1. Warm-Up Activity:
[SIRENS BLARING]
Welcome aboard the spaceship ESL114G. The ship has been struck by a meteor. The life support systems on the ship are now damaged and cannot sustain the whole crew. You and your crew of three other members have just 8 minutes to decide as a group which of the colonists to sacrifice, or the ship will lose power and crash! Be sure to have 3 supporting reasons, using ethos, pathos, logos or kairos. Be ready to present your final decision in 8 minutes! Click HERE to start this mission that is of utmost importance to your survival.
2. Supporting and Opposing Arguments
Read the following ESSAY looking for the key components of argumentative writing that we have discussed so far. Follow the directions and identify the thesis statement, the connecting words used, and the three supporting arguments. Pay attention to the persuasive strategies that the author uses (ethos, pathos, logos, etc.) Then think about why the author mentions 2 opposing arguments. How does this help the argument?
3. “Problematizing” the Opposing Argument
After reading the essay and answering the questions, you will have seen an example of how an author can present the opposing argument. This is an essential component of argumentative writing. Participate during the PowerPoint to learn how to include an opposing argument in your writing without seeming like you agree with it!
4. Two Ways of Incorporating the Opposing Arguments
Now that you know how opposing arguments are used in an argumentative essay, you will need to know how to actually incorporate them into your own essays. Take a look at pages 2 and 3 of the INCORPORATING THE OPPOSING ARGUMENTS HANDOUT to see two different ways. Notice the differences in the order of the arguments and topics, the number of paragraphs for each and how this would fit with the outline that you already have. Then go back to the first page to do some brainstorming and come up with as many opposing arguments as you can. This sheet should help you decide which Plan would work best for your essay.
