A Note about the Process.
- The purpose of assigning a Hypothesis very early in the semester was not to put you behind or thwart your progress, it was to get the ball rolling.
- You identified a topic. It wasn’t well-defined or as sharp as it would need to be to support an academic argument, but it was SOMETHING meaningful that prompted you to begin to explore source material.
- From here, the process is cumulative and flexible. Instead of wasting your time “brainstorming” about your vague notion, you start to read in your area of interest. From here, the process is cumulative and flexible. Instead of wasting your time “brainstorming” about your vague notion, you start to read in your area of interest.From here, the process is cumulative and flexible. Instead of wasting your time “brainstorming” about your vague notion, you start to read in your area of interest.
- AS YOU GATHER AND INVESTIGATE SOURCES, your vague notion begins to crystallize. You start to have ideas, find angles, develop theories, encounter surprising details you can’t wait to share!
- You gather the best of those sources into your White Paper and cluster them around WHATEVER HAPPENS TO BE YOUR BEST WORKING HYPOTHESIS.
- As the semester continues, you do more research, abandon early ideas, refine your thinking, place new sources into conversation with old sources, and DEVELOP A THESIS YOU CAN PROVE.
- AT NO POINT IN THE PROCESS is there a place where you can get stuck thinking, “I have to solve this problem before I can continue.” Moving forward is the solution.
- You write early drafts of short arguments along the way. First a Definition/Categorical argument. Then a Causal Argument. Finally, a Rebuttal argument, all based on your developing thesis.
- Each of these arguments can be revised as many times as you wish, always for grade improvement.
- Eventually, the entire project coalesces into a single 3000-word, well-researched, carefully argued Research Position Paper that proves a single thesis.
Today’s New Material
- Mandatory Conferences
- A Demonstration of Critical Reading
- Finding and Analyzing Claims In Organ Harvest
- “Let’s Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates”
- Source Material for the Demonstration. Video:
“Let’s Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates”
- Task: Critical Reading, PTSD Claims
- DUE DATE
- Source Material for your Critical Reading
- “Is PTSD Contagious?” print version
- “Is PTSD Contagious?” podcast
LINK TO THE ASSIGNMENT
- Claims Task
- The Claims Task assignment page includes a fairly comprehensive list of Claim Types and a very useful model of Student Work to guide you in formatting your work for this assignment.
Sample Analysis:
Consider these claims, some obvious, others hidden
When Caleb was finally screened for the severity of his TBI, Brannan says he got the second-worst score in the whole 18-county Gulf Coast VA system, which serves more than 50,000 veterans.
— “finally screened” means that according to Brannan or the author or both, Caleb should have been screened long before. It suggests that the VA was negligent in delaying his testing.
— “the severity of his TBI” clearly contains the claim that he in fact has some degree of TBI. The fact that he hadn’t until then been screened for it means nobody knew for sure that he did, but the author makes that claim.
— “Brannan says” means that the author has not independently verified Caleb’s score or where it ranked against all other screenings.
— “the second-worst score in the whole 18-county Gulf Coast VA system” is offered as Brannan’s claim that her husband is suffering more than almost anyone. Considering her vested interest in promoting this perspective, we have to be at least a little suspicious of the ranking.
— “which serves more than 50,000 veterans” gives the impression that Caleb was hurt worse than 50,000 other veterans. But let’s be clear. Many of these 50,000 will not have served in combat at all. Many will not have had active engagement with enemy troops on the battlefield. Many of those who did see active fighting will not have been near explosive devices. So we’re not comparing him to 50,000 TBI sufferers.
Counterintuitive 
– We need to meet three times this semester and discuss writing.
– Hypothesis can be revised over and over again.
– Different types of claims have different meanings. A factual claim includes a fact/ statement. A causal claim contains the phrase “Resulted in” and states a cause and affect. Modest proposal claim is also another type of claim. Wording offers a new perspective.
– Death row inmates cannot donate organs because their organs are ruined before transplantation. Requests by inmates to donate organs are denied because of this.
