Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments in two articles and then prove to your reader why one is stronger than the other.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments in two articles and then prove to your reader why one is stronger than the other.

This doesn’t mean argue for the one you agree with or the one you like better—instead you will carefully look at
what kinds of writing strategies each author uses, how they get their points across, and the strength of their
claims and evidence to decide which article gives a stronger example of argumentative writing.

When analyzing your two sources, look to see what argument elements listed below the authors employ and
analyze them to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of your sources to ultimately decide which is stronger. These are things you can talk about in the body paragraphs of your essay.

Ethos, pathos, logos
Tone, style, purpose
Inductive and deductive reasoning
Toulmin Model elements (claims, grounds, warrants, qualifiers, rebuttals)
Rogerian Model elements (finding common ground)
Logical fallacies.

Your Sources
First choose an ethical issue involving animals (meat eating, animal testing, hunting, and zoos/aquariums are popular choices, but don’t be afraid to explore what’s out there). Then, find two articles on the topic that each 1) take a stance on the topic (in other words, present an argument rather than a pro/con or merely descriptive style) and 2) are on opposite sides of the issue from each other (ex. one claiming that hunting is ethical and the other claiming it isn’t).

Grading Criteria:
_____Well developed introduction and conclusion explaining why one text is stronger

____A clear and unified main point (thesis statement) about why one text has a stronger argument

_____At least four body paragraphs that stay on one topic and open and close on the main point (PIE)

_____ Strong discussions of each article’s argument giving context to your claims (I of PIE)

_____Strong discussions in the body paragraphs of at least three quotations from each text (I of PIE)

_____ Correct MLA formatting, introduction, and citation for each quote

_____ Strong analysis of each text using argumentation terms and concepts (as listed in the paragraph above
grading criteria)

_____Sentences that are clear, easy to understand, and lack typos/grammatical errors

_____Title reflecting the essay’s main point

_____ A works cited page with a correct MLA citation for both sources

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