AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Building Your Argument, Part 2

Summary

In this video, Mrs. Malloy guides seminar students through crafting their Individual Written Argument (IWA). She emphasizes the distinction between presenting an argument and presenting someone else's. The focus is on creating a clear, convincing argument supported by sources, as outlined in rubric rows three, four, and five. Using an elevator ride metaphor, she illustrates the importance of a logical flow and connection between claims and evidence. The video also covers how to draft an introduction, including setting up a hook, context, debate, research question, and a strong thesis statement. Examples of weak and strong main claims are provided to demonstrate the development of a compelling argument.

Takeaways

• 📝 The Individual Written Argument (IWA) requires students to develop their own argument using sources to support their claims, unlike an individual research report which involves evaluating others' arguments.
• 🎯 The focus is on rubric rows three, four, and five, emphasizing the importance of presenting a clear and convincing argument with logical organization and well-reasoned connections between claims and evidence.
• 🛗 Mrs. Malloy uses the metaphor of an elevator ride to illustrate how an argument should flow smoothly without stopping to focus on individual sources, which can distract from the clarity and effectiveness of the argument.
• 🟢 The script color-codes examples to show how claims (green), sources (yellow), and the connection between them (pink/purple) should be integrated to present a strong argument.
• 🚫 Presenting someone else's argument is likened to stopping the elevator ride abruptly, which is not the desired approach for an IWA.
• 🔍 The difference between presenting an argument, not presenting an argument at all, and presenting one's own argument versus someone else's is crucial for writing an effective IWA.
• 📑 The introduction of the IWA is pivotal as it sets the foundation for the rest of the paper and should include a clear argument, value, and alignment with the paper's goals.
• 🔑 The introduction should include five key elements: a hook to grab interest, context to establish the setting, an introduction to the existing conversation or debate, a clear research question, and a main claim or thesis.
• 📈 Examples provided in the script show the transformation from broad, cliché statements to specific, complex arguments that are more compelling and better aligned with the IWA requirements.
• 📝 The script advises against writing a thesis in a single, overly long sentence and recommends clarity and conciseness for better understanding.
• 🌟 The takeaway is that students must be focused on their own argument, use their outline as a guide, and maintain consistency throughout their IWA to ensure effectiveness.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Mrs. Malloy's seminar for the students?

The main focus of Mrs. Malloy's seminar is on the Individual Written Argument (IWA), specifically on the difference between writing an argument and presenting someone else's argument, and how to build a strong argument using sources.

What are the rubric rows that Mrs. Malloy emphasizes in the seminar?

Mrs. Malloy emphasizes rubric rows three, four, and five, which are focused on the argument, logical organization, and the well-reasoned connection between claims and evidence.

How does Mrs. Malloy describe the process of presenting an argument in an IWA?

Mrs. Malloy uses the metaphor of an elevator ride to describe presenting an argument. The argument should take the reader on a clear path without stopping, integrating sources naturally to support the student's own argument.

What is the significance of the color-coded examples provided by Mrs. Malloy?

The color-coded examples help illustrate how a student's argument should be structured, with claims, sources, and commentary all working together to support the argument without unnecessary stops or distractions.

What does Mrs. Malloy suggest is the first clue that a student is presenting someone else's argument rather than their own?

Mrs. Malloy suggests that starting with a 'lens' is the first clue that a student is presenting someone else's argument. The student's own argument should be clear and not obscured by the lens of others' arguments.

Why does Mrs. Malloy say it's important to have a clear and specific argument in an IWA?

Having a clear and specific argument is important because it allows the student to make a strong case and engage the reader effectively. It also helps to ensure that the paper remains focused and aligned with the research question and thesis.

What are the three key elements Mrs. Malloy suggests students should consider when drafting their introduction?

The three key elements are: the argument (what the student is arguing), the value (why the argument matters), and alignment (ensuring all elements of the introduction contribute to and support the argument).

What are the five components of a strong introduction according to Mrs. Malloy?