– We need a way to find harvest organs before they die. Less abrasive way to way to euthanize.
– Comparing a way to do something to ancient Mayan culture makes it better.
– Read “Is PTSD Contagious?” and analyze
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Today we discussed about Harvesting Death Row Inmates for their Organs as a way to find and analyze claims. The video we watched claimed people have wanted to donate their organs but their requests are denied. Most organs are ruined before they can be harvested from the death row inmates. The math says the death row inmates organs should be donated according to the video.
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remember schedule prof conference
1st one before oct 16
if you want a 730 appointment do it before the day of
send a text prior to conference with user name if you want prof to have your work ready
make a lot of claims. need to understand skill of how to read critically
understand the difference between factual claim and casual claim
casual claim = a meteor resulted in the dinosaurs extinction
factual = dinosaurs existed
proposal type claim = we need more police
examine argument for accuracy sufficiency and relevance
claims of any kind in organ harvest video
lets harvest the organs of death row inmates – proposal
usage of the word harvest is a claim in itself
rest of claim notes are in blog. see model of critical reading
due a claim analysis on “is ptsd contagious”
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-Find strongest argument that contradicts your argument. Do not ignore the obvious, speak on their fears and explain why that is wrong and they should not worry
-Click the mandatory conference page which brings you to the google docs scheduling and make an appointment
-“Resulted in” makes the two factual components a cause and effect claim
-Combined two factual statements to a causal claim
-Opinion or suggested claim
-“Lets harvest the organs of death row inmates” the first word means a proposal will follow
-Pull out sections of the text and react to the claims
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Find the fire-rebuttal argument
Uncheck this box, make sure to put assignments in username and given assignment location.
Critical reading-“making claims”- “the earth is flat” is a factual claim.
There are many different types of claims, identifying them is important to critical reading.
assignment- analyze claims in the given material, problems with the claims, personal reaction to the claims.
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You’ll have to do a 1000 word definition. You can map out your territory.
When you have a potential provable hypothesis. You should find the strongest argument and addressing it.
The purpose of the argument is to hold your readers attention. For example, if there’s a fire outside your classroom Your argument should be able to keep their attention and stay in. It should keep them away from thinking about the fire happening outside.
Professor Hodges explained the “Unchecked box”category.
There are different ways in which you can approach a casual claim.
Most journalists usually have a proposal claim after factual and casual claims.
“Let’s Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates”
Some organs are removed while the person is still alive in order to prevent the organs from going sour.
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Initially talked about how there are three mandatory conferences with the professor in order to make sure everything is on track, especially the white paper which also was given emphasis. The white paper should have a full compilation of every bit of research that we have for our hypothesis that will lead to the best possible essay that fits in under 3000 words. Then, we looked at the harvest of organs of death row inmates in order to explain how there are many different ways to discuss literary tools that are not always obvious, such as proposals, statements, as well as claims. In the case of the organ harvest topic, it was a proposal, using language skills to make it seem more mundane, alike to farming a bean from a stalk as it is to plucking a heart from a recently killed prison inmate. I believe this skill can be useful in the sense that when discussing the claims that I want to propose, I can have it subtly be a proposal that one would be inclined to follow so that my claim may be more easily trusted as well as believed. Although it talked more in depth about the practicalities of it, it still was always pushing the main point of using death row inmate’s organs for donation, while providing examples and facts to further the argument. We then talked about the article with how PTSD may be contagious, as the wife of a man who came back from war has picked up some of the symptoms due to either the husband describing the traumatizing event which then led her to acquire it. This concept is counterintuitive because by definition PTSD is a disorder due to one’s own private account of a traumatic experience, although by “secondhand” transmitting of it by talking about it to others, it very well may be “contagious”.
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Sep. 25 Notes
Many claims will be made in our paper. The claim about dinosaurs becoming extinct from a meteor strike is a cause and effect claim (causal claim). Almost all editorial pieces are “proposal” claims.
Video – Claims of anykind
-“Let’s” is a proposal claim. The title alone is very complex and makes a lot of claims.
