Outlining Your Arguments

Now that we've spent time crafting arguments using rhetorical appeals and writing counterclaims it's time to outline our arguments.

Tomorrow, in class, you will debate the issue of whether or not parents should be notified if their children receive sexual health services.

You will need to be prepared to argue both sides of the issue.

Click on these links to find examples of arguments using ethos, logos, and pathos.

In favor of parental notification.

Against parental notification.

Click on these links to find articles and resources with evidence and reasoning to build your logos arguments:

In favor of parental notification.

Against parental notification.

Finally, you can look back at some of the arguments that students made from last year's debate:

In favor of parental notification

Against parental notification

Making the Argument: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

We've spent some time with claims, evidence, and reasoning.  We've also worked on making counterclaims in order to strengthen our arguments.  Now, we're going to use rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, and pathos) to create our arguments.

Click on the appropriate link in order to make ethos, logos, and pathos arguments for each side of the debate question:

Ethos, pathos, and logos IN FAVOR OF parental notification

Ethos, pathos, and logos AGAINST parental notification

You should make an argument using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos for each side of the debate. That means 6 total comments.

Making Counterclaims

We've spent some time thinking about the debate questions (should minors have to notify their parents in order to receive sexual health services), and we've also done some research and found some sources on both sides of the issue.

Now, we're going to practice making counterclaims.

A counterclaim is some point that can be made to go against the argument that is being made.

For example:

Argument: The Pittsburgh Steelers are the greatest football team of all time.  They have won six Superbowls and have the highest number of hall of fame inductees of all NFL franchises.

Counterclaim: While they have won six Superbowls, only two of them have been within the last 25 years, while the Patriots have won four Superbowls since 2001.

Your Task:

You are going to go back through the articles that you and your classmates found last week and create counterpoints to those articles.

You do not need to agree with the counterclaim that you are making.  Part of being good at debate is being able to argue for both sides, even the side you disagree with personally.

To do this, you should:
1. Make sure you have logged into the blog by clicking "Sign In" in the upper right corner and following the instructions.
2. Go to one of the two sites where we've been putting our sources:

         - Arguments In Favor of Parental Notification

         - Arguments Against Parental Notification

3. Choose an article to write a counterclaim for.
4. Reply to the original comment by clicking "Reply"
5. Write "Counterclaim:" and then explain the counterclaim that you are making.
6. Remember, this isn't personal.  It's not about what you believe, it's about making arguments.

The more counterclaims you produce the better your grade will be.  Also, the quality of your writing matters.  Don't just flood the page with counterclaims that don't make sense.  Those won't count.

Researching the Debate!

We've discussed some of the features that a strong argument needs to have, taken a look at some articles that make arguments on both sides of the issue, and evaluated the quality of those arguments.

Now, it's time for you to do some research.

Using the links below, or your own internet research skills, find articles that adress the following:
Should minors need to notify their parents to access sexual health services?

Remember, that sexual health services include: birth control, prophylactics such as condoms, abortion, and sex education.

Your Task:

1. Locate an article that addresses the debate question: "Should minors need to notify their parents to access sexual health services?"
2. Read the article and decide if it is in favor of notification (pro-parental notification) or against parental notification (anti-parental notification).
3. Go to the appropriate page:
Arguments In Favor of Parental Notification
OR
Arguments Against Parental Notification
4. In the comments section on that page, do the following:

• Paste the web address for the article.
• Explain what claim it is making.
• Write down the evidence that it uses.
• Explain the reasoning that it uses.

5. Submit your comment, and then start looking for more.

Some links to newspapers:

http://www.nytimes.com/ - The New York Times

http://www.latimes.com/ - The Los Angeles Times

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ - The Washington Post

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ - The Boston Globe

http://www.usatoday.com/ - USA Today

http://www.chicagotribune.com/ The Chicago Tribune

http://www.suntimes.com/ The Chicago Sun Times

If you want, you can just use Google and look outside of the newspapers:
http://www.google.com - Just make sure that you use reliable sources. Avoid ask.com, answers.com, wiki how, or other similar sites.  If you have a question about reliability, ask me.

Here are some search terms that you may want to try:
Parental Notification, Abortion, Birth Control, Contraception, Sex Education

Use them with each other:  "Parental Notification, Abortion"  or "Parental Notification, Birth Control."

See what you can find.

Welcome to the debate!

Issues of access to sexual health service are both extremely important and often debated.  This is just our first step into the debate on this important public health policy issue.

Now that you have spent some time in your groups, done some reciprocal teaching, and read an article that presents an argument on one side of this debate, click on the link with your article name and, as a group, follow the instructions on the page.

Be sure to read the entire set of instructions.  Use your reciprocal teaching roles to read them!

"Dr. Coburn Introduces the 'Parents Right to Know Act'"

"The 'Parent's Right to Know Act' Threatens Adolescent Health"

"Adolescents, Parents and Birth Control"

"Teens Opt for Unsafe Sex, Not Parents' Consent"

"Underage Abortions: Parental notification makes sense for families"

"Parental Consent and Notice for Contraceptives Threatens Teen Health and Constitutional Rights"