PASSAGE ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

BASIC INFORMATION:

Worth 35% of final mark.
Due: Session 24, Monday, December 2, 2019, 9:00 am.
Pages must be numbered.
Upload assignment to link posted to Session 24, on or before 9:00 am on Monday, December 2.
Choose only one (1) of the 3 passages posted to Session 22.
Complete all the Passage Analysis Steps, as taught in class, following the model and format taught in class. See below for Passage Analysis Steps, grading criteria and assignment topics.
Assignment includes 3 parts: Out of total 112 marks
Copy of annotated passage. 10 marks
Written answers to the Passage Analysis Steps. 77 marks.
Essay. 25 marks

GRADING RUBRIC & CRITERIA:
= Out of 112 marks

MODULE 3 – PASSAGE ANALYSIS STEPS
Adapted from Saindon & Krek, Critical Thinking, p. 213, Table 8.2

Read, annotate and clarify the passage.
Portray the basic conceptual structure in the passage.
Portray the basic argument structure in the passage.
Assess the concepts.
Assess the arguments.
Present your analysis.

Step 1: Out of 10 marks
Read, annotate and clarify the passage
Skim for meaning, purpose, and conclusion. = Not marked, since no way of knowing that student has completed this step. It is assumed that student has done this.
Read the passage over once from beginning to end without marking it up. = Not marked, since no way of knowing that student has completed this step. It is assumed that student has done this.
Draw a line separating each paragraph of the article.
Number each paragraph.
Underline, bold or circle, significant, non-trivial, signal words and logical (premise and conclusion) indicator words.
Underline or highlight the main point or topic sentence of each paragraph. Do not over highlight. Indicate only the topic sentences.
Indicate the main or central concepts by circling, underlining, highlighting.
Clarify the meaning of key concepts, phrases and claims.
Highlight, circle or underline any words that you do not know the meaning of. Look these words up in the dictionary. Write the definition in the margin of the article or insert definition in body of the text.
Write out any missing referent words in square brackets.
As you read, make notes to yourself about your response to the article; for example, your thoughts, emotional reaction, questions, confusions, interesting points, and so on.

Create a Summary of the Passage
Create a summary of the passage by copy and pasting, or typing out, each of the topic sentences in the passage. Must only be as many numbers as there are paragraphs, as per the model taught in class, not more.

Step 2: Out of 14 marks
Portray the basic conceptual structure in the passage
State the two most main concepts around which the passage turns. 2 marks
Formulate the most main conceptual question with which the passage is concerned. 2 marks
Question must be (1) conceptual, not (2) empirical/factual or (3) normative/evaluative.
Explain what the author means by the two main concepts, that is, provide a detailed understanding of how the author defines the concepts in chart or list form, following the model taught in lecture. 10 marks, 5 marks for each concept

Step 3:
Portray the basic argument structure in the passage = Out of 10 marks
Diagram the argument in Standard Argument Form; include:
most main stated premises;
any stated reasons the author has given for believing these most main premises.
Formulate and state 2 hidden premises or unstated assumptions.
Conclusions must be the most main conclusion of the passage; the most main point that the author is trying to convince the reader of.
o Must be in standard argument form as taught in class; not diagramming with arrows.

Step 4: OUT OF 20 MARKS
Assess the Author’s Use of the Main Concepts =
Evaluate the speaker or author’s use of concepts by answering the following four questions:
Must explain and support answers in some detail and with direct reference to the passage, even if the answer to the question is “no.”
In answers, need to draw on course material from the slides that accompanies these questions as they were taught in class.
Are they clearly defined? 5 marks
Are they used in a sense that it too narrow or too wide? 5 marks
Are they used consistently, or do they shift in meaning throughout the article? 5 marks
Can their weaknesses be strengthened (i.e., positively criticized)? 5 marks

Step 5: Out of 33 marks
Assess the Author’s Arguments
Evaluate the argument by answering the following three questions:
Does the argument violate any of the criteria for a good argument? 10 marks
Must define what it means to violate this condition for a good argument in any argument.
Must back up claims by explaining how or why this condition for a good argument is violated.
Must refer directly to the premises in the passage when supporting your answer.
Discuss the violation of only one condition; not two or all three, however, discuss all occurrences of the violation in your diagram. Example, if you choose to discuss the “relevancy” condition for a good argument, must discuss all violations of the “relevancy” condition.
Refer to premise numbers of the premises from your argument diagram that violate the condition for a good argument.
Are there any clear and serious fallacies? Find one fallacy and neutralize it using the 5-step process. 18 marks
Name only one fallacy that occurs in the passage.
Must neutralize it using all 5 steps of the 5-step process taught in Module 1.
Can some of the arguments be made stronger (i.e., positively criticized)? 5 marks
Format answer as follows: “Weakness” then “How to Strengthen.”
List “weakness” in argument first, then state how to strengthen it directly beneath the “weakness.”
Use “weakness” and “how to strengthen” as sub-headings.

