TEN STEPS to BUILDING COLLEGE READING SKILLS FIFTH

TEN STEPS to BUILDING COLLEGE READING SKILLS FIFTH EDITION This presentation is best viewed in “Slide Show” view. [Go to “Slide Show” pulldown menu and click on “Play from Start. ”] Use the tab key, space bar, arrow keys, or page up/down to move through the slides.

FIFTH EDITION TEN STEPS to BUILDING COLLEGE READING SKILLS John Langan © 2011 Townsend Press

This Chapter in a Nutshell • A good thinker understands what it means to make a point. • A good thinker understands what it means to support a point.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument This Chapter in a Nutshell • What is Snoopy’s argument here? In other words, what is his point? Answer: His point is that dogs are superior to cats. • What is his support for his point? Answer: There is no support.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument This Chapter in a Nutshell Explanation There are two jokes here. First, Snoopy is a dog, and so naturally he To make a good argument and prove a point, you must offer real believes that dogs are superior. The other joke is that his evidence support. (“they just are, and that’s all there is to it!”) is a lot of empty words.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Evaluating Arguments A critical thinker is one who can look at an argument—a point and its support— and decide whether the support is solid or not.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Evaluating Arguments Below are a point and a set of details. Does the set of details support the point? Point: Our meal in that new restaurant was unpleasant. Support A. Our meal took forty-five minutes to arrive. B. The chicken we ordered was tough, and the rice and vegetables were cold. C. The dessert choices were limited to stale cake and watery Jell-O. Explanation Yes, the details provide solid support for the point. They give us a basis for understanding and agreeing with the point. Having heard these details, we would not be eager to eat at that restaurant.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Evaluating Arguments Below is the same point with a different set of details. Does the set of details support the point? Point: Our meal in that new restaurant was unpleasant. Support A. We had to wait fifteen minutes for the food to arrive. B. The chicken we ordered was too juicy, and the vegetables were buttery. C. The dozen dessert choices did not include my favorite, carrot cake. Explanation We might question these reasons for not liking the restaurant. Waiting fifteen minutes is not so bad. Many people like juicy chicken and buttery vegetables, and many people would welcome a dozen dessert choices.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments 1 Recognizing Point and Support You learned in chapters 3 and 4 that a point is a general idea and that support is the specific information that backs up the point.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 1 Recognizing Point and Support The group of statements below is made up of a point and three statements that logically support the point. Which statement is the point? Support Point Support A. The children argue and fight constantly. Specific fact B. The mother looks as if she’s scared to say anything. General statement C. Our neighbors do not seem like a happy family. D. When I hear the father speak to the children, he’s usually shouting. Statement A presents a specific fact about the neighbors. Statements B and D also contain specific facts about them. Statement C, on the other hand, is a general statement and expresses a point about the neighbors— that they are not happy. Therefore statement C is the point. The other statements support that point with specific examples. Specific fact

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments 2 Identifying Logical Support I Once you identify a point and its support, you need to decide if the support really applies to the point. The critical thinker will ask, “Is this support logical and relevant? Or is it beside the point? ”

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I Read the point and the three items of “support” below. Then choose the item that provides logical support for the point. Point: That woman on the news was courageous. A. She collected bags of canned and boxed food for months and then brought it to the Golden Door Soup Kitchen to be used for Thanksgiving. Thanks to her efforts, the soup kitchen was able to feed five hundred more people this year than last year. That number includes over a hundred children. B. She had at hand all the facts and figures to back up her statements, citing three different studies by experts in the field. She handled the reporter’s questions with ease and confidence. C. When she saw the child being attacked, she went to his aid without a moment’s hesitation. She ran up, shouting “Let him go!” and then kicked the ferocious pit bull as hard as she could. When the dog released the child, she grabbed the boy and pushed him to safety, even as the dog turned on her.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I Read the point and the three items of “support” below. Then choose the item that provides logical support for the point. Point: That woman on the news was courageous. 7 A. She collected bags of canned and boxed food for months and then brought it to the Golden Door Soup Kitchen to be used for Thanksgiving. Thanks to her efforts, the soup kitchen was able to feed five hundred more people this year than last year. That number includes over a hundred children. B. She had at hand all the facts and figures to back up her statements, citing three different studies by experts in the field. She handled the reporter’s questions with ease and confidence. C. When she saw the child being attacked, she went to his aid without a moment’s hesitation. She ran up, shouting “Let him go!” and then kicked the ferocious pit bull as hard as she could. When the dog released the child, she grabbed the boy and pushed him to safety, even as the dog turned on her. The information in item A tells us that the woman on the news was kind and generous with her time. However, nothing she did required her to face danger, so no courage was required. This item is about generosity, not courage.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I Read the point and the three items of “support” below. Then choose the item that provides logical support for the point. Point: That woman on the news was courageous. 7 A. She collected bags of canned and boxed food for months and then brought it to the Golden Door Soup Kitchen to be used for Thanksgiving. Thanks to her efforts, the soup kitchen was able to feed five hundred more people this year than last year. That number includes over a hundred children. 7 B. She had at hand all the facts and figures to back up her statements, citing three different studies by experts in the field. She handled the reporter’s questions with ease and confidence. C. When she saw the child being attacked, she went to his aid without a moment’s hesitation. She ran up, shouting “Let him go!” and then kicked the ferocious pit bull as hard as she could. When the dog released the child, she grabbed the boy and pushed him to safety, even as the dog turned on her. The woman described in item B showed mastery of her subject and skill in being interviewed, but neither demands great courage. This item does not support the point that she was courageous.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I Read the point and the three items of “support” below. Then choose the item that provides logical support for the point. Point: That woman on the news was courageous. 7 A. She collected bags of canned and boxed food for months and then brought it to the Golden Door Soup Kitchen to be used for Thanksgiving. Thanks to her efforts, the soup kitchen was able to feed five hundred more people this year than last year. That number includes over a hundred children. 7 B. She had at hand all the facts and figures to back up her statements, citing three different studies by experts in the field. She handled the reporter’s questions with ease and confidence. 3 C. When she saw the child being attacked, she went to his aid without a moment’s hesitation. She ran up, shouting “Let him go!” and then kicked the ferocious pit bull as hard as she could. When the dog released the child, she grabbed the boy and pushed him to safety, even as the dog turned on her. The woman referred to here put herself in danger to help a child. Clearly, to do so, she had to be courageous. This item supports the point.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments 3 Identifying Logical Support II

