Question

1. sherry uses dismissive terms to characterize objections to flunking—cheats and excuses. in your opinion, does she do enough to acknowledge the other side of the argument? explain.
2. what is the “f word” discussed in the essay? does referring to it as the “f word” increase the effectiveness of the essay? why?
3. who is sherry’s audience? (glossary: audience) is it receptive to the “f word”? explain your answer.
4. in what way is sherry qualified to comment on the potential benefits of flunking students? do you think her induction is accurate?

classroom activity using argument
a first - year composition student, marco schm an essay in which he will argue that music should be required for all public high school students. he has collected the following pieces of evidence:

• informal interviews with four classmates. three of the classmates stated that they would have enjoyed and benefited from taking a music course in high school, and the fourth stated that she would not have been interested in taking music.
• an article from a professional journal for teachers comparing the study habits of students who were involved in music and those who were not. the author, a psychologist, found that students who play an instrument or sing regularly have better study habits than students who do not.
• a brief article from a national newsmagazine praising an inner - city high school’s experimental curriculum, in which music classes play a prominent part.
• the personal web site of a high school music teacher who posts information about the successes and achievements of her former students.

discuss these pieces of evidence with your classmates. which are most convincing? which provide the least support for marco’s argument?

Explanation:

1. Sherry does not do enough to acknowledge the other - side of the argument. By using dismissive terms like "cheats and excuses", she fails to give a fair and in - depth consideration to the opposing viewpoints.
2. The "F word" likely refers to "flunking". Referring to it as the "F word" may increase the essay's effectiveness as it creates a sense of mystery and draws the reader in, making the topic more engaging.
3. Sherry's audience could be educators, parents, or those involved in the education system. Whether they are receptive to the "F word" depends on their openness to direct and potentially controversial language. If they are more traditional, they may not be receptive, but if they are open - minded about educational reform, they might be.
4. Sherry may be qualified through personal experience, research, or knowledge in the education field. Whether her induction is accurate depends on the validity of her evidence and reasoning. Regarding Marco's evidence:

• The informal interviews have limited scope as only 4 classmates are surveyed, so they provide weak support.
• The article from a professional journal by a psychologist is strong evidence as it is based on a more scientific comparison.
• The national newsmagazine article is somewhat convincing as it shows a real - world example of a successful curriculum with music.
• The high school music teacher's website is more anecdotal and may provide less objective support.

Answer:

1. No, she does not do enough as she uses dismissive terms instead of a fair analysis.
2. The "F word" is "flunking". It may increase effectiveness as it is attention - grabbing.
3. Audience could be educators/parents etc. Receptiveness varies based on their mindset.
4. Qualified potentially through experience/research. Accuracy depends on evidence. For Marco, interviews are least convincing, journal article is most convincing, newsmagazine article is somewhat convincing, and teacher's website is least objective.