Material Detail

English 147: Writing Arguments about STEM website includes course material developed at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.  You will find sample assignments, OER textbooks, and a sample syllabus for a 10-week writing course. 

Description: Critical analysis of arguments about STEM topics. Examination and application of logical and rhetorical principles. Evaluation of sources and evidence. Composing arguments across a range of genres and media. Students will:

• Identify principles of rhetoric and logical reasoning in arguments about STEM topics.
• Analyze and compose arguments of fact.
• Analyze and compose arguments of value.
• Analyze and compose arguments that advocate on issues of social import using sound reasoning and evidence.
• Compose texts in different genres and multiple media for diverse audiences.
• Engage with the ethical and cultural dimension of argument.
• Evaluate the credibility of evidence when constructing arguments.

Assignments: Assignments for this course were developed based on the classical rhetorical theory of Stasis, a critical method for analyzing and composing arguments. Stasis theory suggests that arguments can be categorized into four main types: arguments of fact (did something happen?), arguments of definition (how should we classify this event?), argument of value/quality (how should we evaluate this event?), and arguments of policy (should action be taken? if so, what action should be taken?). Stasis theory further contends that stasis categories build upon each other and that disputing parties must reach a consensus on lower stasis-level questions before they can move onto questions at the next stasis level.

In addition to in-class writing and activities, students will be asked to complete three main composition assignments related to stasis theory and STEM topics: 1) Writing an Argument of Fact; 2) Writing an Argument of Value; 3) Writing an Argument of Policy.

This website was initially developed with funding from the AB798 College Textbook Affordability Act of 2015.

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