Argument Prompt Scavenger Hunt

ARGUMENT PROMPT SCAVENGER HUNT

Prompt Deconstruction. Close, careful reading of the prompt is as important as close, careful reading of the passage or, in the case of the synthesis question, the sources. Therefore, follow the following steps (as applicable) with every prompt.

1.Identify the TAG (title, author, and genre) found in most prompts. Label these as T, A, G.

2.Identify any background information provided in the prompt that is designed to help you better understand the passage and/or your task in response to the prompt. Underline this information, which may include exigence*, definition of terms, historical framework, opposing positions on the issue, examples, or other hints.

*exigence = Why has the issue arisen at this time? (not applicable to every argument prompt)

3.Think like the Test Development Committee. Why did the committee think this prompt/passage would have relevance for a high school junior in the 21st century? In what ways does the prompt or passage resonate with your own experiences?

4. In the past five years, argument prompts have asked students to do one of two things:

(a) develop a position in response to a claimor claims which the writer must identify from a brief quotationor excerpt

(b)develop a position on an issue

Complete the chart below. The first one has been done as an example for you.

Year/Question #/ Type of Argument Question / Background (exigence*, definition of terms, historical framework, opposing positions on the issue, examples, or other hints) / Argument Task
[Express as an imperative sentence beginning with a command verb.] / Type of evidence to use
[Quote from the prompt.]
2008, #3/Type B
(develop a position on an issue) / Increased corporate sponsorship of sports in schools/ some argue that accepting money and negotiating exclusive contracts are necessary for “cash-strapped” schools; others argue that “schools should provide an atmosphere free from ads and corporate influence” / Evaluate the pros and cons of corporate sponsorship for schools and indicate why you find one position more persuasive than the other. / “appropriate evidence”
Year/Question #/ Type of Argument Question / Background (exigence*, definition of terms, historical framework, opposing positions on the issue, examples, or other hints) / Argument Task
[Express as an imperative sentence beginning with a command verb.] / Type of evidence to use
[Quote from the prompt.]
2009, #3/Type
2010, #3/Type
2011, #3/Type
2012, #3/Type

ARGUMENT PROMPTS

2008, # 3 For years corporations have sponsored high school sports. Their ads are found on theoutfield fences at baseball parks or on the walls of the gymnasium, the football stadium,or even the locker room. Corporate logos are even found on players’ uniforms. But some schools have moved beyond corporate sponsorship of sports to allowing “corporate partners” to place their names and ads on all kinds of school facilities – libraries, music rooms, cafeterias. Some schools accept money to require students to watch Channel One, a news program that includes advertising. And schools often negotiate exclusive contracts with soft drink or clothing companies.

Some people argue that corporate partnerships are a necessity for cash-strapped

schools. Others argue that schools should provide an environment free from ads and corporate influence. Using appropriate evidence, write an essay in which you evaluate the pros and cons of corporate sponsorship for schools and indicate why you find one position more persuasive than the other.

2009, # 3Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances may have lain dormant.

--- Horace

Consider this quotation about adversity from the Roman poet Horace. Then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies Horace’s assertion about the role that adversity (financial or political hardship, danger, misfortune, etc.) plays in developing a person’s character. Support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, or experience.

2010, # 3 In his 2004 book, Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton argues that the chief aim of humorists is not merely to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” Because society allows humorists to say things that other people cannot or will not say, de Botton sees humorists as serving a vital function in society. Think about the implications of de Botton’s view of the role of humorists (cartoonists, stand-up comics, satirical writers, hosts of television programs, etc.) Then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies de Botton’s view.

2011 # 3The following passage is from The Rights of Man, a book written by the pamphleteer Thomas Paine in 1781. Born in England, Paine was an intellectual, a revolutionary, and a supporter of American independence from England. Read the passage carefully. Then write an essay that supports the extent to which Paine’s characterization of America holds true today. Use appropriate evidence to support your argument.

If there is a country in the world, where concord, according to common

calculation, would be least expected, it is America. Made up, as it is, of

people from different nations, accustomed to different forms and habits

of government, speaking different languages, and more different in their

modes of worship, it would appear that the union of such a people was impracticable; but by the simple operation of constructing government

on the principles of society and the rights of man, every difficulty retires,

and all the parts are brought into cordial unison. There, the poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged . . . Their taxes are few, because

their government is just; and as there is nothing to render them wretched,

there is nothing to engender riots and tumults.

2012 # 3Consider the distinct perspectives expressed in the following statements:

If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything, including those things that other people are certain are impossible.

William Lyon Phelps, American educator, journalist, and professor (1865-1943)

I think we ought always to entertain our opinions, with some measure of doubt. I shouldn’t wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine.

Bertrand Russell, British author, mathematician, and philosopher (1872-1970)

In a well-organized essay, take a position on the relationship between certainty and doubt. Support your argument with appropriate evidence and examples.

PATTERNS IN THE ARGUMENT QUESTION

Comment below on patterns you discerned in the ARGUMENT prompts. Consider both the issues and the assignments.

