JEANNE HEY INTRODUCTION FOR FACULTY TO THIS LONG WRITING ASSIGNMENT I created a three-part opinion/argument assignment for POL 271 (World Politics) during the Center for Writing Excellence/CELT Workshop on Improving Student Writing in Content Courses. My overarching goal for all of these components is to have students learn to articulate an opinion in the form of a well-informed argument. These exercises require critical thinking. They must use logic, evidence and response to critics in all of the assignments. Another common goal is to promote clarity of thought and communication. It is my hope that at the end of the semester, students will be able to recognize a good argument, create a strong argument, and articulate a strong argument in different formats. The first component is a small group debate. Students are put into teams of two and assigned (in accordance with their preferences as much as possible) a position to argue on a controversial question in world politics. They are expected to research the question and their position, meet as a group with me prior to the class and practice their presentation. During class, each team presents an opening statement, engages in a debate with their opponents through responses to questions posed from the class, and presents a closing statement. Specific goals for this assignment are to encourage students to articulate an argument orally, to think and speak on their feet, and to sharpen their arguments when faced with criticism. This assignment also meets the goal of engaging students with other learners. The second component culminates in a ten-page argument paper due about 2/3 of the way through the semester. Students choose a controversial question not debated in class and a position they will advocate. My syllabus includes my expectations for these papers, including the three critical elements: logical argument, evidence, and response to critics. It is to be geared to an audience such as a university community. About two weeks before the paper is due, students will bring an outline of their paper to class. We will spend class time in peer review of the outlines. These sessions will serve two purposes: 1) to give students useful feedback on their proposals/outlines, and 2) to act as brainstorming sessions to help students treat their argument in an exhaustive manner. I will also grade the outlines on a “check, check plus, check minus” basis and hand them back with comments. This process is expected to improve the final papers as well as the students’ engagement with their topics. Specific goals for this assignment include critical thinking, strong writing, and engaging students with other learners. The final component is a three-page OP-ED piece, due at the end of the semester. The assignment is nearly identical to that of the longer paper, but the OP-ED piece must be written to an educated, popular audience and must be shorter. Students choose a topic different from those examined in the two previous assignments.
Specific goals for this assignment include concision in writing a well-informed argument. What did I learn about writing in creating this assignment?
JEANNE HEY LONG WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS POL 271 WORLD POLITICS Jeanne Hey OPINION/ARGUMENT ASSIGNMENTS
There are three assignments in this course that ask you to put forth an argument or opinion about a topic in world politics. The first is your in-class participation in an oral debate. The other two assignments are written papers. All people have and should have opinions. An overarching objective of all of the assignments listed here is to help you have an informed opinion. A responsible person’s opinions are based on careful thought, evidence, and consideration of opposing views. After you subject your opinion to this type of scrutiny, it can become a strong argument. So in these assignments, you will present your opinion in the form of a well articulated argument.
