September 25: Assignments and Homework

In-Class:

• Journal: Describe an argument you've had with someone else. What was your point of view? What was his/her point of view? Who "won"? Did you learn anything? Did you grow from the experience?
•  We did a worksheet where we stated a claim and came up with four arguments to support our claim.  To support each argument, we found evidence in the book, came up with a counter argument, and refuted it. Here is an example:

Claim: 

Lennie had a happier life than the other characters in the book because of his mental disability.

Argument #1:

Because he doesn't understand the significance of horrible acts, he suffers much less than others.

Evidence to support the argument: 

• George calls Lennie stupid and complains about him all the time; yet, Lennie still loves George and doesn't understand the burden he places on him (page #____)
• When Lennie kills Curly's wife, he doens't feel guilty about committing a murder.   Instead, he is worried he will get in trouble (page #_____)

Counter Argument: 

• When you don't know pain, you also can't know true happiness.

Counter Argument Rebuttal: 

• If you don't know what you're missing, you aren't missing anything.

Homework:

• Write your introductory paper on the back of the worksheet. Make sure to clearly and succinctly state your claim, distinguish it from the counter claim, and introduce what your paper will address. Here is an example:

Lennie is a physically healthy, happy, yet mentally handicapped man.  While some may argue being mentally disabled is  a grave setback, I argue that Lennie led a happier life than the other characters in the book because of his mental disability.  His lack of understanding when people mistreat him, his carefree attitude, and the absence of major responsibilities all contribute to making his life happier.