TEN STEPS to BUILDING COLLEGE READING SKILLS SIXTH
TEN STEPS to BUILDING COLLEGE READING SKILLS SIXTH EDITION This presentation should be viewed in “Slide Show” view to display properly. [Mac: Go to “Slide Show” pulldown menu and click on “Play from Start. ”] [PC: Go to “Slide Show” tab and click on “From beginning. ”] Use the tab key, space bar, arrow keys, or page up/down to move through the slides. These slides are optimized for Power. Point versions 12 (2007/2008) and 14 (2010/2011). If viewed in earlier versions of Power. Point, some slides may not display properly. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
SIXTH EDITION TEN STEPS to BUILDING COLLEGE READING SKILLS John Langan Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
TEN STEPS to BUILDING COLLEGE READING SKILLS SIXTH EDITION 10 The Basics of Argument Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument nt i Po PEANUTS © 1974 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. Dist. By UNIVERSAL UCLICK. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. This Chapter in a Nutshell What is Snoopy’s argument here? In other words, what is his point? His point is that dogs are superior to cats. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument PEANUTS © 1974 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. Dist. By UNIVERSAL UCLICK. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. This Chapter in a Nutshell What is Snoopy’s support for his point? He offers no support whatsoever to back up his argument. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument PEANUTS © 1974 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. Dist. By UNIVERSAL UCLICK. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. This Chapter in a Nutshell There are two jokes here. First, Snoopy is a dog, and so naturally he believes that dogs are superior. The other joke is that his evidence (“they just are, and that’s all there is to it!”) is a lot of empty words. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument PEANUTS © 1974 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. Dist. By UNIVERSAL UCLICK. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. This Chapter in a Nutshell To make a good argument and prove a point, you must offer more than empty words. You must offer real support. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments Solid Support Point A Good Argument Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas 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. Solid Support Point A Good Argument Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments Here is a point: Point: You should not put your hand into that box. Is there solid support for this point? In other words, is the person who made it thinking clearly and logically? Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments Let’s say the person goes on to provide these details: Point: You should not put your hand into that box. Support: 1. A flesh-eating spider the size of a large crab just crawled in there. 2. Inside the box are freshly cut leaves of poison ivy. 3. A loaded mousetrap is inside, ready to spring. Clearly, the details provide solid support for the point. In light of the details, we probably won’t be putting a hand anywhere near that box. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments This is a small example of what critical thinking is about: recognizing a point and deciding whethere is support that effectively backs up the point. Loaded mousetrap Poison ivy Flesh-eating spider You should not put your hand into that box A Good Argument Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments Here is another example: Point: Our meal in that new restaurant was unpleasant. Support: 1. Our meal took forty-five minutes to arrive. 2. The chicken we ordered was tough, and the rice and vegetables were cold. 3. The dessert choices were limited to stale cake and watery Jell-O. Again, 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments But what if the person had provided different reasons for saying the meal at the restaurant was unpleasant? Point: Our meal in that new restaurant was unpleasant. Support: 1. We had to wait fifteen minutes for the food to arrive. 2. The chicken we ordered was too juicy, and the vegetables were buttery. 3. The dozen dessert choices did not include my favorite, carrot cake. 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments If there is not enough evidence to logically support the point, the argument is not a Our good one. O meal in that new wa it ur meal in tunpleasant. restaurant ha restaura was nt was u t new npleasan t. Chi veg ckken gies juic but y, tery Af ifte en -m inu te A Not a Good Argument d no oze ch n d ee es se se ca rts ke , Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments When evidence is provided, we can judge for ourselves whether or not there is enough logical support for a point. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Evaluating Arguments To effectively evaluate arguments, you must be a critical thinker. To be a good critical thinker, you must constantly ask yourself three questions: What is the point? What is the support for the point? How logical is the support? Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments 1 Recognizing Point and Support You learned in Chapters 3 and 4 that a point is a general idea and support is the specific information that backs up the point. Recognizing the difference between a point and its support is an important step in evaluating an argument. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 1 Recognizing Point and Support The group of items below is made up of a point and three statements that logically support the point. Which statement is the point? Support A. The children argue and fight constantly. Support B. The mother looks as if she’s scared to say anything. Point C. Our neighbors do not seem like a happy family. Support D. When Specific fact General statement I hear the father speak to the children, he’s usually shouting. Specific fact 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas 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? ” Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I In their enthusiasm for making an argument, people often bring up support that does not apply. For example, say that a student claims her English instructor is a poor teacher. To support that point, the student may say, “He speaks so softly I can hardly hear him. In addition, he wears ridiculous clothes. ” Point: The instructor is a poor teacher. Support: He speaks too softly to be heard. A critical thinker will realize that a soft voice may in fact interfere with an instructor’s effectiveness Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I In their enthusiasm for making an argument, people often bring up support that does not apply. For example, say that a student claims her English instructor is a poor teacher. To support that point, the student may say, “He speaks so softly I can hardly hear him. In addition, he wears ridiculous clothes. ” Point: The instructor is a poor teacher. Support: He speaks too softly to be heard. Support: He wears ridiculous clothes. What the instructor wears has nothing to do with how well he teaches. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I Point: The instructor is a poor teacher. Relevant Support: He speaks too softly to be heard. vant clothes. Support: He wears ridiculous e l e R t o N The first reason for disliking the English teacher is relevant support, but the second reason is beside the point. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I 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 e for Thanksgiving. Thanks to her efforts, the ant v e l R t No hundred more people this year than last year. soup kitchen was able to feed five 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I 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 nt a v e l e R different studies by experts in the t She handled the reporter’s questions with Nofield. 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 2 Identifying Logical Support I 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 Relevant 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas 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. B. C. D. E. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. The course was required for my major. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. A. B. C. D. E. The course included a. Logical research paper, five essays, three oral support reports, and two major exams. The course was required for my major. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. A. B. C. D. E. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. rt my major. uppofor s The course was required l a c i g o Not l The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. A. B. C. D. E. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. The course was required for my major. The teacher called on. Logical students without warning and deducted support points when they didn’t know an answer. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. A. B. C. D. E. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. The course was required for my major. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. ort school for over twenty years. ppthe The teacher has been cal suat i g o l t o N 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. A. B. C. D. E. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. The course was required for my major. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. Logical I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class. support A course that requires three hours of homework for every hour in class is a hard course. Statement E logically supports the point. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 3 Identifying Logical Support II Point: English 102 was an extremely hard course. A. B. C. D. E. The course included a research paper, five essays, three oral reports, and two major exams. The course was required for my major. The teacher called on students without warning and deducted points when they didn’t know an answer. The teacher has been at the school for over twenty years. I had to do at least three hours of homework for every hour in class. Items A, C, and E logically support the point. Each one tells about a different difficulty experienced in taking the course. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas 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. B. 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. A. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point 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. B. Not supported 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. A. Obviously, none of the details suggest that cities of the past were pleasant places to live. This point is not supported by the evidence. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point 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. B. Cities of the past were probably pleasant places to live. Cities of the past were not all that different from today’s cities. Not supported C. Cities of the past were troubled with crime. D. Cities of the past were very dirty. A. 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. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point 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. B. Cities of the past were probably pleasant places to live. Cities of the past were not all that different from today’s cities. C. Not supported Cities of the past were troubled with crime. D. Cities of the past were very dirty. A. The supporting statements make no mention of crime. This point is not supported by the evidence. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Practice in Evaluating Arguments / 4 Determining a Logical Point 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. B. 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. A. Supported If the city streets were filled with raw sewage, manure, and garbage, they would certainly have been very dirty. This point is adequately supported. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 10 The Basics of Argument Chapter Review In this chapter, you learned the following: A good argument is made up of a point, or a conclusion, and evidence to back it up. To think through an argument, you need to decide if each bit of evidence is relevant and logical. Critical thinking also includes looking at evidence and deciding what logical point, or conclusion, can be drawn from that evidence. Copyright © 2016 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.
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