-It’s crazy that the video is going after such a small group of people for organ donors.
-Even if the judge accepts their request for organ donation, the way of execution will still ruin the organs before taking them.
-“Their original owner” marginalizes the ethical and surgical process.
In text given to us, we should do the same thing and pull out the claims and say if we think they are appropriate or inappropriate. Claims Task due next week.
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-You can be mislead by unspoken claims that are presumed.
-Wording can alter perspective.
-Analyze “Is PTSD Contagious?”
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Mandatory Conferences
– make first conference before October 16th
– second one before November 13th
– the last one during finals week
Claims
– causal claim
-something caused something else to happen(cause and effect)
– factual claim
-filled with facts
– proposal claim
-suggestions(let’s, allow us)
Task
– read is PTSD contagious?
– do a claim analysis on parts of the article
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Schedule 3 mandatory conferences for a passing grade. Over hypothesis can be revised several times. When doing a blog post make sure everything is categorized and unchecked to make sure we get graded on our work. There are different types of claims, and they do not have the same meanings. Death row inmates are asked to donate organs but denied. PTSD analysis is due soon.
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Review on formulating a hypothesis…Brainstorming is a complete waste of time. We form a hypothesis based on what we are reading. If you can’t prove it you can’t use it, but you’ll find something else to use.
The importance of counterarguments is to solidify ideas. This takes away points from the opposition’s point of view.
Claims can be made, and there are many forms of claims.
1. Factual claim
2. Causal claim
3. Proposal claim
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4. Analogy claim
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-Writing a thesis is a process, and you will help us along the way as much as we allow you to
-We are not setting out to prove anything in particular
-If we have to change our thesis, that is ok. All it means is that we have learned more about our topic.
-We will write different types of arguments all based on our thesis. These different arguments will help make our collective piece more well-rounded.
-Schedule three mandatory conferences, the first before October 16th. We can schedule these using the link provided in the Pages Menu.
-We can pick a time on the chart or add a different time that works, as long as we stay in touch.
-“123 Uncheck This box” default category that will take all pieces we create. Check this category periodically.
-We make claims everyday, factual or not. A claim that contains the phrase “resulted in” is a Causal claim, meaning one thing caused something else to happen.
-Comparative claim- “Michael Jordan is the best basketball player ever”- comparing someone to the rest of the field.
-Provocation- the author is calling for us to make a decision or feel a way about the topic; we are being provoked into having an opinion.
-Using the write word can go a long way with how provocative you can be with your argument. EX: Govt. taxed people until they died and even after, calling it “Executors Tax” until they wanted to stop taxing the dead, so they called it the “Death Tax”
-We can increase the amount of organ donors by finding a way to successfully execute convicts without ruining their organs. Language can be an important tool in getting the legislation done to do so.
-Could we execute people through the removal of organs itself?
-“Is PTSD Contagious?” article- find paragraphs within the text and identify different claims made within.
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There can be a lot of claims made in your paper. An example of the cause and effect claim is the extinction on dinosaurs. If the claim starts with “let’s” it’s an proposal claim. You can be mislead by unspoken claims that are presumed. A factual claim is a claim that you feel is facts.
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9/25
HYPOTHESIS
-Be sure you are choosing a topic you already feel confident about; something you already know enough information on to begin expanding your knowledge to the counterintuitve.
-New knowledge gained from your further investigation will lead you to develop new theories on the matter, resulting in a convincing thesis.
-Your best work goes in your White Paper; the goal is to feel excited with what you are sharing.
-You will forever be adding new material and refining your thinking until you hand in your final piece of work.
CLAIMS
-Causal Claims example:
“The meteor that struck the earth resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs.”
-Proposal Claims example:
“Lets stay here.”
-Comparative Claims example:
“Dunkin donuts is so much better than starbucks”
“Lets Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates”
-Provocation= stirring the pot
-The title itself is a proposal claim
-Harvest is an analogy claim, as it is claiming harvesting organs is the same as harvesting crops. O___o
-“Death row inmates have repeatedly asked to donate their organs”” but death row inmates are denied doing so because organs are no good after execution by lethal injenction or electricution. *Visual Claim*
Is PTSD Contagious?
