UNIT 4 ASSIGNMENT 1: TOULMIN ANALYSIS

Question A: What is the claim? Is it explicitly stated, or did you have to infer it?
Part 1: What is the Claim? The author refers to farming as a minority lifestyle, and believes that it is overrepresented in early childhood education. In short, we live in an advanced society, thus children should no longer be educated on the inner workings of farm life.
Part 2: Is it explicitly stated, or did you have to infer it? No, I did not have to read between the lines discover the claim of the essay. The author was clear about the claim she made.
Question B: What are some examples of support? The author uses a single episode of the television show “Blue’s Room” to support the claim. There was no other outside source to back up the author’s claim.
Question C: What are the author’s warrants? Does the author supply backing for the warrants? If yes, how?
Part 1: What are the author’s warrants? The author believes that educating children about farm life is a waste of time. She goes on to state that children would be better off educated on A.T.M.’s and ring tones. She then refers to a portion of the “Blue’s Room” farming episode as “shocking” in which a puppet demonstrates how to milk a cow.
Part 2: Does the author supply backing for the warrants? No, she does not. The essay is filled with her opinions and supposition with no backing or proof.
Question D: Do you share the author’s warrants? Do you have conflicting warrants? If you have conflicting warrants, what are they?
Part 1: Do you share the author’s warrants? No I do not, nor do I understand how she came to believe the way she does about farming education.
Part 2: Do you have conflicting warrants? Yes I do. I believe that education is crucial, specifically with regards to farming and agriculture.
Question E: Is there a rebuttal in the argument? If yes, what is it?
Part 1: Is there a rebuttal in the argument? No, the author does not provide a rebuttal argument for the essay.
Question F: Is the claim qualified? How?
Part 1: Is the claim qualified? No the claim is not qualified. The author uses language of certainty throughout the essay.
Question G: Do you find this argument convincing? Why or why not?
Part 1: Do you find this argument convincing. No I did not find it convincing at all. I found it to be an annoying and troublesome read.
Part 2: Why or why not? To state in such a direct way that farming education is wasted on today’s children is shameful, neglectful and dangerous. American farms are dying. Go up to the local Fresh Market and one can see this decline right before their eyes. Her argument was ignorant and one-sided. It made me angry enough to research her. Every article I read from her was the same. Nothing that I read held any sourced material to back up her opinions. She writes personal rants and nothing more. Personally, I think she sounds like lunatic.

Sources Cited:
Wood, N. V. (2012). Perspectives on argument. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Cited: Wood, N. V. (2012). Perspectives on argument. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.