2. Write Sound and Effective Arguments
Chapter 15
Write Sound and Effective Arguments

3. Learning Outcomes
Explain how strong critical thinkers analyze the rhetorical situation in terms of author, audience, purpose, and presentation
Demonstrate the use of strong critical thinking by organizing and developing an effective presentation
Learning Outcomes
Chapter first explains how strong critical thinkers analyze the rhetorical situation in terms of author, audience, purpose, and presentation.
It further demonstrates the use of strong critical thinking by organizing and developing an effective presentation.

4. Learning Outcomes
Evaluate the effectiveness of written presentations using the Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation
Learning Outcomes
Later, it evaluates the effectiveness of written presentations using the Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation.

5. Chapter Opening Video Chapter Opening Video
The video explains how to make sound and effective arguments.
It helps us understand how to use the elements of the rhetorical situation in order to write sound and effective arguments.

6. Critical Thinking Questions of Effective Writers
Rhetorical situation
Think author
Think audience
Think purpose and circumstances
Critical Thinking Questions of Effective Writers
Analyzing effective writing reveals a author intends to communicate with a specific audience for a specific purpose in all situations.
Author uses true and relevant premises, and logically strong, non-circular reasoning to establish a claim.
Author’s case: Includes all of the pros and cons and the supporting evidence presented by the author to the audience and establishes the truth of a given statement or the wisdom of a given recommendation.
Rhetorical situation
Specific author using a specific mode of communication to engage a specific audience for the specific purpose.
Think author
Find your voice and think about who you read.
Think audience
Who is your audience and what do they care about?
Think purpose and circumstances
Tactics and clues from contextual cues.

7. Rhetorical Situation Interactive combination of four elements
Specific author using a specific mode of communication to engage a specific audience for the specific purpose
Effective writers are:
Systematic and thorough
Good critical thinkers
Rhetorical Situation
Interactive combination of four elements.
Specific author using a specific mode of communication to engage a specific audience for the specific purpose.
Effective writers are:
Systematic and thorough.
Have a clear sense of the context.
Clear about the purpose of the communication.
Good critical thinkers.
Ask key questions to themselves.
Who am I, as author?
Who is the intended audience? What do they believe and value?
What is the purpose and what are the circumstances of my communication?
How should my case be developed and be presented?

8. Think Author Find your voice
People should first discover his or her voice to become an effective writer
Effective writers think about themselves as authors when they draft a case
Think Author
Find your voice.
People should first discover his or her voice to become an effective writer.
Effective writers think about themselves as authors when they draft a case.
Consider how their backgrounds influence the assumptions they make about the audience and purpose for the communication.
Consider their perspectives on particular issues and make conscious decisions to present themselves and their positions on the topic.

9. Think Author Think about who you read
Favorite authors are like favorite musicians, actors, professors, and artists
Thinking about the author’s background, attitudes, and purpose helps in explaining the decisions made by the author in constructing the piece
Think Author
Think about who you read.
Favorite authors are like favorite musicians, actors, professors, and artists.
Identifying the author’s voice is a key piece of enjoying and understanding what people read.
Thinking about the author’s background, attitudes, and purpose helps in explaining the decisions made by the author in constructing the piece.
Critical thinking skills can be applied to the author of a written piece to analyze and interpret a piece of writing.

10. Think Audience What does the audience care about? Effective writers:
Connect with the receptivity of audience
Research audiences and learn about their background, experiences, interests, and goals
Think Audience
What does the audience care about?
Effective writers:
Connect with the receptivity of audience.
Appeal to the audience’s core values, perspectives, and shared interests.
Research audiences and learn about their background, experiences, interests, and goals.
Write for their audience.
Seek to establish a relationship grounded in trust.

11. Think Audience Writing for you You - College student
College student represents multiple and complex backgrounds
Authors should represent multiple perspectives on controversial issues
Think Audience
Writing for you.
You - College student
Most important audience.
College student represents multiple and complex backgrounds.
Authors should represent multiple perspectives on controversial issues to:
Show respect for the diversity of the readers.
Show sensitivity in narratives, opening vignettes, and images on each page.

12. Think Audience Who is your audience?
Writers should identify their intended audience
Authors should find what the audience look for and interested in their writing
Think Audience
Who is your audience?
Writers should identify their intended audience.
Apply analytical skills to organize and express their ideas for that specific audience.
Authors should find what the audience look for and interested in their writing.

