Week 11: Writing Persuasive Essays; Sources and Information Needs
Week of Mon, Oct 26 · week closes Fri, Oct 30
This week's items
Exact due times are in Canvas. Late out-of-class assignments accepted up to one week past the original due date. In-class process work and Discussion Board assignments cannot be made up.
Know these cold
- Persuasive essays must include a counterargument section. Introduce the opposing view charitably and accurately — do not create a straw man (a weakened version of the opposing argument that is easy to knock down).
- The concession-rebuttal move: 'While some researchers argue that X (concession), evidence from Y and Z demonstrates that [your claim] (rebuttal).' The concession shows intellectual honesty; the rebuttal shows your argument holds up under scrutiny.
- Ethos in an academic essay comes from using credible sources, reasoning carefully, acknowledging complexity, and maintaining an objective tone — not from asserting that you are right.
- Logos means using evidence that logically supports your claim: statistics, expert testimony, case studies, data. Each piece of evidence must directly connect to the specific claim in your topic sentence.
- Pathos in academic writing is subtle: helping the reader understand the human stakes of the issue through concrete examples, not through emotional manipulation or inflammatory language.
- Logical fallacies undermine argument: straw man (misrepresenting the opposing view), either-or (false binary choice), slippery slope (unsupported chain of consequences), appeal to authority (citing someone famous who is not an expert in the field).
- Information needs assessment: for each body paragraph, identify what type of evidence you need (statistics, expert opinion, case study, historical context) and verify that your current sources provide it. If not, return to the database.
- By the end of this week, your thesis should be revised and final, your sources should be complete, and you should have drafted an outline with topic sentences for each body paragraph.
Discussion and forum — how to show up
Discussion post
- Write out the counterargument to your thesis in 2–3 sentences, as a fair opponent would state it. Then write a 2–3 sentence rebuttal. Bring both to class.
- What is the difference between a logical argument and an emotionally manipulative one? Give an example of each from current events.
Netiquette from the syllabus: address ideas, not people. Complete sentences, correct spelling. Personal matters go to email, never the board.
Meerk's quiz — open the Week 11 gate
10 questions, no time limit. 85% on your first attempt in a 24-hour window opens the gate. Retakes inside the window are practice — they help you learn, they don't count. Work alone; the point is to know it, not to have seen it.
Dinner Table Question
Ask at home: What would it take to change your mind about the position you are arguing in your research essay? Knowing the answer makes you a better researcher.
En español: ¿Qué se necesitaría para que cambiaras de opinión sobre la posición que defiendes en tu ensayo? Conocer la respuesta te convierte en mejor investigador.