Course Summary
Course : ENGL115 Title : Argumentation & Rhetoric
Length of Course : 8 Weeks
Prerequisites : Credit Hours: 3

Description
Course Description:

Presidents winning elections, countries declaring war, spouses saving a marriage, students earning scholarships—all of these have something in common: argumentation. Mountains have been moved by masters of this craft. Just think of what such people as Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln achieved with the power of their words. There is, as Horace says, harmony in discord. We will explore that harmony and why Frederick Douglass said there can be no progress without struggle.

Course Scope:

In this class, we will examine argument strategies and structures, interrogate assumptions, explore moral arguments with complex empirical questions, and analyze a variety of texts—popular culture, websites, advertisements, etc. Be prepared to work with a variety of evidence and opinions, cultures, counterclaims, evidentiary quality, and more, as we study and practice the art of argumentation.

Objectives
General Concentration Objectives
• Attain a wide breadth of knowledge in analyzing and synthesizing texts.
• Compose texts that incorporate diverse perspectives through critical analysis and evaluation.

Writing and Communication Concentration Objectives
• Examine effective and efficient written and oral communication across industries.
• Interpret diverse viewpoints in written communication.
• Create professional texts that conform to industry-specific expectations and facilitate communication.

Outline

Week 1: Introduction

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the needs of multiple audiences.
• Identify logical fallacies.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 1 of the textbook (pdf file provided) o Textbook: Driver, Helen, Natascha Gast, and Susan Lowman-Thomas. English 102— Effectiveness in Writing. 2012. Web.
• Read the Lesson Assignment(s)

• Forum: Introduction
o Your initial post must be at least 250 words. Respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 100 words. This discussion submission serves as your official entry into the course. Discussion must be submitted by 11:59 pm EST, on Sunday of Week 1 to maintain your registration in the course.

Week 2: Introduction

Learning Objectives:

• Synthesize research on the ongoing conversation, the history, the causal factors, the warrant, and the varying perspectives of a topic.
• Articulate the needs of multiple audiences.
• Identify logical fallacies.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 2 of the textbook (pdf file provided)
• Read the Lesson
• Read the following speeches (links provided) o Carrie Chapman Catt “Address to the Congress on
Women’s Suffrage” o Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” o Thomas Jefferson “Gettysburg Address”
o Elie Wiesel “Indifference”

Assignment(s)
• Forum
• Quiz

Week 3: Credible Arguments

Learning Objectives:

• Craft a coherent, logical, and reasoned argument supported by evidence.
• Demonstrate the importance of ethics in an argument.
• Deliver professional and respectful debates adapted for different audiences and contests using an appropriate argument structure.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 3 of the textbook (pdf file provided)
• Read the Lesson Assignment(s)
• Forum 3 (optional, ungraded)
• Project 1: Critical Evaluation

Week 4: Toulmin Model

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the needs of multiple audiences.

• Synthesize research on the ongoing conversation, the history, the causal factors, the warrant, and the varying perspectives of a topic.
• Identify logical fallacies.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 4 of the textbook (pdf file provided)
• Read the Lesson
• Read the following articles and speeches (links provided) o David Cisneros “Contaminated Communities” o Jeffrey Swanson “Mental Illness and Reduction of Gun Violence and Suicide o Barack Obama “Inaugural Address”
o Kimberly Gunter “In Our Names: Rewriting the U.S. Death Penalty” o
Donald Trump “State of the Union”

Assignment(s)

• Forum
• Quiz

Week 5: Toulmin Model cont

Learning Objectives:

• Demonstrate the importance of ethics in an argument.
• Craft a coherent, logical, and reasoned argument supported by evidence.
• Deliver professional and respectful debates adapted for different audiences and contexts using an appropriate argument structure.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 5 of the textbook (pdf file provided)
• Read the Lesson Assignment(s)
• Forum (optional, ungraded)

• Project 2: Toulmin Argument

Week 6: Rogerian Model

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the needs of multiple audiences.
• Synthesize research on the ongoing conversations, the history, the causal factors, the warrant, and the varying perspectives of a topic.
• Identify logical fallacies.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 6 of the textbook (pdf file provided)
• Read the Lesson
• Read the following articles and speeches (links provided) o Susan B. Anthony “On Women’s Rights to Vote” o Clarence Darrow “Mercy for Leopold and Loeb”
o Frederick Douglass “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”
o Dwight Eisenhower “Farewell Speech” o John F. Kennedy “Inauguration Address”

Assignment(s)

• Forum
• Quiz

Week 7: Rogerian Model cont

Learning Objectives:

• Demonstrate the importance of ethics in an argument.
• Craft a coherent, logical, and reasoned argument supported by evidence.
• Deliver professional and respectful debates adapted for different audiences and contexts using an appropriate argument structure.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 7 in the textbook (pdf file provided)
• Read the Lesson Assignment(s)
• Forum (optional, ungraded)
• Project 3: Rogerian Argument

Week 8: Middle Ground

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the needs of multiple audiences.
• Synthesize research on the ongoing conversations, the history, the causal factors, the warrant, and the varying perspectives of a topic.
• Identify logical fallacies.

Reading(s)

• Read Chapter 8 of the textbook (pdf file provided)
• Read the Lesson
• Read the following articles (links provided) o Leila Ahmed “Veil of Ignorance” o Ken Caldeira “The Great Climate Experiment” o Nicholas Colin and Bruno Palier “The Next Safety Net: Social Policy for a Digital Age” o Mark Jenkins “The Healing Fields” o Charles Ries “After Brexit”
Assignment(s)

• Forum
• Quiz

Evaluation
Reading Assignments:

Students will be required to complete the assigned readings and may have to consult various online resources as provided by the instructor in order to complete both the written assignments and the discussion forum assignments for this course.

Forum Assignments:

Throughout this course, students will be required to participate in online discussion forums. Within the forums, I expect students to participate actively and truly help their fellow students. We are all writers and have the ability to help each other improve. The word count for each discussion forum is noted in the forum’s description, so make sure to read the descriptions carefully before posting.

Quizzes:

Students will complete four quizzes based on the readings in the course.

Written Assignments:

Students will compose three formal projects in this course. Each project will also include a works cited/reference page.

Grading Instrument Points
Quizzes (4 @ 50 pts each) 200
Projects (3 @ 100 pts each) 300
Forums (5 @ 100 pts each) 500
Total 1000

Materials

Driver, Helen, Natascha Gast, and Susan Lowman-Thomas. English 102—Effectiveness in Writing. 2012. Web.
This book is located inside the classroom as chapter by chapter pdf files.

Course Guidelines
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