STEP ONE:

In Them’s Fighting Words, in Chapter 1, read Sections 1, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3.

Them’s Fighting Words Ch 1.pdf

 

STEP TWO:

Select TWO of the following terms and supply the definitions for them. Using MLA style, start quote with a signal phrase naming the author. End the quote with a page citation. See sample below in bold: 

1. What, according to the author, is the definition of a premise? (Make sure to separate each response by double-spacing between them in the textbox). 
2. What, according to the author, is the definition of a conclusion? 
3. What, according to the author, is the definition of a statement?
4. What, according to the author, is an argument? 
5. What, according to the author, is a premise indicator?
6. What, according to the author, is a conclusion indicator?

SAMPLE:  According to Van Cleave, an explanation is "An argument that attempts to show why its conclusion is true" (8).

STEP THREE: 

Choose ONE of the following examples, and identify the premise indicator and the premise. See sample below in bold:

Ex. 1:  Clarence and Agatha are dogs and since dogs don’t sweat, it is obvious that Clarence and Agatha don’t sweat.

Ex. 2: The man with the briefcase is not a lawyer because he is not wearing a necktie, and lawyers always wear neckties.

Ex. 3:  The fact that the colon cancer has become a problem in Europe is shown by the fact the colon cancer rates have risen a great deal in the last five years.

SAMPLE:  I know that student plagiarized since I found the exact same paper on essays.com.

PREMISE INDICATOR: since

PREMISE: The exact same paper was found on essays.com.

STEP FOUR:

Choose ONE of the following examples, and identify the conclusion indicator and the conclusion:

Ex. 1: Facebook swiped several of MySpace’s algorithms for social media, so MySpace stole some of Facebook’s algorithms to get even.

Ex. 2: Clarence is furious with me, thus he probably won’t want to help clean the house today.

Ex. 3: No one who has ever gotten frostbite while climbing Mt. Doom has survived to tell about it; therefore, no one ever will.

SAMPLE: Yuri didn’t win a gold medal at the Olympics; therefore, Yuri is a failure.

CONCLUSION INDICATOR: therefore

CONCLUSION: Yuri is a failure.

STEP FIVE:

Create your own argument with a conclusion indicator and a conclusion on one of the following topics: social media and bullying; social media and depression; social media and kindness; social media and happiness. Use the following format:

SAMPLE:

CONCLUSION INDICATOR:

CONCLUSION: