AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Building Your Argument, Part 2
Summary
TLDRIn 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
📚 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.
🛠 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.
🎨 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.
📘 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Individual Written Argument (IWA)
💡Argument Presentation
💡Logical Organization
💡Well-Reasoned Connection
💡Elevator Ride Metaphor
💡Claim
💡Source Integration
💡Counter Claim
💡Rubric
💡Introduction
💡Research Question
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
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