June 16, 2015 ENG 111: Writing and Inquiry Rhetorical Claims June 16, 2015 ENG 111: Writing and Inquiry

Review: What is a claim? Campbell and Huxman: claim = assertion; involves inference Generally, a claim is a statement we make to an audience with a reasonable chance that they should agree with it. It is a statement awareness of an audience  anticipation of audience agreement. 

Review: Types of Claims Fact, value, policy Claims of fact: statement is or is not empirically true Claims of value: something is more/less good or more/less desirable Claims of policy: Action A is better or more desirable than Action B 

Today’s Learning Objectives Identify claims of fact, value, and policy (review) Evaluate aspects of strong and weak claims Investigate how specificity affects a claim Practice revising claims to strengthen them

Activity A

Activity A, Task 1 Dr. Broome will assign you a number. Write your number on the top of a piece of blank paper.

Activity A, Task 2 Time: 2-3 minutes; DO NOT USE technology Number 1: Draw a map of the United States Number 2: Draw a map of North Carolina Number 3: Draw a map that includes this building and the parking lot you use

Activity A, Task 3 Pass your map to the person to your left Use the map you now have in front of you. If you have Map 1, locate Troy, NY If you have Map 2, locate Cashiers, NC If you have Map 3, locate a parking lot

Activity A, Task 4 Pass your current map to the person on your left. Use the map you now have in front of you. If you have Map 1, locate Deseret, UT If you have Map 2, locate Misenheimer, NC If you have Map 3, locate a parking lot

Activity A, Discussion Which map was the easiest to use? Why? A generally focused map can’t be used to locate a very specific site;  A map’s scale must match its purpose;  The task is completely dependent upon the level of scale Level of detail must be appropriate for the kind of navigation being done ( Ex: Are you trying to get a location for a mountain range or someone’s house?) 

Activity A, Connections The level of focus in a claim will establish (or fail to establish) the purposes of the writer. In general, it is far more effective to write a map from the class to the parking lot—that is, to use a more specific claim—than to stay in generalities. Readers, like map users, need to know where they’re going and how to get from here to there. 

Evaluating Claims

Activity B The ad text says: “HOW SOON IS TOO SOON? Not soon enough. Laboratory tests over the last few years proves that babies who start drinking soda during that early formation period have a much higher chance of gaining acceptance and “fitting in” during those awkward pre-teen and teen years. “So, do yourself a favor. Do your child a favor. Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness” Source: The Soda Pop Board of America 1515 W. Hart Ave, Chicago; ILL

Answer questions in small groups List the claim or claims that are being made For each instance of a claim, determine: What type (fact, value, or policy) the claim is Is the claim specific or general? What supporting evidence is provided to support the claim? Is the claim credible (believable?) Why or why not?

Whole Class Discussion Small groups report out to entire class Instructor fills any gaps in information

Investigating and Revising Claims

Activity C, Task 1 Take one sheet of paper from Dr. Broome Look at the advice quoted on the bottom of the paper Mentally paraphrase the quotation

Activity C, Task 2 At the top of the page, write Your first name What type of claim you think the quote is making (fact, value, policy) Next, revise the claim to make it stronger

Activity C, Task 3 Trade papers with a neighbor Underneath the first entry, write Your first name What type of claim you think the quote is making (fact, value, policy) Next, revise the claim to make it stronger

Activity C, Task 4 Trade papers with a different neighbor Underneath the second entry, write Your first name What type of claim you think the quote is making (fact, value, policy) Next, revise the claim to make it stronger

Activity C, Task 5 Trade papers with a third student Review the three revised claims on the sheet you have now Select the strongest claim and circle it At the bottom of the page, jot notes about what makes the claim you chose the strongest

Activity C, Discussion What did you notice about the quotations? Imperative mood Claims of value Level of specificity impacts strength of claims Best claims are specific and are joined with factual evidence that is easily substantiated Why did you choose the circled claim as the best revision?

Writing Assignment Full directions available at livedidactic.com Choice A: rewrite the advertisement copy using only strong, credible claims. (For example, you could remove the baby and talk about benefits for adults, or market the soda as an adult beverage like beer) Choice B: Write advertising copy for a competitor in the industry that refutes the Soda Pop Board’s claims (Examples might be water, seltzer, coconut water, tea, etc.) Your assignment will be graded on the strength and specificity of your claims HAVE FUN with this assignment

Sources Cartoon on title slide: licensed from author Idea for Activity A adapted from http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/activities/claimsmap_jackson.pdf Vintage ads for slide 12 (public domain): http://io9.com/how-todays-illegal-drugs-were-marketed-as-medicines-510258499 Cartoon on slide 17 licensed from The New Yorker Cartoon Bank Cola ad for Activity B (public domain): www.lipocoolslim. co.uk/blog/10-old-hilarious-health-ads/