-Mental health disordered can simply not be contagious, but I can see how living in such a stressful, traumatic environment could cause other family memebers to show similar symptons. I can see that.
PTSD Assignment
Pick a paragraph or so from the article provided, pull it apart and find the hidden claims.
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-Do not just brain storm, read sources and write about your topic while reading
-1000-word definition, causal, and rebuttal (find the fire in the hallway) argument
-Best to refute the rebuttal argument
– 2 of the 3 arguments will be placed in portfolio, the one we do not like can be left out
– 3 Mandatory conferences are required for a passing grade. 1st one must be before October 16th, 2nd before November 13th, and our third conference will be our final grade conference during finals week. Conference appointment chart is a google doc.
– Critical Reading, PTSD Claims- 1 hour deadline that is due in 1 week. Pick a small bit of the article to write about and analyze. Article from Mother Jones “Is PTSD Contagious”. Less material you identify as your subject matter, the more impressed Professor Hodges will be. Find a paragraph and pull it apart.
-demonstrate your ability to pull apart a paragraph
-Sample analysis is located on the blog
-“Is PTSD Contagious”-causal claim because it says can one person give another PTSD, also an analogy claim because we do not catch something like this from another person
– Factual, causal, proposal, and comparative claims
-Different kinds of claims:
“Let’s eat”-proposal claim
“Harvest”- analogy claim
“death row inmates have repeatedly asked to donate their organs”
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“What is the person’s fire in the hallway?” If someone is presenting an idea to stay in the room but you know of the fire in the hallway, you aren’t listening to that person’s argument. It’s like presenting an essay. If you go on without addressing rebuttals then people are always going to look at the counterargument. The first professor conference is all set up.
“The Earth is flat” is a claim. It is a false factual claim at that but it is a claim nonetheless. Causal claims are claims where if something happens it is because of another thing. Proposal claims are a third type of claim defines a problem and suggests a remedy, solution or course of action for a specified audience; additionally, this style of argument examines various sides of the issue so that the audience is well-informed. Analogy claims refer to a relationship of similarities between two subjects. The likening of a known subject or event to an unfamiliar one, facilitates understanding of the new subject or the formulation of an opinion or attitude towards the new subject. Analogy is a commonly used strategy in support of a claim in argument.
Choosing the right word to make your argument palatable is crucial for the purpose of your argument. Word usage was key in the video by GOOD. They use the word harvest was key in their claim to evoke ideas like harvesting fruit or vegetables.
We are tasked with analyzing the article “Is PTSD Contagious?” In order to pick apart the article you need to look deeper into every facet. Look for the micro claims that the author is trying to present.
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-Hypothesis has to be as good, strong, and interesting as possible, you have to write about it all semester
-Identifying claims
-Conferences: first before October 16, second before November 13, third is finals week
-If other conference dates/times are needed, discuss so beforehand
-Meteors killed the dinosaurs. -> Causal Claim
-Causal claim = If ‘A’ then ‘B’
-The world is flat. -> Factual Claim
-Other claims -> proposal claim, comparative claim
-“Estate Tax is ok, but a Death Tax isn’t so let’s rename it,” Lawmakers, probably
-Let’s Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates. -> proposal claim
-The unfortunate side-effect of hanging or poisoning a man is that their organs go sour
-I’m left unsure whether the video was satirical or not
-Is PTSD Contagious? Factual, Causal, and Analogy claims all in one short title
-Just because a system serves 50,000 people, doesn’t mean all 50,000 people have gone through a specific screening process offered by the system. Watch out for misleading information
-You can easily tear apart the claims of even a single sentence.
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– A hypothesis can be revised and improved over and over again.
-Read “Is PTSD Contagious?” and analyze.
– there are 3 conferences this semester, one BEFORE OCT 16, another BEFORE NOV 13 and the last one in the final weeks.
– don’t brainstorm about your topic or hypothesis, instead write it down.
