Everything's an Argument

This text aims to persuade the reader to accept and act on the authors’ ideas about creating arguments. How persuasive are the authors of Everything’s an Argument? Consider the following questions as you develop your ideas:

• Do the authors build credibility and authority?
• Do they engage with readers’ emotions?
• Do they offer logical reasoning and factual evidence?
• Is the presentation and style appropriate for the intended audience? 
• Are there unexamined premises, logical fallacies, or other flaws in the structure or content of the argument?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt is well-suited to class discussion, perhaps following a brief period of individual evidence-gathering. If students respond in writing, you may wish to direct them to choose one of the bulleted points as the focus of their analysis, instead of having them write a thorough but time-consuming rhetorical analysis of all aspects of the authors’ argument.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who struggle with reading fluency, attention, or organization may find it difficult to review enough text to effectively analyze. These students may benefit from gathering evidence with a partner or in a small group. Students who struggle with organization or written expression may benefit from a discussion of how to break down the questions into actionable steps for writing.