AP Lang 101: The Argument Question

Objective: Participants will read a recent argument question, receive a “prescription” for pushing up students’ scores on the argument question, and examine sample papers, diagnosing and prescribing them according to the “prescription.”

Prescription for Pushing Up Your Score on the Argument Question

2010 Notes from the Chief Reader:

Successful writers did four things:

(a)Read de Botton’s argument ______and understood its importance

(b)Constructed a coherent, convincing ______in response to de Botton

(c)Marshaled and developed appropriate ______in defense of their own argument

(d)Conveyed their ideas in clear, effective prose

Mean score: ______out of 9 points

Prescription Do’s and Don’ts

1.Follow the guidelines for Prompt Deconstruction in order to avoid misunderstanding or oversimplifying the prompt.

2.Consider your options in terms of responding. You may fully agree with one “side” or the other. Or, you may qualify. Be sure, however, that you have a clear claim supported by appropriate evidence. (In other words, do not provide evidence for both sides without clearly taking a position of your own.)

3.Consider the many categories of evidence writers may use: examples, reasons, causes, effects, details, facts, figures, expert opinion, quotations, precedents, parallels.

4.Consider the many areas from which you may choose evidence: history, current events, pop culture, business and industry, the environment, literature, technology, etc.

5.Choose the most appropriate evidence for the prompt. According to the Chief Reader, “Too often AP English Language and Composition students think that they are duty bound to find evidence in texts from American and British literature . . . even when the material in those texts has relatively little to do with the issue at hand.”

6.Make sure your evidence is specific. “Specific” evidence often takes the form of proper nouns and adjectives. Check your essay for capitalized words in order to assess the specificity of your evidence. According to Westwood High School AP teacher Jennifer Cullen, specificity of evidence may be defined as follows:

Evidence from literature should “zoom in” on one moment with 1-2 character(s) as the focus. The evidence should be so specific that we could point to the page in the work on which the evidence could be found.

Evidence from current events or history should be focused on a particular moment or narrowed event (rather than, for example, World War II in general).

Evidence from personal experience should be focused on a particular moment that will be taken seriously by your audience. Consider congruity of examples – Going from world war to personal heartache requires a meaningful transition (sometimes several sentences of “buffer”); otherwise, one of your examples may come across as trivial.

Evidence from social observation requires specific details in some form to get beyond broad generalizations.

Evidence from pop culture must be thoughtful. Movie and book examples should be “weighty” enough that they will be taken seriously by your reader. Cartoon and TV examples are often ineffective unless the prompt leads you to talk about pop culture. Otherwise, they may be perceived as silly in an essay that is supposed to be discussing serious philosophical concerns.

Hypothetical evidence is often ineffective. Readers are generally not persuaded by something that has not actually happened.

7.Explain how your evidence supports the position you are taking in response to the prompt.

Think “evidence sandwich.” The top slice introduces the evidence. The filling is the specific evidence. The bottom slice explains how the evidence supports your position.

8.Avoid generalizations and absolutes. Use “qualifiers” such as often, in manycases, frequently, and sometimes. Avoid moralizing. Refrain from using could, would, should.

9.Make concessions. Anticipate and refute counterarguments.

10.Take time to plan and organize your response. According to the Chief Reader, “Some of the weakest essays consisted of random, disorganized assertions without any sense of a central claim.” See some suggested methods of organization in the box below.

Organized by Claims in the Prompt or Passage
I. Introduction

Includes context (explains the quotation, argument, or controversy)
States writer’s position clearly (thesis)

II. First claim or assertion in the prompt/passage

Writer’s reaction/response to claim (defense, challenge, or qualification*)
Specific, appropriate evidence
Explanation of how the evidence supports your position (perhaps incorporating concession and/or anticipation and refutation of counterargument)
Concluding statement/claim

III. Second claim or assertion in the prompt/passage

Writer’s reaction/response to claim (defense, challenge, or qualification*)
Specific, appropriate evidence
Explanation of how the evidence supports your position (perhaps incorporating concession and/or anticipation and refutation of counterargument)
Concluding statement/claim

IV. Conclusion

Includes a thesis reminder (“echoing” of your position)
Addresses the implications of the issue

*To “qualify” is to argue the extent to which a claim or assertion is true or untrue . It may also be thought of as agreeing and disagreeing at the same time. / Organized by the Rogerian Argument Model
1. Introduction

Includes context (explains the quotation, argument, or controversy)
Briefly indicates the flaw in the author’s view
States writer’s position clearly (thesis)

II. Concession

Statement that acknowledges the virtues of the opposition
Example(s) of situation(s) in which the author’s view may be valid
Transition to counterargument

III. Development of counterargument

Claim in support of counterargument
Specific, appropriate evidence
Explanation of how the evidence supports your position
Concluding statement/claim

IV. Further development of counterargument

Claim
Evidence
Explanation
Concluding statement/claim

IV. Conclusion

Includes a thesis reminder (“echoing” of your position)
Addresses the implications of the issue

Evidence must be introduced (the top slice of the sandwich). It must be explained (the bottom slice of the sandwich). Therefore, 3-4 sentences will be required in order to present and explain examples.

