Please note that this assignment is for an English 1C Critical thinking class at a community college level. Please Complete assignment at an undergrade level.
The Toulmin model was developed by Stephen Toulmin in his book The Uses of Argument (1958). The purpose of this model is to persuade the reader to agree with a certain point of view.
Components of the Toulmin Model
- Arguable Issue. You need to choose a debatable issue–an issue that invites several positions.
- Claims and Counterclaims. A claim is a statement that something is right or that something should be done. Example of a claim: No other major democracy uses the death penalty.
A counterclaim is also a claim. However, it is the claim of the
opposition. Your essay will include a couple of claims that you will
support and a couple of counterclaims that you will refute. - Thesis. The thesis is the major claim that your paper
will make. So the thesis is also a statement that something is right or
that something should be done. It is just broader than the other claims
used in the paper. If your thesis is: the death penalty should be abolished, then one of your claims could be– No other major democracy uses the death penalty. Another claim could be– innocent people might get executed by mistake. - Evidence (includes facts like statistics, examples you know about, expert opinion, and personal testimony).
- Warrants. How and/or why claims and evidence support the thesis or major claim.
- Refutations are rebuttals. They show your readers that specific
counterclaims (claims made by the opposition) fail or are unreasonable. - Qualifiers. Qualifying language is changing words of certainty such
as “always” or “never” into “sometimes,” “maybe,” “might,” and so on.
Some see it as safer, more helpful in convincing an audience.
Basic Essay Structure
Introduction
Introduce the issue and assert your thesis. Introduce the issue
by identifying the issue, providing background information, and
summarizing the different positions on the issue. Then state your
thesis–state what exactly it is that you are arguing. Your position on
the issue must be simple and clear. Note: If you have written an
exploratory paper on the issue, you have already written an introduction
with a thesis for a Toulmin paper. So your introduction should be about
a page and a half summary of your exploratory paper.
Body
- Counterclaim 1 –a claim usually made by the opposition
Its refutation–rebuttal or why the counterclaim is unreasonable - Counterclaim 2–another claim usually made by the opposition
Its refutation–rebuttal or why the counterclaim is unreasonable - Claim 1–a claim that you believe
Support with evidence (one or more of the following: facts, examples, expert opinion, and personal testimony).
Warrants–How and why Claim 1 and the evidence support the thesis - Claim 2–a claim that you believe
Support with evidence (one or more of the following: facts, examples, expert opinion, and personal testimony).
Warrants–How and why Claim 2 and the evidence support the thesis
Conclusion
Restate your position + summarize your strongest points and/or provide a strong example that supports your main point/thesis.
For the Toulmin paper or Essay # 2 (Rough Draft Due Thursday by 2/1), you must choose an arguable/debatable issue. Write on some topic you feel strongly about. Choose an issue that interests you as this is an 8-10-page paper that requires at least 6 sources. See paper topics
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Please choose an issue that is doable and will not give you hard time.
If you are interested in a topic that you’re not sure if it’s doable or
appropriate for this paper or is not among the topics suggested for the
first essay, you should contact me before you start writing your paper. Again,
any international relations issue that deals with specific wars or
references specific wars or conflicts (Ukraine/Russia, Palestine/Israel,
or any other war or conflict) is NOT an appropriate or acceptable topic
for this paper.
BTW, you can develop your Exploratory paper into a Toulmin (Essay #
2)–if you’d like. If you have written an Exploratory paper on the
issue, you have already written an introduction with a thesis for a
Toulmin paper. However, you will need to summarize your Exploratory
essay into 1-2-pages max. in order to use it as an introduction for
Essay # 2.
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Developing a Tentative Thesis
Create a tentative thesis–a statement that something is right or that something ought to be done. See Writing an Effective Thesis Statement Download Formulating the Research Question
Finding Sources
You need to use a variety of sources: books, articles, and
Internet sources. I want you to use at least 6 sources, so get at least
10 and select the useful ones.
Finding Periodical Articles
To find articles, click on “Databases (Links to an external site.)” a (Links to an external sind then on the letter “A.” Look for Academic Search Complete (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external s, for example, and then search by typing key words that identify your issue.
Internet Sources
Web sites can be useful, but remember that no paper should be
based entirely on them. Also, assess online sources because anyone can
publish on the Internet. Before you trust an Internet source, determine
if a site is a work of a professional. Please see Evaluating Websites (Links to an external site.).(Links
Taking Notes
As you accumulate sources relevant to your topic, put together a
tentative bibliography. Write down the necessary bibliographic
information such as author, title, publisher, date so that you will have
it when you work on the list of works cited.
You
will need to record quotations, paraphrases, and your own ideas. As you
take notes, consider these questions: Do writers agree/disagree with
you? Do they bring up points that you did not consider? If so, did any
of these points make you reconsider your own view?
Try
to use note cards since you can later sort them. Write the author’s
name and the page number on each card in order to keep track of where
the information comes from.
Documenting Sources
When you quote, summarize, or paraphrase factual or
interpretive material, you must acknowledge the source. Within the text
of your paper, use parenthetical citations to refer to works from which
you are quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing. Write the author’s name
and the relevant page number(s) in parenthesis.
In
the list of works cited, you need to provide the complete bibliographic
information for the author’s name cited parenthetically in your paper.
Make sure that the items in the list of works cited are arranged
alphabetically according to the author’s last name. Please see MLA (Modern Language Association)
Writing a First Draft
Examine your tentative thesis. Is it still suitable now that
you’ve read sources? Is it too simple? Did other writers take it as a
given? Revise your tentative thesis if you think you should.
Organize
your ideas, and write the first draft of your paper. Make sure you
refer to your sources and you integrate the writers’ views smoothly into
your own writing. Organize your essay in a clear and logical way. See The Toulmin Model.