Unit 6:

Synthesizing

Perspectives

Part 1: Synthesizing Perspectives and Refining Arguments

Part 2: Considering and Accounting for New Evidence

Part 3: Strategic Use of Tone

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“The Ways We Lie”by Stephanie Ericsson

The professional text for this unit is an essay by screenwriter and advertising copywriter Stephanie Ericsson called “The Ways We Lie.” It originally appeared in a 1992 issue of the Utne Reader. Ericsson breaks down the act of lying to make a larger point about the role lying plays in our lives and our culture.

Close Reading - Professional Text

1. How does Ericsson indicated that she anticipates others’ reactions to her claims?
2. At what point in the introductory paragraphs (1-6) does Ericsson suggest she has re-evaluated her initial claim about lying?
3. At what points in her essay does Ericsson show that she has considered new evidence and shifted her line of reasoning as a result?
4. What is Ericsson’s tone? Why does she maintain this tone?
5. Cite at least one instance where Ericsson shifts her tone in order to suggest a qualification, refinement, or reconsideration of her perspective?

Compose Your Own

Respond to Ericsson’s text. What are your views about lying? What types of lies, if any, are you willing to commit? How does lying affect your personal life, your academic life, and your life in society?

Close Reading- Student Text

1. Briefly describe the perspectives of the two sources the writer uses in the student draft.
2. What position(s) do the two sources take? Do they agree or disagree?
3. Based on the writer’s word choice, would this daft be an example of formal, informal, or neutral diction?
4. What is the overall tone of the piece?
5. Is there any place where the tone shifts? If so, where is it, and how does it shift?

Essential Question - Part 1

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How can you identify and develop a sound argument

that synthesizes multiple sources?

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Key Terms- Part 1

• Bias
• Evidence
• Credible/Credibility
• Limitation
• Perspective
• Position
• Reasoning
• Reliable/Reliability
• Source
• Synthesis

1.1 - Evaluating and Synthesizing Material

• A source can be a written text, a spoken text, an image, a website, or other digital resource
• Credibility- the trustworthiness of the author or source
• Reliable- consistently using information from credible sources
• Reliable information often includes a range of information and various viewpoints

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Reliability Chart (see pages 313-314)

1. Scholarly, peer reviewed articles or books
2. Trade or professional articles or books (print or online)
3. Newspaper articles, books, and newspaper articles from well established newspapers
4. Websites, blogs, and social media
5. Wikipedia-- You can use wikipedia as a research tool to find credible articles; however, do not use Wikipedia as a source

Evaluating Sources

• Which ones are relevant to the argument?
• Which ones are relevant to your audience and purpose?
• Which ones provide specific information that would make the argument stronger?
• Which ones are from credible sources?
• Which ones seem to be less credible?
• What further information is needed to decide if the source is reliable and credible?

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Look at Sources A-H on pages 315-316 about lowering the voting age to 16. Evaluate them for credibility and reliability.

Synthesizing Sources

• Your claim is that the voting age should be lowered to 16.
• Which sources support your claim?
• Are the sources reliable? Explain.
• How can you synthesize that information into your argument?

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Write a paragraph that includes the claim and

evidence from at least two of the sources provided.

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Checkpoint 1.1

1.2 - Position VS. Perspective

• A position is a personal idea about the subject
• Perspective is the complex interplay among the writer’s background, interests, and experiences that inform their personal convictions, or positions on ideas

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Look at Sources A-H on pages 315-316, sources B and D both hold the position that 16 year olds should NOT be allowed to vote.

Explain their perspectives.

Checkpoint 1.2

1.3 - Recognize and Acknowledge Biases

• Credible writers acknowledge their own bias
• Bias- the tendency to react prejudicially either for or against something or someone in an unfair way.
• Strong arguments also acknowledge the limitations of any evidence or source provided
• Limitations include:
• Focusing on one aspect of a subject to the exclusion of others
• Faulty reasoning
• The intentional omission of evidence that doesn’t support the claim
• Evidence that only partially supports a claim

Checkpoint 1.3

Unit 6. Part 1 Review

Read “Liars: It Takes one to Know One” by Travis Riddle, published in Scientific American, July 24, 2012. Answer the following questions:

1. Identify the three different positions on lying Riddle uses in the article.

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• Choose three sources Riddle uses, and write a brief evaluation of their credibility. Look them up online to learn more about them.

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• According to Riddle, what are two limitations of the research by Wright et al. that he reports in the article?

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Essential Question - Part 2

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How does the consideration of new evidence

influence an already established thesis or line of reasoning?

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2.1 - Consideration and Use of New Evidence

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• If you discover new evidence that challenges your beliefs, carefully consider the new evidence.
• Consideration and use of new evidence may require revision of the thesis statement and/or changes to the line of reasoning.

Checkpoint 2.1

Unit 6. Part 2 Review

Reread “Liars: IT Takes One to Know One.” Suppose the author came across the following new information after writing the article.

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Unit 6. Part 2 Review

Reread “Liars: IT Takes One to Know One.” Suppose the author came across the following (next slide) new information after writing the article. Read the information and answer the following questions.

1. Does the information in this passage require revisiting the thesis or line of reasoning? If so, how? If not, why?

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• If so, where in the article would be the best place to work in this new information?

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Unit 6. Part 2 Review

Studies over the past two decades using fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance images), which show blood flow to certain parts of the brain during certain activities, have provided evidence that lying involves the frontal cortex. These studies also suggested that lying takes more mental effort than telling the truth. German researcher Ahmed Karim conducted a twist on those studies by using electrodes from outside of the head to deliver safe and painless electrical current aimed at the anterior prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in moral and ethical decision-making. The current blocked the ability of that part of the brain to operate well. As a result, subjects were able to develop better lies (not as easily detected as others) and to reduce their response time. One possible explanation is that the cognitive effort to lie was made easier without the complicating factors of ethics and morality.

Essential Question - Part 3

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How does a writer’s strategic word choice convey

his or her tone, and what does a shift in tone

suggest about the writer’s line of reasoning?

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3.1 - Tone

• Tone is the writer’s attitude or feeling about a subject conveyed through his or her strategic choice of words.
• Word choice (aka diction) includes vocabulary, the use of standard or non-standard vocabulary, and the use of contractions.
• Diction is classified as formal, informal, or neutral.
• Formal- scholarly papers and academic journals; free of contractions and slang
• Informal- uses contractions and slang; everyday language
• Neutral- conversational or personal tone; free of emotional undertones

Denotation and Connotation

• Denotation- the dictionary definition of a word
• Connotation- the emotional association with a word

Checkpoint 1.2

Tone and Writing Style

• Word choice and style work together to create a writer’s tone.
• Writing style is the way a writer expresses thoughts and ideas to create the “voice” readers hear when they read

Checkpoint 3.1

3.2 - Shifts in Tone

• A shift in tone indicates a change in the direction of the argument or in the purpose.
• A shift in tone can indicate one of the following changes:
• Qualification-- May indicate that the claim is not always true or may be valid under certain circumstances
• Refinement - clarifies a point by offering details or examples
• Reconsideration- introduces alternative evidence or commentary to reveal a different viewpoint

Shifts in Tone Signal Words

• Qualification- But, possibly, most likely, basically, generally, unless, however
• Refinement- in addition, to clarify, occasionally, in particular, specifically, furthermore
• Reconsideration- on the other hand, but, however, yet, from another perspective

Checkpoint 3.2