Chapter 1 in e-book for next session and answer questions 1, 3, 4

& 5 at the end of the chapter in 1-7a “Reflect and Apply” – bring your
answers to class next session.

Reading: Part 1 > Chapter 1

Questions: Part 1 > Chapter 1 > Chapter Review > Reflect and Apply
1-7a
CLASS DISCUSSION +
ACCUMULATED NOTES

1.In your own words describe what an effective argument does. Include
in your description how you think about argument now contrasted with
how you thought about argument before reading this chapter.
CLASS DISCUSSION +
ACCUMULATED NOTES

3. Clarify why a target audience is essential to a good argument. Include

in your response what an argument would look like with a vague or
unspecified audience.
CLASS DISCUSSION +
ACCUMULATED NOTES

4. Define the term context. Describe its place in an argument in terms of

your credibility as an arguer.
CLASS DISCUSSION +
ACCUMULATED NOTES

5. Identify the reasons why arguments break down. Which of these

reasons will you need to pay close attention to so that your arguments
don’t break down?
 WHY DO ARGUMENTS BREAK DOWN?

“Sometimes writers summarize and explain rather than argue. This can occur when a
discernable issue is not separated from the larger topic. For example, by deciding you want to
write on problems in your workplace, you’ve identified a good topic but not an arguable issue.
There are numerous issues under this big topic—hiring practices, the politics of promotion,
compensation, environmental impact, benefits, working within a hierarchy, discrimination,
communication, and so forth—and it is vital that you choose a single issue on which to argue.
When you fail to narrow and instead stay with the big topic, your writing lapses into summary and
general statements, and this is death to persuasive writing. By focusing on the big topic, problems
in your workplace, you’d be treating important issues only superficially. Each of these sub-issues
is worthy of a full argument. Narrow your topic to a single issue that affects you, and you will
be able to dig deeply and avoid spreading out generally"
NARROW IT DOWN
Once you have a broad general topic, you need to narrow it down into a manageable size for an essay discussion. You do not want a very narrow topic, as there
will be nothing to write about.
Example
The Great Depression began in 1929.
This is a fact, and there is very little more you can say about it.
However, you also do not want your topic to be too broad because then it will be hard to find a focus or to cover everything you want to say.
Example
The Great Depression affected the entire world.
You cannot possibly address the impact of the Great Depression across the globe in one paper; you would need a book.
In order to narrow a topic, use the strategies listed above to discover more specific subtopics related to it. You may need to go through this process several
times before you find a topic that is “just right.”
Example

Narrowed topic: How women adapted to the stresses of the Great Depression
What Issues Matter To You?
What issues matter to you?
■ “Your arguments become compelling to readers when
you write in an informed way about something that
deeply concerns you” (Phillips and Bostian 23)

■ “…what you argue on should begin with issues that stir

your emotions and that motivate you to speak out…”
(Phillips and Bostian 23)

■ Identify which “community” your issue falls under:

School/Academic, Workplace, Family/Household,
Neighborhood, Social/Cultural, Consumer, or Concerned
Citizen.
TOPIC VS. CLAIM
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
An argument will fail if its focus is too broad. For this reason, it is essential that you
distinguish between a topic and an issue or claim.

A topic is a category—such as local politics, gender bias, neighborhood security, race

relations, or family planning—that contains numerous issues. Topics are places from which
issues and arguments are derived.
In contrast, an issue is a specific problem or dispute that remains unsettled and requires a
point of view and sometimes a decision. It always occurs within a larger topic and within a
precise context, or set of conditions.
Narrow to a SINGLE issue

To make sure you are focused on an issue and not a topic, make a list of the reasons you
intend to use to support your argument. Do some reasons seem substantial enough to
become full arguments in themselves? If yes, consider refocusing on one of these issues.
FINDING A RESEARCH TOPIC

What issues matter to you?