Pedagogical goal: articulate an oral argument and defend it in a public debate A. PREPARATION Your group should begin its preparation by reading the materials assigned for your debate. The entire class will have read these and will ask you questions on it. It is essential that you understand thoroughly the pro and the con sides of the issue. You should be able to defend your side's position and undermine the opponent's side. As a debater, you should do extra reading and thinking on the issue. Consider how other class readings and discussions relate to the issue. Find outside readings to inform your presentation. In short, you should not simply regurgitate the assigned reading for the class. That is only one person's opinion. Instead, give a well-rounded argument that draws on numerous sources. Each debating team must meet with me at least one week before the debate. Schedule an appointment with me or meet me in my office hours. B. THE DEBATE 1. Each side will have up to four minutes to present an opening statement. This should be carefully rehearsed. All panelists must take part. As a debating team, you must compose the opening statement and decide who will deliver different parts of the argument. In your opening statement, be positive. Do not begin by attacking the other side. Instead, provide the essential arguments behind why your position is the correct one. Be sure to spell out the criteria by which you make your claim. Is it based on moral, strategic, political, economic, or other considerations? You may refer to the other side's position as a point of reference, but try to focus on why your position is right, rather than why the other position is wrong. Visual aids such as charts and an outline may be useful. Let me know in advance if you would like an overhead projection made. 2. A 20-30 minute question and answer period will follow. Your classmates and I will direct questions to either debating team, or both. It is your responsibility to be prepared for the questions and to provide succinct and clear answers. Also, no one debating member may monopolize the answering period. If I feel that one member is overwhelming his or her teammates, I will direct the questions to those who are speaking less. In the question and answer period, DO NOT simply restate your opening position. This is your opportunity to respond creatively to the class's questions. In short, show me you can think on your feet. 3. After I announce that the question and answer period has completed, each debating team will make a two-minute closing statement that summarizes why that team's position is correct and why it is superior to the other side's stance. The concluding statement can certainly be drafted ahead of time, but I suggest that the speaker tailor his or her concluding statement to the discussion. Focus on those points on which you were attacked during the question and answer period. Highlight those points on which you felt your opponents were particularly vulnerable. This is your final opportunity to convince the audience. C. SOME GUIDELINES a. Do not use ad hominem attacks on your opponents or on public figures to support your argument. b. Be prepared for all possible questions. c. Remember that you must argue your position using well constructed arguments that should appeal to all. It is simply not enough to say "This position is right because anybody can see that it is right." d. Rehearse with your teammates ahead of time. e. Develop a division-of-labor plan for the question and answer period. D. Your grade will be based on the following criteria:
ARGUMENT PAPERPedagogical goals: formulate an argument with logic and evidence, enhance writing skills, encourage critical thinking
Choose one of the controversial questions discussed in Taking Sides or in You Decide that is not on the list of topics to be debated in class. If none of these appeals to you, choose a different controversial topic in world politics and get my approval for it before you proceed. You should not hesitate to choose a topic not found in one of the books, but I would like to discuss it with you to ensure that it is appropriate and that you have properly framed the question to be debated.
Prepare and hand in an outline of your paper. At minimum, it should include the following essential items:
Your outline should include references to sources you use to inform your paper. This outline will be graded with a check, check plus or check minus. We will spend class time in peer review of these outlines to give each student feedback for his/her final paper.
Pedagogical goal: encourage clarity of thought and concision in presentation
Both papers should be presented in the following format:
These papers are of different length and oriented a different audience. I take these distinctions into consideration when grading them. In grading both papers, however, I ask myself the following set of questions:
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” I give the paper some kind of C. If the answer to more than one of these questions is “no,” the paper receives a low C or below. If there is any evidence of plagiarism, the paper will not be graded and I will follow the rules in the Student Handbook concerning academic dishonesty. For papers that have emerged unscathed thus far, I add the following questions:
POL 271 INSTRUCTOR’S RUBRIC FOR GRADING OPINION PAPERS
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS (check off if present) ____ Articulate question ____ Articulate position ____ Provide evidence ____ Respond to critics ____ Cite sources and provide bibliography ____ Coherently written ____ Free of gross errors OTHER ELEMENTS (give each one a grade) ____ Thorough and appropriate research ____ Creative, strong and persuasive argument ____ Evidence is appropriate, effective and thorough ____ Good writing Comments:
JEANNE HEY LONG WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS POL 271 WORLD POLITICS Jeanne Hey OPINION/ARGUMENT ASSIGNMENTS
There are three assignments in this course that ask you to put forth an argument or opinion about a topic in world politics. The first is your in-class participation in an oral debate. The other two assignments are written papers. All people have and should have opinions. An overarching objective of all of the assignments listed here is to help you have an informed opinion. A responsible person’s opinions are based on careful thought, evidence, and consideration of opposing views. After you subject your opinion to this type of scrutiny, it can become a strong argument. So in these assignments, you will present your opinion in the form of a well articulated argument.
