1. Critical Reading and Critique: Part 3

2. Monty Python’s Fallacies How many did you find? Let’s share the results.

3. Exploring Reasons for Agreement and Disagreement Exercise 2.4 Go to a website that presents short persuasive essays on current social issues, such as reason.com, opinion-pages.org, drudgereport.com or speakout.com. Locate a selection ona topic of interest that takes a clear, argumentative position. Write one paragraph summarizing the key argument. Write two paragraphs articulating your agreement or disagreement with the author. Devote each of the two paragraphs to a single point.

4. For Class Discussion Title and author of website Argument made Your take on it

5. The Key is Identifying the Assumptions Assumptions are the foundation on which arguments are built. You must identify them accurately and fairly.

6. Your Job is to Evaluate the Assumptions You will determine the validity of the assumptions based on your own: experience observations reading values

7. The Critique Determine what an author says How well the points are made What assumptions underlie the argument What issues are overlooked What implications can be drawn from such an analysis

8. A Good Critique Fair and accurate Draw on and cite information from other sources Include a statement of your assumptions

9. Exercise 2.5 Write an informal response to the critique. What are its strengths and weaknesses? To what extent does the critique follow the general Guidelines for Writing Critiques