Graduate Writing Class Spring 2017 Week 12

This is week 12 of the graduate school writing class.

ESL Writing Class

Attendance and review (5)

Last week

• no class, national holiday

Two weeks ago

• inquiry method of thinking and writing
• two writing assignments
• some feedback on past writing

Writing Assignments So far

• analysis and evaluation of the electric car TV advertisement – argument and warrants
• alligator river (who is the best and worst person) – argument and warrants
• murder mystery – inquiry method

Schedule

• Week 12: May 16 – class (last new writing assignment, hypothesis and arguments)
• Week 13: May 23 – class (last day to hand in writing for feedback, finish before and after writing assignment, quiz #2)
• Week 14: May 30 – class (8 presentations, return before and after assignments)
• Week 15: June 6 – no class (holiday)
• Week 16: June 13 – last regular class of the semester (7 presentations, exam review, return final student writing)
• Week 17: June 20 – final exam

Moral Dilemma Assignment

• Week 14: May 30 – 8 presentations
• Week 16: June 13 – 7 presentations

Some Resources (10)

• a short video that explains abductive reasoning in easy terms
• a video from Khan Academy about abductive arguments
• a detailed explanation about abductive reasoning
• details about how to create a good hypothesis
• newspaper story about a research paper that links kids’ digital media time and school study problems.
• remarkable high school student essays (college entrance exams)

Quiz #2 Review

You will have a short writing quiz next week. The main purpose of this quiz is to check your understanding of arguments and warrants.

The quiz will have three parts:

1 Write an argument and warrant

Look at the words in each question. Combine the words to create a claim. Then use your imagination and intelligence to add a premise in order to create an argument. Then add a warrant to make the argument stronger and more persuasive. For example:

• Mrs Jones – innocent – murder Mr Black
• in a different city
• Mrs Jones is innocent and did not murder Mr Black because she was in a different city at the time of the murder. Everybody knows you have to be physically in the same city in order to kill someone.

2. Kinds of persuasion

We looked at three kinds of persuasion in the class. Write arguments about why people should buy an electric car: one argument for each kind persuasion.

3. Editing

You will read a short text with some errors – mostly spelling, grammar and punctuation. Read the text, find the errors and then rewrite the text with the mistakes fixed.

Today’s Writing Lesson

This lesson builds on previous work. We have we done so far?

• arguments
• warrants
• inquiry method

Today, we add one more tool to your thinking and writing toolbox: the hypothesis statement.

Part 1 Review Basic Ideas and Terms (10)

Part 2 Analyze Data and Generate a Hypothesis (15)

Look at the information in this data chart and answer the questions.

1. What are the main variables?
2. What hypothesis might describe these relationships?
3. What argument could be used to explain these relationships?
4. What warrant might be helpful to make the argument stronger?

Part 3 Pull the Skills Together (15)

Here is the last new writing assignment.

Watch the short video and make notes. Then answer the questions.

1. What is the speaker’s main hypothesis?
2. What are the main variables?
3. How does he operationalize the variables?
4. What is the speaker’s argument to explain these changes?

Writing Assignment (60)

Consider this assignment the denouement of your effort and achievement in the class. It should showcase your ability to write a well-organized and thoughtful analysis based on the 6+1 writing traits.

Here are some particulars to guide your thinking.

1. Summarize the speaker’s hypothesis. Provide a few details and examples to make the points clear and easy to understand.
2. Evaluate the hypothesis by writing an argument based on abductive reasoning to support the claim of a cause and effect relationship.
3. Support the argument with warrants.
4. Provide evidence, examples and details to demonstrate your points (e.g. premises).
5. Probably 1-3 pages in length.