The five components of a strong introduction are: a hook to grab the reader's interest, context to set the stage, introduction of the existing conversation or debate, a clear research question, and a thesis statement that presents the main claim.

How does Mrs. Malloy advise students to use sources in their introduction to set up the context and value of the issue?

Mrs. Malloy advises students to use sources to establish the context (who, what, when, where, why) and to highlight the significance and value of the issue, grounding their argument in evidence from the start.

What is the purpose of the research question in the introduction of an IWA?

The purpose of the research question is to clearly state the goal of the paper and to guide the student in ensuring that the paper remains focused and aligned with the intended argument throughout.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding the Individual Written Argument (IWA)

Mrs. Malloy introduces the Individual Written Argument (IWA) to AP Seminar students, emphasizing the distinction between writing one's own argument and presenting someone else's. She highlights the importance of using sources to support personal arguments rather than merely summarizing others' viewpoints. The focus is on rubric rows three, four, and five, which pertain to argumentation. Mrs. Malloy uses the metaphor of an elevator ride to illustrate the flow of presenting an argument, where sources should seamlessly connect to the main claim without 'stopping' the argument's momentum. She provides examples of effective paragraph structures that integrate sources with claims, and contrasts them with paragraphs that present others' arguments or lack an argument altogether.

05:01

🛠 Crafting the Argumentative Introduction

The second paragraph delves into the process of drafting an introduction for the IWA. Mrs. Malloy outlines the necessity of creating a strong first impression and uniting all elements of the argument within the introduction. She identifies three key considerations: the argument itself, the value or significance of the argument, and alignment of all content with the argument. The introduction should include a hook to engage readers, context to set the stage, introduction of the existing debate, a clear research question, and a well-defined main claim or thesis. Examples of weak and strong main claims are provided, with advice on how to refine broad ideas into specific, complex arguments.

10:04

🎨 Refining the Argument with Specificity and Complexity

In the third paragraph, the focus shifts to refining arguments to be more specific and complex. Mrs. Malloy provides examples of how to transform clichéd or overly broad statements into compelling, specific arguments. She emphasizes the importance of grounding arguments in evidence and ensuring that every aspect of the introduction aligns with the research question and main claim. The paragraph illustrates how to use sources effectively to establish context and value, and to set up the debate before presenting the writer's specific argument or position.

15:05

📘 Structuring the Introduction with Clarity and Purpose

The final paragraph provides a detailed look at how to structure the introduction of the IWA, incorporating the elements discussed in the previous paragraphs. Mrs. Malloy offers a sample introduction and explains the significance of each part, from the hook to the research question and main claim. She highlights the use of sources to support the argument and the importance of clarity and conciseness in stating the research question and thesis. The paragraph reinforces the idea that the introduction should set a clear direction for the paper and provide a solid foundation for the argument to follow.

Keywords

💡Individual Written Argument (IWA)

The Individual Written Argument (IWA) is a specific type of academic writing where the student presents their own argument supported by researched sources. In the video, Mrs. Malloy emphasizes the importance of differentiating an IWA from presenting someone else's argument. The IWA is central to the video's theme as it is the focus of the seminar.

💡Argument Presentation

Argument presentation refers to the act of conveying one's own viewpoint or stance on a topic using evidence and logical reasoning. The video discusses how writing an argument differs from presenting someone else's, stressing the need to use sources to support one's own claims rather than just summarizing others' viewpoints.

💡Logical Organization

Logical organization is the structured arrangement of ideas and information in a way that supports the argument and makes it easy for the reader to follow. The video highlights the importance of logical organization for presenting a clear and convincing argument, which is a key component of a high-scoring IWA.

💡Well-Reasoned Connection

A well-reasoned connection is the link between a claim and the evidence used to support it. The video script stresses the necessity of having a well-reasoned connection as part of an effective argument, which is crucial for achieving a high score in an IWA.

💡Elevator Ride Metaphor

The elevator ride metaphor is used by Mrs. Malloy to illustrate the process of presenting an argument without unnecessary stops or distractions. It likens the argument presentation to a continuous journey from one point to another, emphasizing the need for a clear path and purpose, which aligns with the video's message on effective argumentation.

💡Claim

A claim in the context of an IWA is the central point or thesis that the student is arguing. The video script provides examples of how claims should be debatable and specific. It is the foundation upon which the entire argument is built and is a recurring theme throughout the video.

💡Source Integration

Source integration is the process of incorporating researched material into one's own argument. The video emphasizes that sources should be used to support the student's argument, not just presented in isolation. This concept is critical for demonstrating how evidence reinforces the student's claims.

💡Counter Claim

A counter claim is an opposing viewpoint or argument that is acknowledged and addressed within one's own argument to show a balanced perspective. The video script mentions counter claims as part of the argument structure, indicating that they should be included to demonstrate fairness and strengthen the main argument.

💡Rubric

A rubric is a set of criteria or a scoring guide used to assess the quality of students' work. In the video, Mrs. Malloy refers to specific rows of a rubric related to the quality of the argument presented, indicating how adherence to the rubric can lead to a higher score for the IWA.

💡Introduction

The introduction of an IWA is the opening section that sets the stage for the argument. The video script discusses the components of a strong introduction, including a hook, context, debate, research question, and the main claim. It is crucial for providing the reader with the first impression and establishing the argument's direction.

💡Research Question

A research question is a specific inquiry that guides the investigation and argumentation process in an academic paper. The video script emphasizes the importance of stating the research question explicitly in the introduction, as it helps align the paper with the goal the student aims to accomplish.

Highlights

The importance of distinguishing between writing an argument and presenting someone else's argument in an individual written argument (IWA).

Emphasizing the difference between an individual research report and an IWA, where the latter requires using sources to support one's own argument.

Focusing on rubric rows three, four, and five to ensure a clear, convincing, and logically organized argument.

Using the metaphor of an elevator ride to illustrate the flow of presenting an argument without unnecessary stops.

The significance of starting paragraphs with a claim and naturally embedding sources to support it.

Avoiding the distraction of stopping mid-argument to discuss a source, which can detract from the clarity of the argument.

Examples of how to effectively incorporate sources into an argument without overshadowing the student's own claim.

The contrast between presenting an argument and merely presenting someone else's argument, which can confuse readers.

The pitfalls of not presenting an argument at all, which leaves the reader without a clear purpose or point of persuasion.

The necessity of drafting a strong introduction that includes a hook, context, debate, research question, and main claim.

The importance of being explicit with the research question to ensure alignment with the paper's goal.

Examples of weak main claims and how to revise them for specificity and complexity.

The value of using sources to establish context and value in the introduction of an IWA.

The process of setting up an introduction with a clear research question and thesis statement.

The takeaway message: stay focused on your argument, use the outline to frame it, and maintain consistency throughout the paper.

