Signature Assignment #1

Argument Analysis
Part One of this assignment

Much of Part One will happen as in-class groupwork. However, you will need to plan to
meet outside of class to work on research. In class, we will discuss quality of sources,
and work together to build outlines and divide the labor of constructing your group
arguments.

Working in groups of three or so fellow students, you are to construct an argument

in response to the issue your group has chosen.

 You can divide up the workload as you wish, but typically, each student in the
group would be responsible for creating the sub-argument for one of the
major premises. (Thus, in a group of three people, you'd have three major
premises). (as a rough guide, plan on writing about one page for your sub-
argument, and expect to be doing some outside research).

 You are to bring those three sub-arguments together into a single document
(with some general transitions and flow...enough to make a reader
understand the direction and steps of your argument), including a works
cited page.

 You will then give that document to another group (preferably one that has
been dealing with the same issue but taking the other side).

End of Part One

Part Two of this assignment
(this is exactly what you have been doing with our in-class exercises, and your two
Diagram Spotlights)

This is the part of the assignment that you will be turning in to me. Each student
does this part of the assignment individually. You will turn in a document with
the following sections:
1. Introduction
 Generally, where and when did you get the letter/editorial/argument. What
overall issue is the writer responding to? What are the author's major points,
generally? (In other words, what's this whole argument about? What's some
of the background to the issue?)

2. First steps of argument analysis:

 What's the issue the argument is addressing?
 What's the conclusion of the argument?
 (new section) Who has the burden of proof? and why? (address any
prevailing presumptions that help you identify the BoP)

3. Identify the major premises and subpremises

4. Hidden Warrants (new section)

 Identify any hidden warrants that are underlying the argument being
presented.

5. Diagram the argument, with the hidden warrants

 (this can be a picture or screen shot)...but it should look professional (clean,
neat), and I should be able to see the argument-structure)

6. Your initial commentary on this argument. What premises seem pretty

reasonable/convincing? How are (or might) the warrants be backed? How
might they be challenged?
 Remember, like our last Diagram Unit Spotlight, this letter is on a topic that
you will keep working on, so think here about how this writer represents one
of the perspectives on this topic. Think about (and briefly explain) what
kinds of reasons/questions/issues the writer left out that you will want to
look into. Or what kinds of new ideas did the writer present that you now
want to research more.

 (Note that steps 4-6 are having you engage in the same kind of exercises that
we practiced with the Jazz Club and Real Estate examples.)

7. A copy of the whole argument you are analyzing

 (this can be a picture of the clipping, or a screenshot. I just need to be able to
read the original argument you were analyzing)