Following the Doctor’s Orders

#1 Prompt Deconstruction

Label the TAG (Title, Author, Genre). Underline relevant background information that helps you understand the context of the argument.
Highlight your task in yellow. Like the Little question in a rhetorical analysis prompt, this task (and your yellow highlighting) should begin with a command verb. Most argument prompts will begin with “Write an essay in which . . . .” Therefore, look for the command verb that specifies the particular task for this prompt.
Circle key terms which must be understood or defined in order to respond appropriately.

#2 Options for Responding

Check one. This is just a preliminary choice. You may change your mind when you begin thinking o

potential evidence. Ultimately, you will want to argue the position that you can develop most

convincingly.

______Defend (support) de Botton

______Challenge (oppose or refute) de Botton

______Qualify (agree and disagree at the same time) de Botton’s assertion

#3 -5 Appropriate Evidence

List below 4 “hints” the prompt provided for appropriate evidence. An example has been provided for

you.

(a)hosts of television programs(b)

(c)(d)

#6 Specific Evidence

For each “appropriate evidence” item you listed above, provide specific examples from that category. An example has been provided for you.

(a)hosts of television programs: John Stewart, Stephen Colbert

(b)

(c)

(d)

#7 Explanation of Evidence

Write an “evidence sandwich” in support of the position you took in #2 above. Use evidence from your answers to # 6.

TOP SLICE:de Botton’s assertion and your reaction/response to it

FILLING:specific evidence

BOTTOM SLICE:explanation of how the evidence supports your position (perhaps incorporating concession and/or anticipation and refutation of counterargument)

YOUR TOP SLICE:

YOUR FILLING:

YOUR BOTTOM SLICE:

Diagnosing and Prescribing

Read the lower-half sample papers written by 2010 test-takers. Diagnose the writer’s problems and/or write a “prescription” for improvement based on the 10 “Prescription Do’s and Don’ts” at the beginning of the handout. For example, a prescription for Sample Q might include “Avoid moralizing” (# 8) because the writer uses the word should and asserts that “they should . . . put a limit to where the jokeing should stop.” You will use the strategy of “buddy reading” for this activity.

Sample Q (Score 1)

Some humorous things are out of control. They get away with saying alot of inappropriate

things and I’m referring to comedians. Comedians say things that society wouldn’t be able to

get away with. Some jokes or cartoons are out of control and the comedian or producer never

pay the price for them or face consequences. They make jokes out of practically anything.

They should start faceing the consequences or put a limit to where the jokeing should stop.

They should have a list of things to joke about. This would prevent out of hand jokeing and

cartoons. This would help society out a lot. The out of hand jokes and cartoons have to stop

somewhere.

______

Sample S (Score 2)

Humorists are indeed needed for society to function, a certain way that is. Without humorist

societywould most likely be dull. Satirical writers are who they are because they state their opinion

secretly. Ifhumorists stated their opinion directly, the government would become involved. The

governmentwould basically black mail the humorists into saying what they want them to say, or at

least not talkingabout a certain topic. Humorists are very powerful people, they use humor as a

mental weapon. Peoplewho listen to comedians often agree to what the famous comedians say,

already manipulating thecommon citizen into supporting them, all by laughter. Laughter makes a

person happy, causing them toopen their minds towards other peoples opinions. Thomas Nast was

a humorist who had power.Whatever he drew in his political cartoons, people agreed. Nast used

the power of laughter and satire todraw the attention of more and more people to see what he had

to say. Without humorists, monopolieswould control most of America.

______

Sample TTT (Score 3)

Alain de Botton, in his 2004 book Status Anxiety, argues that the primary purpose of a humorist is not toentertain, but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to statedirectly.” I agree with Botton’s statement about humorist’s purposes and that they also play a vital rolein society. There are many issues in society that, if talked about in public with a serious tone, are lookeddown upon, but when mentioned in a humorous manner, the issue is accepted and laughed about. For example, since September 11,2001 the idea of terrorism has become a reality in America. Those whoshow signs of or talk of being a terrorist are taken seriously, even if they are just joking. If a humoristwere to take the issue of terrorism and incorporate it into their cartoons, shows, or essays, societywould simply laugh, but at the same time understand the specific message behind it. Another example is“The Modest Proposal.” In “The Modest Proposal,” the author addresses the treatment of the Irishpeople, he proposes that they sell their kids to be eaten. Although it is obvious that his proposal isobsurd, people understand the message he is trying to convey. He presents the message in a satiricaltone so that people clearly understand his “proposal” is fake, but the issue is real.Although some people would say that humorists are unimportant and that they make issues seem lessimportant, sometimes the only way to convey a message without causing complete caous amongcitizens is through a humorous tone. By doing this we give humorists the important role of conveyingthe message for us, thus giving them a vital function in society.