13. Think Audience Same author and audience, different purpose
Smart and strategic writers consider all of their audiences
Think Audience
Same author and audience, different purpose.
Smart and strategic writers consider all of their audiences.
Non-human ones - Computers

14. Think Purpose and Circumstances
Think tactics
Strategies and successful campaigns are tactical
Effective writing requires tactical problem solving and decision making
Think Purpose and Circumstances
Think tactics.
Strategies and successful campaigns are tactical.
Effective writing requires tactical problem solving and decision making.
Effectiveness requires personal opinions, knowledge about current events, society, and social media.

15. Think Purpose and Circumstances
Clues from contextual cues
Writers take advantage of situational and contextual cues
Critical thinking skills should be applied to plan the approach
Effective written work revolves around main idea or purpose
Think Purpose and Circumstances
Clues from contextual cues.
Writers take advantage of situational and contextual cues.
Goal of the written case.
Critical thinking skills should be applied to plan the approach.
Effective written work revolves around main idea or purpose.
Identify the main claim and express it precisely.
Map claims, rejected options, reasons, assumptions, counter-arguments, and responses.
Create a outline for the paper.

16. Think How to Organize and Develop Your Presentation
Reach out and grab someone
Crafting a presentation
Good news - Writing is work
Evaluating the credibility of sources
Prewriting, writing, and rewriting
Two practical tips
Think How to Organize and Develop Your Presentation
Effective presentation reaches out and grabs the audience’s attention.
Achieved by sharing something of themselves.
Passion for the topic.
Concern for the audience.
Significance of the purpose.
Something that communicates the value of the work.
Reach out and grab someone.
Writers should eliminate I and focus on the audience.
Crafting a presentation.
Guidelines for crafting are provided from the College Board.
Good news - Writing is work.
Effective writing is 10 percent inspiration and at least 90 percent perspiration.
Evaluating the credibility of sources.
Find the author and basis for the claims.
Prewriting, writing, and rewriting.
Actual process of writing an effective essay includes three phases: prewriting, writing, and rewriting.
Two practical tips.
Successful and influential writers offer interesting and candid guidance on how to practice the craft more effectively.

17. Reach Out and Grab Someone
Effective writers ask themselves a question
How will I get my audience’s attention?
Writers should eliminate I and focus on the audience
Successful writers are passionate about their topics
Reach Out and Grab Someone
Effective writers ask themselves a question.
How will I get my audience’s attention?
Writers should eliminate I and focus on the audience.
Ways to grab reader’s attention.
Vivid images
Apt comparisons
Short punchy sentences
Successful writers are passionate about their topics.
Care about their audience.

18. Crafting a Presentation
Guidelines of the craft of writing from the College Board
Establish a clear thesis statement early
Use headings and subheadings to guide the reader
Assemble evidence to support claims
Be fair-minded and balanced in presentation
Cite sources using appropriate style
Crafting a Presentation
Guidelines of the craft of writing from the College Board.
Establish a clear thesis statement early.
Be specific and compelling.
Use headings and subheadings to guide the reader.
Assemble evidence to support claims.
Include interpretations of evidence.
Be fair-minded and balanced in presentation.
Be sure to give pros and cons.
Cite sources using appropriate style.
Use publication manuals and resources on the Internet to assist with the stylistic requirements.
Once you have selected your topic, keep your focus narrow and manageable.
Never plagiarize.
Use quotes or paraphrasing, depending on the style of the discipline, and always provide citations.
Avoid parenthetical expressions.

19. Good News: Writing is Work
Effective writing is 10 percent inspiration and at least 90 percent perspiration
Effective writers seeking to build a reasonable case are methodical
Good News: Writing is Work
Effective writing is 10 percent inspiration and at least 90 percent perspiration.
People investing time and effort become more effective.
Effective writers seeking to build a reasonable case are methodical.
Take time and spend energy to:
Develop a plausible, clear, and precise thesis statement.
Inform themselves about the topic by doing solid research.
Draft a solid, well-organized outline.
Double check the credibility of their sources.
Prewrite, write, and rewrite their presentation.

20. BART’S Decision - Draft
Explains the outline and working model of the San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).

21. Evaluating the Credibility of Sources
Find the author and basis for the claims
Check the credentials of all proponents and opponents
Evaluate the methods used in the source materials
Evaluating the Credibility of Sources
Find the author and basis for the claims.
Find out who manages the Web site where those claims are posted.
Check the credentials of all proponents and opponents.
Establish the material is authentic, reliable, and based on facts.
Evaluate the methods used in the source materials.