-the draft of arguments should include:-
-definition
– Causal Argument
– Rebuttal argument, based on our developing thesis.
-there is an unchecked box default category on word press. it automatically select one category if you didn’t choose any category.
-the arguments can be revised as many times as we wish, as it is always beneficial for grade improvement.
-there are many forms of claims such as:-
-factual claim; dinosaurs existed
-causal claim;meteor killed dinosaurs
-proposal claim; law and order needed
-in “Let’s Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates”; Some organs are removed from a person, while the person is still alive in order to prevent the organs from going sour.
-death row in inmates have repeatedly asked to donate their organs.
-different method of executions are the main reason for ruining of organs.
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-the first thing I notice about the assignment is that the subject matter is something I’ve already summarized with my purposeful summary.
-the sooner a topic is chosen, the sooner that it can be researched and proven true or not.
-develop a thesis you can PROVE. If you cannot prove your thesis, it’s as good as hot air.
-write as you read and analyze. Brainstorming is useless.
-revise arguments over and over. An argument without revision will not be a good end result.
-address the rebuttal argument. Without it, any argument will not achieve a reader’s full attention.
-these exercises we do are for skill building, not just “for the sake of it”.
-I’m glad we went over the conferences today. I know I mentioned that in my last notes.
-make sure to uncheck the “123 uncheck this box” when posting.
-a claim that is of a fact is a factual claim, regardless of whether or not if it’s actually true.
-causal claims include a phrase similar to “resulted in”
-finding and examining claims is an important way to critically read an argument.
-proposal claims propose an idea, utilizing the word “let’s”.
-taking apart an argument step by step is an analytical way to understand the argument and the notions behind it.
-analyze paragraphs bit by bit and understand their claims.
-I’d certainly hope removing the organs would kill someone. That’d be scary to think about otherwise.
-spend around one hour on the assignment. More than that is unnecessary.
-I’m also kind of nervous to see how people analyze these claims about PTSD. I know everyone’s lives are different and therefore I know nothing of what others know, but it still scares me that some people could possibly spend their entire analysis writing about how “the crazies” are dangerous. PTSD comes in all shapes and sizes. You don’t know who could have it.
-analyze claims and point out implications that may or may not be explicitly true.
-find several claims in a very small section to further understand the argument and the implications.
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– Your whole argument is made out of claims.
– Mandatory conferences are a must. Need to meet 3 times.
– There is a link to professor conference appointments where you can put your name on the time and date that works best for you.
– 123 uncheck this box is at the top of the list
– The earth is flat is a definition claim.
– Breakfast causes lunch is a causal claim.
– First things first is a proposal claim.
– Provocation means of arousing or stirring action.
– The word “let’s” is the start of a proposal claim.
– Harvest is a analogy claim.
– Death row inmates repeatedly asks to donate their organs, but their request is always denied.
– Is PTSD contagious is a causal and a analogy claim.
– Find a paragraph that looks like it is full of claims then analyze it.
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There is a variety of types of claims. Assignment due next Tuesday. Only takes 1 hour. Sample material. The makers of the video are going to try to change our beliefs for the “good.” Choosing the right words to make your proposal palatable to people. Harvest the organs of death row inmates. When you hang or poison a person, their organs become sour before they’re able to be harvested. Execution ruins organs. There is a lot of claims in just a few sentences. Someone died waiting on that killers organs. Is PTSD contagious?? Only spend 1 hour on identifying claims throughout the article. The less material identified as subject matter, the more professor Hodges will be impressed. Find a paragraph of claims and pull it apart. Highlight the text you’re going to use. Look for misleading conclusions. Spend a hour and try to find very small claims. Due in a week.
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9-25-18
Research Process
-Don’t brainstorm, dive into sources
-Develop a thesis you can prove
-1000 word Definition, Causal, and Rebuttal argument
-Strive to refute the rebuttal
-2 out of 3 arguments go in portfolio
Schedule First conference BEFORE OCT 16, Second before NOV 13
Critical Reading: PTSD Claims task due Tues, Oct 2 (Spend 1 hr.)