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Read the point and the five statements below. Then choose three statements that logically support the point. Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. A. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. B. The course was required for my major. C. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. D. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. E. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Read the point and the five statements below. Then choose three statements that logically support the point. Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. 3 A. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. B. The course was required for my major. C. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. D. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. E. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class. A course that includes a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams is a hard course. Statement A logically supports the point.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Read the point and the five statements below. Then choose three statements that logically support the point. Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. 3 A. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. 7 B. The course was required for my major. C. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. D. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. E. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class. The fact that a course is required doesn’t make it more difficult, so item B does not support the point.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Read the point and the five statements below. Then choose three statements that logically support the point. Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. 3 A. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. 7 B. The course was required for my major. 3 C. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. D. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. E. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class. Being called on without warning and loosing points when you are caught off guard make a course hard. Statement C logically supports the point.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Read the point and the five statements below. Then choose three statements that logically support the point. Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. 3 A. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. 7 B. The course was required for my major. 3 C. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. 7 D. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. E. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class. Statement D does not support the point—how long a teacher has been at a school has nothing to do with how hard the course is.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Read the point and the five statements below. Then choose three statements that logically support the point. Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. 3 A. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. 7 B. The course was required for my major. 3 C. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. 7 D. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. E. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in 3 class. A course that requires three hours of homework for every hour in class is a hard course. Statement E logically supports the point.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Read the point and the five statements below. Then choose three statements that logically support the point. Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. 3 A. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. 7 B. The course was required for my major. 3 C. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. 7 D. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. E. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in 3 class. Items A, C, and E logically support the point. Each one tells about a different difficulty experienced in taking the course.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II 4 Determining a Logical Point It is important to be able to look at supporting evidence and decide if a point is well supported by that evidence. The skill of making a reasonable judgment based upon the information presented is a significant part of critical thinking.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point Read the three items of support below. Then choose the point that is logically supported by the evidence. Support • Before underground plumbing, city people dumped raw sewage out of their windows and into the streets. • In the days when city vehicles were horse-drawn, manure was piled high in the roadways. • Before trash collection was available, pigs were set loose in city streets to eat the garbage thrown there. A. Cities of the past were probably pleasant places to live. B. Cities of the past were not all that different from today’s cities. C. Cities of the past were troubled with crime. D. Cities of the past were very dirty.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point Read the three items of support below. Then choose the point that is logically supported by the evidence. Support • Before underground plumbing, city people dumped raw sewage out of their windows and into the streets. • In the days when city vehicles were horse-drawn, manure was piled high in the roadways. • Before trash collection was available, pigs were set loose in city streets to eat the garbage thrown there. 7 A. Cities of the past were probably pleasant places to live. B. Cities of the past were not all that different from today’s cities. C. Cities of the past were troubled with crime. D. Cities of the past were very dirty. Obviously, none of the details suggest that cities of the past were pleasant places to live. This point is not supported by the evidence.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point Read the three items of support below. Then choose the point that is logically supported by the evidence. Support • Before underground plumbing, city people dumped raw sewage out of their windows and into the streets. • In the days when city vehicles were horse-drawn, manure was piled high in the roadways. • Before trash collection was available, pigs were set loose in city streets to eat the garbage thrown there. 7 A. B. 7 C. Cities of the past were probably pleasant places to live. Cities of the past were not all that different from today’s cities. Cities of the past were troubled with crime. D. Cities of the past were very dirty. The support clearly states that cities of the past were dramatically different places to live, with pigs in the streets, among other details. Statement B is not supported by the evidence.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point Read the three items of support below. Then choose the point that is logically supported by the evidence. Support • Before underground plumbing, city people dumped raw sewage out of their windows and into the streets. • In the days when city vehicles were horse-drawn, manure was piled high in the roadways. • Before trash collection was available, pigs were set loose in city streets to eat the garbage thrown there. 7 A. B. 7 7 C. Cities of the past were probably pleasant places to live. Cities of the past were not all that different from today’s cities. Cities of the past were troubled with crime. D. Cities of the past were very dirty. The supporting statements make no mention of crime. This point is not supported by the evidence.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point Read the three items of support below. Then choose the point that is logically supported by the evidence. Support • Before underground plumbing, city people dumped raw sewage out of their windows and into the streets. • In the days when city vehicles were horse-drawn, manure was piled high in the roadways. • Before trash collection was available, pigs were set loose in city streets to eat the garbage thrown there. 7 A. B. 7 7 C. Cities of the past were probably pleasant places to live. Cities of the past were not all that different from today’s cities. Cities of the past were troubled with crime. 3 D. Cities of the past were very dirty. If the city streets were filled with raw sewage, manure, and garbage, they would certainly have been very dirty. This point is adequately supported.

CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument