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Week 4 Argument Evaluation Instructions ENGL 1502-Zeller
Deadline: Sunday, Week 4 Purpose: This assignment is designed to challenge you to evaluate the validity and level of success of an argument. Additionally, you will respond to the topic of the argument by stating your own claim and providing source information as support. This week’s arguments represent two of the three subjects we’ll focus on in this course: 1) America’s relationship to food and 2) what diversity in America means in 2015. This week, you have the option of evaluating one of two arguments. ? The first is titled, “Fifty Shades of Gay.” Its focus is on the gray areas of sexuality and what those gray areas mean for discrimination in America. ? The second is titled, “What’s Wrong with What We Eat?” Its focus is on Americans’ eating habits and the effects of those habits on Earth. Both will challenge you to identify and analyze the use of various argument components we have studied last week such as types and effectiveness of evidence as well as the effectiveness of style. Additionally, you will speak to appeals to pathos, ethos, and logos, purpose, audience, and occasion. Steps: 1) Watch one of the two following TED Talks: a. “Fifty Shades of Gay” londonessays.com b. “What’s Wrong with What We Eat?”: londonessays.com uage=en 2) Write and submit your argument evaluation by Sunday. Essay Components: The evaluation should be formatted as a formal essay (paragraphs that form an introduction, body, and conclusion). The essay should land between 400 and 500 words. Component 1: One component of the essay should focus on analysis of the argument’s evidence and style. Answer at least three of the following questions. Use in-text citations when necessary. Zeller 2 1) What is the thesis of the argument? Is it implied or explicitly stated? 2) What type of evidence (firsthand or secondhand) is relied on the most? Provide examples. 3) In what ways, if any, does the TED Talk audience impact the type of evidence used? 4) What is unique about the speaker’s style? 5) In what ways, if any, does the TED Talk audience impact the argument’s style? 6) In what ways, if any, do purpose and occasion impact evidence and style? 7) Is the argument based more heavily on appeals to ethos, pathos, logos, or a combination of the three? Component 2: A second component of the essay should contain your evaluation of the argument. Answer at least three of the following questions. Use in-text citations when necessary.

1) In what ways does the thesis succeed? How might the thesis be stronger? 2) Does the evidence propel the argument in interesting ways? What type of evidence would have made for a stronger argument? 3) In what ways does the style of the argument garner the audience’s interest? What about the style might “turn off” an audience? 4) Does the speaker’s reliance on appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos strengthen the argument? If the reliance is more so on one appeal than another, how does that impact the argument? Component 3: A third component of the essay should contain your response to the argument. Answer the following questions. Use in-text citations when necessary. 1) Do you agree with the speaker’s argument? (The answer will be your own thesis.) 2) Why/why not? (The answer will be your own support for your thesis—make sure it’s strong.) Component 4: A works cited entry. To cite a TED Talk, use the “lecture” model below: Cain, Susan. “The Power of Introverts.” TED. Feb. 2012. Lecture. Assignment Requirements: ? Word Requirements: 400-500 words ? Point of View Requirement: Third person should only be used for every portion of the essay except for the opinion portion (Component 3). o For additional information to clarify the difference between various points of view, visit londonessays.com ? Works Cited Page and In-Text Citations Required! o To avoid plagiarism and lend credibility to your essay, all source material must be cited in the paper, and all sources must receive an entry in the works cited page. Use Chapter 21 in EAA to assist you in this process. Questions? If you have questions, send them via PM, and I’ll answer them as soon as possible. Zeller 3
preview of the answer.
The TED Talk “What’s wrong with what we eat?” by Mark Bittman is a fiery and funny talk about America’s eating habits. The thesis of the talk is that overconsumption of animal products, coupled with our paltry consumption of plants, is making us unhealthy and putting the entire planet at risk. The thesis statement is expressly stated by the speaker. In terms of evidence to support his arguments, the speaker mostly relies on statistical figures, logical inferences, and visual presentations. This is shown in a number of places in the talk. For instance, the speaker uses statistical figures to support his claim that animals are a problem, “After energy production, livestock is the second-highest contributor to atmosphere-altering gases. Nearly one-fifth of all..
APA 450 words