Step 6: Out of 25 marks
Write an Essay
Write an essay arguing whether you are convinced or not by the author’s argument, and whether the author has understood the two most main concepts appropriately or not.
Follow the model taught in class for structuring and writing the essay.
Do NOT do any outside research. This is NOT a research paper.
1,000 – 1,250 words.

Grading Criteria for Essay:
Maximum 1,000 words – 1,250 marks will be deducted for going over page limit.
Double-spaced
Any quoting from passage, use paragraph numbers; example, (Par. 2).
No bibliography or citations.
1” margins
“Argumentative Essay”
No outside research
Must be structured in the following way: Introduction, Topic Sentence #1, support for Topic Sentence #1, Topic Sentence #2, support for Topic Sentence #2, and conclusion.
Uses lots of signal words and logical indicator words

Introduction: = out of 5 marks
Does the essay have an introduction?
Is the introduction no more than approximately 4 sentences?
Does the introduction begin by stating the topic?
Does the introduction attempt to get the reader’s attention?
Does the introduction give a brief overview of the approach in the essay?
Does the introduction end with a substantive thesis statement?
Does the introduction do the 3 main things any good introduction should do:
In the first sentence, identify the topic of your essay and the context of your approach as specifically as possible. If your first sentence contains a key word from your thesis, your introduction is not likely to be too general or too specific.
In the next two or three sentences, guide your reader to your thesis by defining the most important aspects of your approach to your topic in more detail. In these sentences, you are gradually narrowing down to your thesis.
End with your thesis.
Does your introduction avoid these common pitfalls?
Don’t provide dictionary definitions, especially of words your audience already knows.
Don’t repeat the assignment specifications using the professor’s wording.
Don’t give details and in-depth explanations that really belong in your body paragraphs. You can usually postpone background material to the body of the essay.

Thesis Statement: See Session 19 Slides 16 – 33 = out of 5 marks
Does the essay have substantive thesis statement?
Is the thesis statement the main point, main idea, central message, or main conclusion of the essay?
Is the thesis statement the last sentence or last two sentences of the introduction?
Is your thesis statement specific?
Is your thesis statement too general?
Is your thesis statement clear?
Does your thesis include a comment about your position on the issue at hand?
Is your thesis statement original?
Does your thesis merely announce the topic?
Does your thesis statement make extreme, universal statements that are difficult to defend?
Does the thesis statement merely report a fact or facts?

Body of the Essay:
Topic sentence #1 = out of 5 marks
Support of Topic sentence #1 = out of 5 marks
Topic sentence #2 = out of 5 marks
Support of Topic sentence #2 = out of 5 marks
Does the body of your essay have 2 topic sentences?
Has each topic sentence been explained and supported?
Do the topic sentences states the main point of the supporting paragraphs that follow it?
Do the topic sentences serve as a mini-thesis for the supporting paragraphs that follow?
Are the topic sentences clear signposts for your readers—or a headline—something that alerts them to the most important, interpretive points in your essay?
When read in sequence, do your essay’s topic sentences will provide a sketch of the essay’s argument?
Do your topics sentences help protect your readers from confusion by guiding them through the argument?
Conclusion: = out of 5 marks
Does your conclusion do the 3 main things that any good conclusion should do:
Restate your thesis using different words.
Summarize your main points.
Suggest the broader context of your thesis.
Does your conclusion avoid merely repeating your thesis by:
Making your thesis more specific by referring to material in your middle paragraphs.
Using synonyms for some key terms and repeating others.
Changing the structure of the thesis sentence.
Beginning with a transitional phrase that links your middle paragraphs to your thesis.
Does your conclusion avoid simply repeating your topic sentences by:
Combining several points into one or two sentences.
Emphasizing the common principle that ties the separate points together.

1,000 – 1,250 words = 4 – 5 pages

INTRODUCTION = ½ page

Thesis Statement:
Your OVERALL conclusion about the strength or weakness of the passage in terms argument and concepts.

BODY = 3 – 4 pages

Topic Sentence #1
Your conclusion about whether the author’s argument is strong, weak, very weak, or very strong.
Maximum ¾ page.

Support for Topic Sentence #1
You need to argue with reference to ALL of the following:
Violation of one of the 3 conditions for a good argument.
One fallacy. (Don’t neutralize.)
Your thinking and analysis
No outside research.

Topic Sentence #2
Your conclusion about whether the author has appropriately understood and used the main concepts in the passage.
Maximum ¾ page.

Support for Topic Sentence #2
Answer with reference to only one (1) or (2) of the following:
Are they clearly defined?
Are they too narrow or too wide?
Do they shift in meaning? (equivocate)

CONCLUSION = ½ page

Looking for a Similar Assignment? Order now and Get 10% Discount! Use Coupon Code "Newclient"