22. Prewriting, Writing, and Rewriting
Prewriting - Organizing thoughts
Strategic decisions about presenting the case
Writing - Compile one complete draft from the title to endnotes
Rewriting - Check and fix it
Prewriting, Writing, and Rewriting
Prewriting - Organizing thoughts—strategic decisions about presenting the case.
Identify a topic, problem, or question as clearly as possible.
Develop a clear, focused, plausible, and arguable thesis statement.
Gather relevant evidence and credible source material.
Prepare a decision map that organizes all the arguments pro and con.
Writing - Compile one complete draft from the title to endnotes.
Draft a strong, clear, succinct introduction telling the reader what to expect.
Draft the body of your essay, focusing on main ideas and sub-ideas.
Draft the conclusion.
Rewriting - Check and fix it.
Rewrite the draft for clarity, flow, style, and interest.
Check the craft before launching by reviewing the entire draft for organizational errors, grammatical issues, misspellings, etc.
If available, incorporate feedback from peers, external reviewers, or the instructor.

23. Two Practical Tips
Copy and paste the outline for written work into the first draft document file
Writing session arcs like a workout session
Two Practical Tips
Copy and paste the outline for written work into the first draft document file.
Provides the heading, subheading, and all the reminders that are planned in the flow of the essay.
Writing session arcs like a workout session.
Quality of the work may not be strong in the beginning.
Writing will exhibit a peak in quality and ultimately begin to show signs of fatigue.

24. Discussion Questions What compelling story do you want to tell?
How can you use critical thinking to organize your ideas and to sequence how you tell your story to your audience?
Discussion Question
What compelling story do you want to tell?
How can you use critical thinking to organize your ideas and to sequence how you tell your story to your audience?
The purpose of this discussion question is to help students form a structure of their ideas as effective writers would do.

25. Evaluating Effectiveness
Features of sound and effective written argumentation
Tool for evaluating critical thinking and writing
Evaluating Effectiveness
Writers assure themselves that they have correctly analyzed, interpreted, and addressed each element in the rhetorical situation.
Attend to the craft and mechanics of writing.
Features of sound and effective written argumentation.
Effective written presentation addresses a clear and manageable thesis.
Tool for evaluating critical thinking and writing.
Written presentations are evaluated in terms of the accuracy and efficacy of four domains.

26. Features of Sound and Effective Written Argumentation
Effective written presentation addresses a clear and manageable thesis
Reasons and claims are focused on supporting a plausible thesis statement
Author delivered a fair-minded and balanced discussion of the pros and cons
Writing style is concise and coherent
Author communicates a detectable voice
Features of Sound and Effective Written Argumentation
Effective written presentation addresses a clear and manageable thesis.
Appropriate for the intended audience and the mode, purpose, and context of the communication.
Reasons and claims are focused on supporting a plausible thesis statement.
Author delivered a fair-minded and balanced discussion of the pros and cons.
Analyzed the relevant evidence, addressed key assumptions, and presented a credible case in a thorough and objective manner.
Writing style is concise and coherent.
Author uses headings and an organized sequence of ideas and transitions to connect the paragraphs into a flowing essay.
Author communicates a detectable voice.
Demonstrates respect for the audience and the audience’s capacity to reach reasonable conclusions if presented with the relevant information.

27. Tool for Evaluating Critical Thinking and Writing
Written presentations are evaluated in terms of the accuracy and efficacy of four domains
Content
Organization
Mechanics
Style
Tool for Evaluating Critical Thinking and Writing
Written presentations are evaluated in terms of the accuracy and efficacy of four domains.
Content - Includes all assertions and supporting evidence.
Organization - Includes the clarity of paragraph arrangement and effectiveness of transitions between paragraphs.
Mechanics - Includes grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
Style - Includes formatting and, when appropriate, citation style.

28. Tool for Evaluating Critical Thinking and Writing
Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation (REWA)
Evaluation tool
Addresses different aspects of sound and effective writing
Offers evaluative options
Tool for Evaluating Critical Thinking and Writing
Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation (REWA).
Evaluation tool.
Provides detailed feedback on how written material that is intended to argue persuasively on behalf of a given claim, opinion, or recommendation might be improved.
Addresses different aspects of sound and effective writing.
Purpose and focus
Depth of thought
Thesis
Reasoning
Organization
Voice
Grammar and vocabulary
Mechanics of presentation
Offers evaluative options
Highly developed
Developed
Underdeveloped
Substandard

29. Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation
Explains the evaluation of purpose and focus of effective writing through different evaluative options.

30. Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation
Describes the evaluation of depth of thought, thesis, reasoning, organization, and voice of effective writing through different evaluative options.

31. Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation
Describes the evaluation of grammar and vocabulary, mechanics and presentation of effective writing through different evaluative options.

32. Sketchnote Video Sketchnote Video
The video summarizes how strong critical thinking is closely linked to effective writing.