Fallacious D

Hasty conclusion like toy balloon: easy blow up, easy pop.
–Charlie Chan at the Race Track  

Your homework is to make sure you have the 3 scenarios on your blog.  

Here are 10 logical fallacies. Research them here or/and here and then create for your blog three short scenarios: two of which are examples that you make up of the fallacies below and one that is meant to be logically consistent. In class, we’ll examine these paragraphs and see if the class can guess which is which. Make sure that it’s not obvious that you’re using a fallacy. Make us work; make us better.

• Begging the Question


• Slippery Slope


• False Dilemma


• Post Hoc


• Biased Sample


• Gambler’s Fallacy


• Hasty Generalization


• Ad Hominem


• Straw Man


• Tu Quoque

Remember: DON’T label your scenarios as it will take the fun out of guessing what’s what.

All right 2nd period, it's back to the way it was. I almost couldn't find this theme -- they moved it and a bunch that used to be free into the premium section.

Recognizing Satire

Read this article from the Onion then respond to the following questions on your blog.

• What features of the text indicate that it is a satire?


• What is the purpose of this satire? What current issues does this article address?


• What are the advantages of addressing them in a satire rather than in a more mainstream form?

Two Polars Bears took a DGP test...

1st period: No DGP

2nd period: Study DGP. You know what the test is going to be like. We will have another chance to put this all behind us next week.

Both periods: Think about what you need the most help on. We will have a bit of a planning session tomorrow for the rest of the time up to the test. We'll also take a look at one of my favorite polar bear essays tomorrow (okay, so it's the only polar bear essay I really know). :)

DGP humor...

Machiavellian Machinations

Reread, or perhaps read for the first time, chapters 15-18 in Niccolo Machiavelli's The Morals of the Prince. Feel free to annotate the copy you received in class today. You might find it useful.

Then complete this graphic organizer on the reading for Thursday, though doing it earlier will help you more. For audience and speaker, you may find useful information in the dedication, which is an amazing argument in and of itself.

Oh, and check out the calendar page linked at the top of this page.

What a prince!

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="alignright" width="182" caption="Niccolo Machiavelli"][/caption]

Your homework this weekend is to:

1. Finish the multiple choice section we began in class on Friday (answering the completed, released test questions, i.e. circle the best answer).


2. Read chapters 15-18 of The Morals of the Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli for Tuesday. I have a newer translation, but there are technical problems with the copier/scanner that the tech group couldn't fix today. So, I will provide copies of the newer translation on Monday to use on Tuesday.

On Monday, we will be doing Career Cruising.

Calendar of events

Anyone want $30,000 for college?

Information is available at the VFW Scholarship Essay Contest website.  For a paper brochure, contact kharmer@vfw.org.

Prizes are awarded at several levels, but the grand prize is a $30,000 scholarship.

DGP...The Neverending Story

Go to this grammar website and work through the The Basics of Sentence Diagramming (Part One and Part Two). You might also find the Anatomy of a Sentence to be helpful.

Start using this in conjunction with your DGP packet to master the structure of a sentence. Your next test will be in a couple of weeks.

Go through this tutorial carefully. Many people missed a lot of points because they didn't see the relationships between the sentence parts that the tutorial covered well.

Please Help

I'm piloting Google Sites as the district is thinking of moving to them next year. Check out the new Giddings Google Noodle and let me know what you think (keep in mind it is only under construction).  Thus far, is it as good, not as good, or better than Edublogs? Could you leave a comment on this post letting me know your opinion?  Thank you!

Pop Culture Synthesis Essay

[caption id="attachment_1084" align="alignright" width="131" caption="DGP Citation issued!!!"][/caption]

DGP Update: 2nd period missed the threshold by 10.7 percentage points...so the quest continues.

This synthesis paper will be on Entering the Conversation question number 3 on page 787 (in the popular culture conversation section we’ve been working on).  Note that you must use at least three of our conversation sources, though you may also use any of the pop culture essays and articles we’ve read in class as well as our discussion and the Merchants of Cool video.

We will have the next couple of days in class to work on this. Please be ready to write so I can help you.

Synthesis Paper Requirements:

• 1200 words


• MLA format (page style, in-text citations, and works cited page — see MLA at Owl and Easybib links under the AP heading to the left as well as this post for class MLA modifications for help on this)


• Synthesize at least three sources from the conversation section (other sources are okay, but not required on this essay)

Due Dates:

• Rough draft due Tuesday, April 13th for 1st period


• Rough draft due Wednesday, April 14th for 2nd period


• Final Draft Due Friday, April 16th

Suggestions:

• Remember that your argument is paramount and your sources are there to support you, not the other way around


• Key notes on Synthesis in our book are in chapter 3, especially the last sentence before the new section on page 62; the paragraph beginning “Sources should enhance” on page 65; and pages 81-85


• Finish early and revise! When you revise, think about the following:
  
  
  
  • These revision guidelines
  
  
  • organization
  
  
  • how your sources interact with your audience (see p.69 ff.)
  
  
  • transitions!
  
  
  • remember that this is an argument, it’s just one that is both informed and formally supported
  
  
  
  


• Write a clear, convincing, awesome essay!

April 7th

[caption id="attachment_1077" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Man, I wish I'd studied so I wouldn't have to keep doing DGP!!!"][/caption]

1st period - Meet in the Study Hall lab tomorrow.

2nd Period - Study your DGP!!!! We test tomorrow!

Five sentences.

Fifty Points.

Sweet redemption.