Transcripts

hey ap seminar students it is mrs malloy

and i am here today

to continue talking with you about the

iwa

or your individual written argument

specifically today we are going to

continue our discussion and our journey

through building our argument more

specifically

what are we going to learn well today

we're going to talk about

and remind ourselves that writing an

argument is different

than presenting someone else's argument

and we're really going to emphasize that

difference between

the individual research report where it

was about what other

people were arguing and then you were

bringing that information into

conversation and

evaluating it versus what you're going

to do with the individual written

argument which is where you're going to

take those sources and their ideas and

their arguments and what they're saying

and use them to support your own

argument so we really want to focus on

what's that difference and how is it

going to play a role in making sure that

you write an effective

individual written argument or iwa

so let's talk about presenting an

argument before we do let's just remind

ourselves of

the rubric rows that we're really

focused on in this set

of videos is three four and five and

again today

we're really focused on the argument

because if you look at that high score

which we talked about last time to

present a clear

and convincing argument gets you a high

score but in doing that we have to have

logical organization which we talked

about last time

but we have to make sure we have a

well-reasoned connection

between our claims and evidence we need

to see the purpose of what we're doing

and we need to make sure that we're

working towards argument

because the high score is an argument

the medium score is

an argument to an extent but it's flawed

in some way and the low score is really

no argument or an argument that's my own

commentary

and we don't want to be in those rows we

really or those columns we really want

to make sure that we're in that high

um score there okay so

i use this metaphor previously but

whenever we're presenting our argument

i like to think of it as an elevator

ride and part of the reason i like to

think of it that way is as someone who

doesn't like heights and is afraid of

closed spaces

i hate elevators and when my brother was

living in chicago when he

lived on like the 56th floor the

elevators went to different

paths since you could take one to 30 or

i think it was the next one was like 31

to 60.

and i remember every time i get on that

elevator i wanted my clear

like i wanted a clear shot to his room

that purpose i didn't want to stop at

all i wanted to

say this is where i'm going and that's

where i was going to go it's the same

thing when you make an

argument we are essentially taking the

readers on

an elevator right we're using the

sources the structures are in place so

you see there's different floors here

but we're not stopping right we're

taking one

clear path so that all the sources in

the foundation that are

there feel like a natural part of that

elevator ride

or of your argument when we stop for

sources

it distracts for from your ability to

offer a clear and convincing argument

so presenting your argument right is

essentially like taking a

a elevator ride from one point to the

next

and so let's look at what that looks

like when we're looking at

actual paragraphs from papers so i know

there's a lot on the screen

but i wanted to color code this just to

show you what this looks like because

you can pause this and dig into these

deeper but i really wanted you to see

big idea what it means when we're

presenting an argument

so the green that you'll notice is the

claim that the student is

starting this paragraph with and that's

framing this around

despite however despite the controversy

surrounding the idea genetic alterations

to reduce vulnerable people's

predispositions to mental illness have

the potential to be very effective if

carried out responsibly

so there is a debatable subclaim or

reason that's going to tie

to the student's main claim about if we

should be using genetic alter

altercations or genetic modifications

for mental illness

the yellow we then see is a source but

what we notice

with this pink purple is that it's not

about the source

so even though this student brought in

steven hyman and gives some evidence of

what he says he doesn't stop to say

here's what this means for hyman and

then leave it alone instead he brings in

that pink or purple

line and i don't actually know if this

is male or female so he or she

to clarify this means that genetic

modification

could likely edit those inherited genes

to significantly reduce

the probability that an individual will

develop one of those aforementioned

illnesses

now could this student beef up this

commentary and this extension and really

sell us more with that pink purple

absolutely but what we see just with

that simple line is that it is not about

the source

it's about how the source is going to

help this student

develop that first claim which is what

we see in green

now we might assume from the green the

the fact that it starts with the

transition however

this is probably the counter claim

paragraph and that's okay we still want

to be fair in showing the other side

after that we see again here's another

yellow here's a source that's included

again the student doesn't stop the ride

to talk about the source

the student embeds the source naturally

to then

help develop that commentary or

that connection between the evidence and

the student's

argument so this also indicates right

and then we

see that again because we have that q

from that this sentence

here's what it means for my argument and

that's how we know that this student

is actually presenting his or her

argument

okay so let's look at

another example of where this happens

again we want to draw our attention to

the green because the student is

starting with a claim

right and that claim is debatable in

addition to capturing

engagement games also foster motivation

and collaboration among students that

greatly benefit them

academically and socially we then have

the yellow where we see the sources

being brought in and this particular one

they're actually

using one of the stimulus sources as

evidence but again we don't stop at the

stimulus instead we have those

extensions

where we see the student adding

commentary to move us from

the evidence in isolation to this

particular evidence

helps me prove this particular point we

see the same thing when we get to the

next source that's included

and then the students commentary that we

can see again in the pink and the purple

these are two great examples of where we

see the students

framing the paragraph and framing the

evidence

around what they're actually trying to

prove because their

argument is at the front of what's being

included

now when we print present someone else's

argument it's really like

stopping mid elevator ride we feel the

floor

we're not really sure where we're at or

why it's included it's almost like a

distraction at some point

it's not saying that it can't be

relevant it's just saying that it

distracts us from

the student's argument to being more

about someone else's argument

we feel the stop on the floor we look

out we're like what's happening

oh we're gonna pause here and talk about

a source before we get back to the

argument

it feels like a stop and that's not what

we want

okay so when you're presenting someone

else's argument the first

clue to any reader is the fact that this

one starts with a lens

right we don't need you to present a

lens here

what's the argument that you're making

that the student is making

instead that's not clear all of the

yellow is what arguments

other sources are making and then what

we have in this pink and purple here

is really the student repeating and

seeking to do

like a tiny bit of extension with what

the source said

we have no idea here what the student is

arguing there is no grain to be found on

the screen because there's no claim

right poverty has long lasting effects

on children's future and academic

success

that's not debatable no one's going to

argue that poverty doesn't negatively

or they don't even say negatively that

doesn't have an effect

on the academic success of students

right nobody's going to argue that so

that's not debatable

then when the student brings in sources

again it's about the sources

we're not sure of where our purpose is

we're not sure what this writer is

trying to

convince us of because those sources are

taking the primary role or seat here

and not the student's argument

when you're not presenting an argument

at all we're not even on the elevator

this is an emergency

right we are on the side somewhere we

haven't even gotten there

okay um and so if you're thinking about

what does it mean to not present an

argument well

it means that either a you are

completely relying on your own

unsubstantiated opinions right it's just

feeling like commentary

or b you're talking to us in a

descriptive or summary way where it

feels more like a textbook

and not really like you're trying to

convince us of anything

there's no ride that we're taking so if

we look here we've introduced a new

color

because all of the blue that's now on

the screen

is the students opinions and the

students comments there's no sources

there

there's not even an extension of

commentary and then we have the yellow

so there's

one vague reference to a source but

otherwise what we have is just some

general comments by this student so this

is not presenting an argument

individuals have a hard time with

physical appearance and try to live with

high expectations

in society afraid they will be judged

okay

thanks for the cliche here right isn't

everybody afraid they're going to be

judged to some degree in some capacity

at some

time right so there's there's nothing

here this number one isn't complex but

it really shows that the student didn't

think through

what argument he or she was actually

going to make

so after we've thought about you know

we've outlined our paper in the last

video or hopefully we did or you could

