Fallacious D

Hasty conclusion like toy balloon: easy blow up, easy pop.
–Charlie Chan at the Race Track  

Your homework is to make sure you have the 3 scenarios on your blog.  

Here are 10 logical fallacies. Research them here or/and here and then create for your blog three short scenarios: two of which are examples that you make up of the fallacies below and one that is meant to be logically consistent. In class, we’ll examine these paragraphs and see if the class can guess which is which. Make sure that it’s not obvious that you’re using a fallacy. Make us work; make us better.

• Begging the Question
• Slippery Slope
• False Dilemma
• Post Hoc
• Biased Sample
• Gambler’s Fallacy
• Hasty Generalization
• Ad Hominem
• Straw Man
• Tu Quoque

Remember: DON’T label your scenarios as it will take the fun out of guessing what’s what.

Also remember that the vocab test and the timed write have been moved to Monday!

Borrowed (stolen) from the wise and illustrious nstearns. 

Vocab this week

We are on Vocab 4.  As an added bonus this week, our test will also include 5 words from last week’s list just for kicks.  Whoo hoo!

Synthesis Paper and Vocabulary

Tomorrow we have off for Veterans’ Day.  While you are home, you may wish to begin your paper (we will be in the computer lab on Wednesday, though we’ll meet in the classroom first).  As noted before, our paper will be on Entering the Conversation question number 3 on page 787 (in the popular culture conversation section we’ve been working on).  Note that you must use at least three of our conversation sources, though you may also use any of the pop culture essays and articles we’ve read in class.

Synthesis Paper Requirements:

• 1200 words
• MLA format (page style, citations, and works cited page — see MLA at Owl and Easybib links under the AP heading to the right for help on this)
• Synthesize at least three sources from the conversation section (other sources are okay, but not required on this essay)
• Sometime during career cruising, have someone peer review your paper

Due: Thursday, November 20th

Suggestions:

• Remember that your argument is paramount and your sources are there to support you, not the other way around
• Key notes on Synthesis in our book are in chapter 3, especially the last sentence before the new section on page 62; the paragraph beginning “Sources should enhance” on page 65; and pages 81-85
• Finish early and revise! When you revise, think about the following:
  • organization
  • how your sources interact with your audience (see p.69 ff.)
  • transitions!
  • remember that this is an argument, it’s just one that is both informed and formally supported
• Write a clear, literate, awesome essay!

Vocabulary

• Vocab 3

Using Sources

In our textbook, read pages 62-68.  Blog the questions for the assignment.

Much of learning how to use sources well is about feel.  Pay attention to how sources are used in the sample essay in the assignment.  Most of us learn this skill through seeing examples of how professional writers did it and struggling through the hard work of making it sound right.  Oh, and it helps if you check out your sources so you don’t end up quoting the website of a 5th grade science class. 

Vocab 2

Don’t forget DGP.  A test cometh…

Watching TV can make me smarter? Bring it on!

Read “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” beginning on page 766 in The Language of Composition.  Just read it and then be prepared to discuss and do some other work with it in class tomorrow.

Also, here is the vocabulary for the quiz on Friday: Vocab 1!

PS  Most of you had good comments on the Merchants of Cool posts.  Good job.