1. Everything ’ s an Argument It’s time to argue for what you believe in. It’s time to make your voice heard.

2. Counterargument Before we can construct our counterarguments, we need to identify existing opposition. Please get into the following groups:

3. DEVIL ’ S ADVOCATES Goal: Generate as many opposing arguments to your claim as possible. (A minimum of five, please) This will look something like this: Teachers should have Fridays off because… They shouldn ’ t have Fridays off because… What would parents do with their kids? They don ’ t work long enough the way it is. They don ’ t deserve it.

4. Choices Choices Choices Choose two opposing arguments that you feel will best contribute to YOUR overall purpose. The ones that will help make your claim look better. Draft an acknowledgment/accommodation/refutation for each of the opposing arguments. Choose the best counterargument for your essay. See my example on the next slide.

5. Counterargument Example Acknowledgement ( A paraphrase, with useful examples, of an argument posed by your potential opponents) Accommodation ( A statement conceding to the merit of some part of the opposing argument-- either in the argument, itself, or in the character and values of the arguer.) A number of people, namely parents, are going to find the logistics of my proposal problematic. I understand parents will have difficulty finding a place for their children to go on Fridays. If a parent works full time, what is he/she supposed to do?

6. Counterargument Refutation (Argues against the opponent on the terms introduced by the writer in the acknowledgment) OR (Challenges the choice of criteria used by the opponent, by introducing what the writer believes to be a more valid set of criteria to frame the argument.) The problem with this opposing argument is two fold: First it implies that teachers and schools are indeed babysitting services which perpetuates the lack of importance and lack of value placed on education today. Secondly, before kids are of school age, parents work to find care for their children. In our capitalist society, there will be a number of opportunities available to both caretakers and students themselves. The ideal model to implement would be to have students use this day to participate in our communities. Working and volunteering in our communities would provide valuable lessons that the schools can’t provide.