Choose a part of the article to analyze the claims
Find as many claims as possible in the least amount of words
Different kinds of claims
(Let’s Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates): “Let’s”= proposal claim, “Harvest”= analogy claim, “Death Row Inmates”- proposal narrowed
(Is PTSD Contagious?): Takes form of a causal claim, PTSD can be transferred to other people without PTSD. Takes form of an analogy claim, does it work like a virus contagion or a contagion in that people who have PTSD arouse it in those who they spend a lot of time with?
Pasting Paragraphs in Block Quote
Highlight paragraph, click on big quotation mark
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– Schedule a conference meeting with the professor before October 16th.
– Work on the white paper during the entire semester, so that at the end of the course you will be able to collect enough research and ideas that may be helpful when composing the 3,000-word essay.
– There are multiple types of claims that can be found in arguments or statements. Claims are helpful not only to create a connection between the arguments made and the audience, but to improve critical reading skills.
– The words you choose play important roles on your writing. Use words to persuade the audience.
– Writers do not necessarily need to make a claim too obvious in order to mislead the audience (Unspoken claims).
– Read “Is PTSD Contagious?” and analyze it using your critical reading skills.
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9/25/2018
The hypothesis should support an academic argument and be written clearly. The process is cumulative. Do not brainstorm, instead read and write about the topic. Accumulate knowledge and insight. Gather the best sources on white paper. Moving forward is the solution, cannot get stuck thinking at any point. Find the best argument that would refute your claims, and before the reader brings one to you.
Let’s – a proposal claim, we should all get together and think of a solution. Choose the right words to make the claim “palatable.” Death tax, people didn’t like the name as opposed to the estate tax, where people didn’t mind paying.
Is PTSD Contagious? Find a paragraph full of claims and pull it apart. How is PTSD contagious, airborne disease or like living with a depressed family?
Analyze sentences for hidden claims and conclusions they draw. Sometimes the reader might not be aware of these hidden details. “Finally” sounds like someone was waiting and suggests negligence. The type and tone of language used suggests hidden clues.
Find a lot of claims in a small section, not whole article. Focus on one or two key paragraphs.
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-brainstorming is a waste of time. Stop writing things down and instead read sources to find things that are important
-rebuttal argument is like a fire in a hallway. It’s useful to find the best argument that would refute your own and refute it before your readers bring it awareness to you
-once you write the 1000 word rebuttal essay you are well on your way to your 3000 research paper as there is a lot more information to include
-you will write a causal, rebuttal, and definition essay. Only chose 2 to include in portfolio. Each of these arguments can be revised however
-need to have 3 conferences. 2 you schedule on your own, last one is final grade conference
-there are multiple types of claims
-factual, causal, proposal, comparative claims
-PTSD assignment due for next week. It should only take an hour to do.
-proposal claim is a call to action. Do something better than we are doing it now
– “let’s” is a proposal claim. Harvest is a rhetorical claim- choosing the right word is important to make a good claim. Harvest is chosen to sound friendlier instead of “rip out organs”
-when hanging or poisoning a man, the most important side effect is that the organs go sour
-death row inmates have repeatedly asked to donate their organs- this means at least 2 inmates have asked
-their requests are always denied by the judicial system
-the removal of organs itself is a way of execution. “if I’m going to be killed at least save other people”. Remove organs under anesthesia
-scheduled death to renewed life
-the less material you identify as your subject matter is better if you find multiple claims within the paragraph
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-In class we debated the crazy idea of harvesting organs from death row inmates and the certain counterintuitive aspects of it.
– Make sure to make an appointment before Oct. 16th
– Once again stressed the importance of research over brainstroming.
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Today we discussed about causal claims. Causal claims require an argument that has a cause that’s known, therefore there’s an effect. Suggested/Proposal claims propose the current position that’s argued for.
A major topic we discussed was about harvesting death row inmates for organs. We critiqued the video we watched about picked out the author’s claims and statements piece by piece and analyzed them. We also discussed about the article “Is PTSD Contagious?”
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