Freewrite/Brainstorm (5 minutes)
•What am I interested in? What do I like to do?
•What irritates or aggravates me?
•What have I learned recently that was really interesting?
•What do I feel strongly about it?
LIST ALL ISSUES DISCUSSED IN CLASS:

■ *Please refer to handout “Potential Topics” on MyCourses for all the topics discussed*
■ I have compiled all of the ideas discussed in all three of my UWRT 150 sections in ONE document.
ARGUMENTATIVE
WRITING
WHAT ARGUMENT IS

When do you argue?

• When you have a point of view on an issue
How do you argue?
• Have a claim
Defend your claim with different kinds of support
• Respond fairly to those with differing points of view.
Why do you argue?
• To persuade others
• To find out more about something that matters to you
• To establish common interest among different positions
WHAT ARGUMENT IS NOT
Putting yourself in an uncomfortable position

It is not about:
• Fighting
• Win-lose situation Either-or situation
• Trying to shame someone who holds a different point of view

Some people associate argument with

• raised voice
• emotional outbursts

Mention one or two people whom you like to argue with and not to argue
with

Argument creates a space where we can listen to each other , not to seal off
the communication and alienate the other
WHERE ARGUMENT IS APPROPROATE IN
REAL LIFE

In your life as a student:

tuition, lodging, the accessibility of your teachers, course policies,
conflicts with your job, and loan opportunities?...
Are there also intellectual issues in your life
genetically engineered food, climate change, junk food, poverty,
gender inequality, body shaming, plastic pollution (gloves)...
And outside the classroom
if your street lacks adequate storm-water facilities, public
transport, social media bullying, drugs and alcohol abuse
THE PROCESS
 CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC

One of the first steps in writing an argumentative

essay is to select a focused, appropriate topic
 THE THESIS STATEMENT

Claim + Why or How = Thesis Statement

The thesis statement in an essay that seeks to

argue and persuade often takes the following
format:

In an argumentative thesis, you make a claim about an issue and take a stand for or against
the issue. In your thesis, you must show the reader why or how your claim is valid. Take a
look at the following example.
The claim is highlighted in bold and the why/how is italicized.

Libraries should not ban books because censorship prevents people from accessing
important information.

In the example, the writer makes a claim (libraries should not ban books) and then explains
why his or her claim is valid (because censorship prevents people from accessing important
information).
 SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
Once you have your initial argument in place, you should
gather convincing evidence to defend it. You can use the
following common types of evidence to support your
argumentative position:

Facts: Supporting evidence that offers statements, research, or

claims and can be verified for accuracy
Expert opinions: Testimonials that provide insight from an authority on
your topic
Statistics: Support that offers concrete numbers about your topic
Examples: Logical and reasonable support that illustrates and
clarifies your point of view but that cannot be verified
like facts or statistics
ORGANIZATION AND SCOPE
When composing an argumentative/persuasive essay, organize your
supporting evidence around your thesis. You might follow a structure like
the following:

Introductory paragraph and thesis: Introduces your topic and presents your thesis statement
Body paragraphs: Present specific evidence that illustrates the claim you are making in the thesis
Concluding paragraph: Arrives at a conclusion about your topic and leaves your reader with a final thought

Scope
Make sure that the topic you select can be adequately and
thoroughly covered in several body paragraphs. Also be sure
that your topic will allow you to gather enough solid evidence
to support it.
Pre-writing
W QUESTIONS
Ask yourself the five W questions (who? what? where? when? and why?) to identify basic information about your topic. Add how? to
your list to generate more coverage.

Example Topic: Cyber bullying in schools

Who? Students: those being bullied and those doing the bullying
What? Bullying that takes place online
Where? On social media, through text messages and e-mail
When? Present day
Why? To harass others and gain power over them; it can be done anonymously
How? By posting messages or other media on social networking sites, sending
text messages or e-mail
Possible Argument: Cyber bullying in schools is a big problem. Schools should use educational programs and workshops to raise awareness
of the dangers and effects of cyber bullying.
WHAT IS AN EFFECTIVE CLAIM?

