ENGL 131 Q Todays Goals Warrants Announcements 115

ENGL 131 Q – Today’s Goals: Warrants Announcements 11/5 �Bring a copy of your proposal to class tomorrow

Agenda �Goal: Examine and identify the assumptions (warrants) made in argumentative writing and apply them for critical reading and writing practices �Agenda �Notes on warrants �Practice identifying warrants �Identify and correct warrants �Implications

Why learn this? � Framework for analyzing academic arguments (in all fields) � Helps understand engage with complex texts critically � Terms articulate the abstract components of writing � Helps you articulate and notice “commonsense understandings” that have the potential to make your own arguments less persuasive � Indicating areas of your argument that need sharpening � Especially if it is an idea or concept that you can’t assume your reader will agree with � Addressing and being aware of warrants: Outcome 3 (3. 4)

Warrants � ASSUMPTIONS or beliefs that are often not explicitly stated in writing � Links the claim to the reasons /evidence you produce(warrants justify the claim) � Often start with the phrase “since, ” but remember they are often not stated � Can have multiple warrants throughout a paper (links evidence to the claim) � Claim � Any American grow up to be president � Reason/Evidence: � Bill Clinton came from a poor town in a poor state to being president. � Assumption/warrant: � Since Bill Clinton didn’t have a lot of advantages growing up, the presidency is open to anyone

More practice with warrants �Sometimes, you don’t need to explicitly state the warrant (depends on audience), but a lot of the time, not stating the warrant can lead to major flaws in the development of the argument (Anyone can be President) �Example: � I need new shoes (claim). Everybody thinks I should get new shoes (evidence). � What is the assumption here linking these two ideas? � Assumption/warrant: Since there is a consensus, I should be persuaded

Another example �Claim: I deserve an A on this exam �Reason: because I studied for this exam. �Warrant: Since I studied, I should get an A �Why does this warrant fail given the intended audience (an instructor)? � Instructor (audience) isn’t persuaded by the assumption (warrant) that studying means you did A level work � What is the solution for addressing this warrant?

Group Practice: Find warrants �Using the excerpt from the student paper find: � 1. Working claim � 2. Possible Evidence � 3. Possible Warrants �Work as a group to find these things in the paragraph and be prepared to share out. �Is this a warrant that needs to be explicitly stated for a general academic audience? � If you work quickly find multiple warrants for multiple pieces of evidence

Finding Warrants in Preface from Tourists With Typewriters � Using the preface we read for yesterday (considering this as a model of SA 4) look for: � 1. Working claim � 2. Possible Evidence � 3. Possible Warrants � Work as a group to find these things in the paragraph and be prepared to share out. � Is this a warrant that needs to be explicitly stated for a general academic audience? � If you work quickly find multiple warrants for multiple pieces of evidence

ENGL 131 Q – Thursday 11/6 �Today’s Goals: �Metacognitive reflection on SA 4 – paper proposal �Continuing work on how to build strong arguments �Testing warrants in your paper proposals

Quick Write �Briefly describe your process for you work on SA 4 �What was intuitive? What did you struggle with? �Based on our work with warrants and paper proposal models this week how strong do you feel your topic and argument for SA 4 are at this point? �What work do you have to do over the weekend to finish SA 4?

Warrants recap �What is a warrant? �ASSUMPTIONS or beliefs that are often not explicitly stated in writing �Links the claim to the reasons /evidence you produce (warrants justify the claim) �Often start with the phrase “since, ” but remember they are often not stated

Is simply identifying a warrant enough? �Claim: I deserve an A on this exam �Reason: because I studied for this exam. �Warrant: Since I studied, I should get an A �Do we buy this warrant? Is it enough? �Instructor (audience) isn’t persuaded by the assumption (warrant) that studying means you did A level work

Strong Arguments – The Penny Debate �Get into two groups �Team 1: Advocates for abolishing the penny �Term 2: Advocates for keeping the penny �You need: � 3 claims � 3 supporting pieces of evidence (one for each claim) �Be prepared to address the warrants of your claims

Addressing warrants of your proposal claims �Working with a partner continue evaluating your mini -claims, evidence, and warrants to test for argument strength �Make notes about how you can shift, position, or change claims/evidence this weekend to strengthen your proposal �Keep in mind tactics your partner is using and how this might be useful in your own proposal

Homework �Continue testing the warrants of your mini-claims and evidence in SA 4 �Come see me in office hours or send me an e-mail if you have questions about specific claims you’re making and warrants! �Turn in the final version of SA 4 on Canvas Sunday 11/9 by 5 pm