Pedagogical goal: articulate an oral argument and defend it in a public debate A. PREPARATION Your group should begin its preparation by reading the materials assigned for your debate. The entire class will have read these and will ask you questions on it. It is essential that you understand thoroughly the pro and the con sides of the issue. You should be able to defend your side's position and undermine the opponent's side. As a debater, you should do extra reading and thinking on the issue. Consider how other class readings and discussions relate to the issue. Find outside readings to inform your presentation. In short, you should not simply regurgitate the assigned reading for the class. That is only one person's opinion. Instead, give a well-rounded argument that draws on numerous sources. Each debating team must meet with me at least one week before the debate. Schedule an appointment with me or meet me in my office hours. B. THE DEBATE 1. Each side will have up to four minutes to present an opening statement. This should be carefully rehearsed. All panelists must take part. As a debating team, you must compose the opening statement and decide who will deliver different parts of the argument. In your opening statement, be positive. Do not begin by attacking the other side. Instead, provide the essential arguments behind why your position is the correct one. Be sure to spell out the criteria by which you make your claim. Is it based on moral, strategic, political, economic, or other considerations? You may refer to the other side's position as a point of reference, but try to focus on why your position is right, rather than why the other position is wrong. Visual aids such as charts and an outline may be useful. Let me know in advance if you would like an overhead projection made. 2. A 20-30 minute question and answer period will follow. Your classmates and I will direct questions to either debating team, or both. It is your responsibility to be prepared for the questions and to provide succinct and clear answers. Also, no one debating member may monopolize the answering period. If I feel that one member is overwhelming his or her teammates, I will direct the questions to those who are speaking less. In the question and answer period, DO NOT simply restate your opening position. This is your opportunity to respond creatively to the class's questions. In short, show me you can think on your feet. 3. After I announce that the question and answer period has completed, each debating team will make a two-minute closing statement that summarizes why that team's position is correct and why it is superior to the other side's stance. The concluding statement can certainly be drafted ahead of time, but I suggest that the speaker tailor his or her concluding statement to the discussion. Focus on those points on which you were attacked during the question and answer period. Highlight those points on which you felt your opponents were particularly vulnerable. This is your final opportunity to convince the audience. C. SOME GUIDELINES a. Do not use ad hominem attacks on your opponents or on public figures to support your argument. b. Be prepared for all possible questions. c. Remember that you must argue your position using well constructed arguments that should appeal to all. It is simply not enough to say "This position is right because anybody can see that it is right." d. Rehearse with your teammates ahead of time. e. Develop a division-of-labor plan for the question and answer period. D. Your grade will be based on the following criteria:
ARGUMENT PAPER Pedagogical goals: formulate an argument with logic and evidence, enhance writing skills, encourage critical thinking
Choose one of the controversial questions discussed in Taking Sides or in You Decide that is not on the list of topics to be debated in class. If none of these appeals to you, choose a different controversial topic in world politics and get my approval for it before you proceed. You should not hesitate to choose a topic not found in one of the books, but I would like to discuss it with you to ensure that it is appropriate and that you have properly framed the question to be debated.
Prepare and hand in an outline of your paper. At minimum, it should include the following essential items:
Your outline should include references to sources you use to inform your paper. This outline will be graded with a check, check plus or check minus. We will spend class time in peer review of these outlines to give each student feedback for his/her final paper.
Pedagogical goal: encourage clarity of thought and concision in presentation
Both papers should be presented in the following format:
These papers are of different length and oriented a different audience. I take these distinctions into consideration when grading them. In grading both papers, however, I ask myself the following set of questions:
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” I give the paper some kind of C. If the answer to more than one of these questions is “no,” the paper receives a low C or below. If there is any evidence of plagiarism, the paper will not be graded and I will follow the rules in the Student Handbook concerning academic dishonesty. For papers that have emerged unscathed thus far, I add the following questions:
POL 271 INSTRUCTOR’S RUBRIC FOR GRADING OPINION PAPERS
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS (check off if present) ____ Articulate question ____ Articulate position ____ Provide evidence ____ Respond to critics ____ Cite sources and provide bibliography ____ Coherently written ____ Free of gross errors OTHER ELEMENTS (give each one a grade) ____ Thorough and appropriate research ____ Creative, strong and persuasive argument ____ Evidence is appropriate, effective and thorough ____ Good writing Comments: |