Effective claims tend to have at least three things in common: they are focused;
they are arguable; and they are revelatory.

1) A broad claim only gives readers a hazy idea

about what a writer is trying to convey.

A focused claim, however, calls attention to a

specific aspect of the issue at hand.

Broad Claim Focused Claim

Many of today’s television shows are bad. Many of the most popular sitcoms on network
television promote cultural stereotypes.
WHAT IS AN EFFECTIVE CLAIM?

Effective claims tend to have at least three things in common: they are focused;
they are arguable; and they are revelatory.

2) An arguable claim is a claim that someone

might reasonably disagree with. Unfortunately, it
is not uncommon for writers to fall into the trap of
making claims that are not actually debatable.
WHAT IS NOT AN ARGUABLE
CLAIM?
Questions
A question does not take a stance on an issue. A writer may certainly pose a question for rhetorical
effect—for example, he or she may ask, “Why are tigers endangered?”—but it is still necessary for the
writer to present a claim about the topic at hand. A claim related to the preceding question might be
“The greed of poachers and land developers is threatening the very existence of the tiger.”

Obvious Facts
A statement that presents something undeniably true or widely believed is not an arguable claim; such a
statement is more observation than argument. An arguable claim must be something that is debatable.
As such, claims that challenge common beliefs are often effective.

Personal Responses
A statement such as “I think doughnuts are better than muffins” is not debatable; it is merely a fact
about your own preferences. In order to form an argumentative claim, don’t make yourself the subject
of discussion; instead, focus on something debatable.
WHAT IS AN EFFECTIVE CLAIM?

Effective claims tend to have at least three things in common: they are focused;
they are arguable; and they are revelatory.

3) A revelatory claim addresses an unfamiliar

topic or presents a new way of looking at a
familiar one. In other words, a revelatory claim is
an argument that highlights a new or often
overlooked perspective.

Unsurprising Claim Revelatory Claim

Extracurricular athletic activities can help
students learn about teamwork and perseverance.
The benefits students receive from participating
in extracurricular activities are overshadowed by
the fact that youth sports often teach unhealthy
ideas about the nature and importance of
competition.
 Chapter 1: Recap
“You are arguing when you claim a point of view on an issue,
defend your claim with different kinds of support, and respond
fairly to those with differing points of view” (Phillips and
Bostian 3)

Why is an emotional argument not effective?

*watch video*
Building an Argument: What must we
consider ?
• Context of the issue
• Target audience
• Your claim (your point of view – what are you
arguing?)
• Reasons to support the claim
• A warrant (your motivation for arguing this issue!)
• Attention to the opposition
FINDING A RESEARCH TOPIC
What issues matter to you?
Freewrite/Brainstorm (10 minutes)
Now take 15 minutes to do a quick freewrite of your stance on your chosen issue, and after you have determined your
stance list some answers regarding your target audience:

o Who is the group/individual you want to persuade? Why did you choose this person/people as your target audience.
o Does your audience already have a position on your issue (or are they undecided)? Are they likely to accept or
reject your claim?
o What are the biases and limitations of your audience?

Based on those answers…

o How will you research your issue so that you have a sense of how important your issue is to your audience?
o What kind of language will you need to use for your audience (formal, informal, academic, etc.)?
o How will you demonstrate respect for your audience?
o How will you connect with your audience based on what you perceive are their values, experiences, loyalties and
likely emotional responses?
o What exactly do you want to accomplish with your audience? (Do you want immediate action or just to raise
awareness?)
HOMEWORK

■ FIND A TOPIC
■ WRITE YOUR OWN “W” QUESTIONS
– Ask yourself the five W questions (who? what? where? when? and why? And
how?) to identify basic information about your topic.
■ SUBMIT YOUR “W” QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC ON
MYCOURSES
Questions,
Comments,
Concerns?