still be in the process of it and now we

know the difference between

what it means to present our own

argument versus someone else's to not

even make an argument whatsoever

we now want to start thinking about the

introduction and the reason that we want

to start drafting the introduction of

the paper

is because this is what's going to one

give our readers a first impression

but two it's the place where you're

really going to

figure out how to unite all the things

that you've said

into one place that's going to set the

foundation for the rest of your paper

this is where we really start to create

that alignment and bring everything else

together

so we're going to talk about that now so

when we're thinking about our

introduction there's really three things

that we should think about

number one and always on the front of

our mind is the lie

is going to be our argument excuse me we

always need to think about what we're

going to argue

we also need to think about what the

value is and what we're going to argue

why does it matter why should we care

we then need to think about alignment

everything else that we're going to say

everything that we're going to bring in

sources and everything

need to come back to that argument our

value needs to come back to the argument

at all times we have to think about

what's the purpose of this and how does

it contribute to the argument

and the goal that i'm trying to

accomplish with my specific

paper based on the main claim that i

wrote

so when setting up our introduction of

our iwa or setting up

the introduction what we really want to

do here is think about five different

things

number one like a traditional paper

what's that hook how are we bringing

in interest from the readers how are we

establishing

um our focus what's the significance and

value of the issue

a lot of times students like to use some

kind of really attention grabbing

statistic or something like that and

that works but hook us

set up the significance and value then

you're going to

use your sources to do that but you're

also going to use those sources to set

up the context

the who why when where right that focus

and scope

and the debate again we're using

evidence so

in the hook we're going to use evidence

to set the stage we're then going to do

the context to help us narrow we're

using evidence because

if we're trying to make a really strong

argument the more we're grounded in

evidence the better off we are

we're then going to introduce the

conversation or debate that's existing

around the issue that's really where we

get to that point of tension

or controversy or now that we've talked

about the

existing research or set the context

this is our specific

argument or position that we're entering

the conversation

we're then going to state our research

question and please be explicit about it

we want to see it as graders um it also

is something you need to see

because if you write your research

question and never use it in your paper

how are you going to know that your

paper is aligned with the goal that you

said

that you were going to accomplish so

make sure you put that research question

in here

after your research question then you're

going to present that main claim

or thesis so let's look at some examples

of main claims

as you can see on the screen people

shouldn't stress so much about their

school or job instead people should take

their time and be happy with what's

around them

this is super cliche it's not complex it

really doesn't have any depth

it's just one of those things where we

have this really big idea and we haven't

gone through the process that mr

gonzalez talked about

or that we talked about in the last

video of narrowing the scope

okay so how do we make this better well

the united states should mandate that

all businesses that employ workers at

least

20 hours a week provide at least 14 days

paid vacation time to all employees

ultimately this mandate will benefit the

mental and physical health

of all full-time employees again what

we're seeing here is we went from

something that was big and broad to now

being very very specific

and complex and this is going to hold

strong

for the duration of our paper as long as

we keep coming back

to it weak main claim weak argument

okay let's look at another example

excessive use of facebook will make

people depressed

yes right is anyone gonna argue against

excessive use of anything

being a bad thing okay so how do we make

this better

well facebook should be required to

provide mental health resources and

services to

all its users as it has failed to

adequately censor the content on its

platform

and as evidence confirms excess use of

the site increases a user's likeliness

of struggling with depression and or

mental health by

offering free mental health resources

and services facebook can better protect

the well-being of

its users so in both of these claims the

one we saw on the last one and on here

when we revise them we are being much

more specific

and we're also showing the complexity of

what we're going to argue

if you notice the difference here too it

is okay to write a main claim a thesis

or your argument in more than one

sentence

that usually is better because we don't

want to write those really long if any

of you have read charles dickens type

sentences that last like pages

we want to be really clear about what

we're trying to argue in a concise way

when we're setting up the introduction

here's a sample that you can see

and again you can pause and read through

it if you'd like to but i just want to

draw your attention to the highlights to

help bring this all together

where we see the teal is where we see

references to sources

where we see the green is where the

student is setting up his

or her research question and then

setting up his or her claim

to what extent might genetic editing be

a practical preventative treatment for

all mental illness

and then at the bottom we see at this

point in time the various concerns

associated with germline gene editing

outweigh its possible usefulness and

likely make it too impractical to

successfully

implement okay so or successfully to be

successfully implemented

so the student has used evidence and

established the

context they've established the value

then they've set up so we can see their

research question

and their claim as well

we see this in this introduction as well

the only difference when looking at this

one

is that we don't have quite as many

sources that have been included

but what we do see at the bottom is that

the student has included the research

question

and they've written the claim in in

multiple sentences should digital

game-based learning be incorporated in

classrooms as a part of the learning

process

and then the claim being despite

barriers and assumed harms of it the

advantage that digital game-based

learning yield outweigh those negatives

thus it should be incorporated and then

they've got

as it increases academic performance and

advances learning while also fostering

skills and attitudes that benefit both

academically and socially okay

so again feel free to pause and read

through this but really think big

picture they're using sources

they're clear about their question

they're clear about their argument

so what's the takeaway the takeaway is

that writing an argument is very

different than presenting someone else's

so be very focused on what you are

arguing

use that outline to help frame it and

then stay true to that as you progress

through this process

as always thank you so much for watching

we hope you find some joy in your day

and we look forward to seeing you next

time thank you