Fall

2016

COMM 104

Los Angeles City College Department of Communication Studies

COMM 104 (3611): Argumentation and Debate
Franklin Hall 225
Wednesdays 3:30pm-6:40pm
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit Aristotle
Professor S. Crachiolo
E-Mail: crachisb@lacitycollege.edu
Office: Communication Center 190
Campus Phone: 323-953-4000 Ext. 2969
Website: scrachiolo.weebly.com

Weekly Office Hours

Wednesdays: 1:00pm-3:00pm
Thursdays: 1:00pm-4:30pm

*This is a tentative syllabus. The instructor reserves the right to make changes throughout the semester.
Changes will be announced during class and emailed to your LACCD email account.
Textbook:
Hollihan, Thomas A. and Kevin T. Baaske. Arguments and Arguing: The Products and Process of Human
Decision Making 3rd ed. Long Grove, IL: Waveland, 2016. Print.
Course Materials: Access to the course website, 3x5 index cards, stopwatch, word processor, and flash
drive or access to online storage. Always back up and save your assignments!
Course Description: Students learn methods of critical inquiry and advocacy identifying fallacies in
reasoning and language, testing evidence and evidence sources, advancing a reasoned position, and
defending and refuting arguments. They study the theory and uses of argumentation and critical thinking,
including research and use of evidence and reason. Students also learn analysis and presentation in the
application of critical thinking skills to construct, analyze and present oral and written arguments. Meets
AA degree and transfer requirements in critical and analytic thinking.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Student will critique arguments.
2. Student will formulate arguments.
*To be approved Fall 2016
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Employ models of communication (UA)

Formulate ethical arguments (UA)
Distinguish between effective and fallacious reasoning (UA)
Evaluate reliability of evidence to support and defend claims (UA)
Deliver an oral argument (UA)
Critique an argument (UA)

LACC Policies and Regulations

A. Please see Syllabus Addendum
B. For online access to the LACC Course Catalog please see
http://www.lacitycollege.edu/schedule/catalog/LACC-Catalog-Complete.pdf

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall- Confucius

Fall 2016

COMM 104

Ms. Cs Additional Rules

Course Website: All course documents (handouts, rubrics, etc.)
are available online
Electronic devices are allowed for academic purposes only. If
you are distracting to the classroom environment you will be
asked to leave.
All homework is due at the beginning of class. Late assignments
are NOT accepted.
Formatting requirements: APA format. For more information,
please see https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

E-Mail

You are expected to use your LACCD email accounts

Please put COMM 104 in the subject line so your email is not sent to spam;
Please write in complete sentences and completely spell words;
End your email with your NAME and your return email address;
Allow your instructors 24-48 hours to respond

Note about grading:

I do not change grades unless I have made a mathematical error. I am happy to talk with you about how
you can enhance your performance, but I will not argue with you about a grade I have given. Any
discussion of grades will be held privately between the individual student and the instructor; class time
will not be used as a forum to address these concerns.
Final Grades: the point total that you receive at the end of the semester is your final grade. I do not
bump up students 1 or 2 points to the next grade. Final letter grades are determined by percentage
points. For example, 89.45% and higher will receive an A and 89.44% and lower will receive a B.
Assignments
Readings: Regular reading assignments from the text are listed on the course schedule. Be sure to read the
material before you come to class.
Quizzes/Exams: There will be five quizzes throughout the semester. Quizzes will be given at the
beginning of class. There will be two exams during the semester (midterm and final). Each will cover
information from the lectures, readings, and in class activities. Exams will require you to supply your own
Scantron form 882-E. 250 points
Proposition of Fact Paper: You will argue that something is propaganda using concepts from lecture and
readings. APA format, 3-5 pages, minimum 3 references. 50 points
Proposition of Value Presentation: In a small group, you will take a position on an issue in this years
election to persuade the class which way to vote. 85 points.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall- Confucius

Fall 2016

COMM 104

Proposition of Policy Debate: Using Parliamentary Debate, teams of two will argue for or against a
resolution. Debate cases and refutation blocks will be completed by each team and graded by team.
Debaters are graded individually during the debate based on speaker position. 150 points.
Argument Diagram: Using the Toulmin model, you will diagram an Editorial article assigned by
Professor Crachiolo 50 points
In the News: Throughout the semester you will compile articles on a topic in the news 30 points
Grade Breakdown: Total points available: 600
Record and keep track of your grade throughout the semester. Grades are calculated on a points-based
system. To calculate your grade at any time, add your earned points and divide by the total number of
possible points. For example, lets pretend that there are only 200 points possible and you have earned
175 so far. To calculate your grade, divide your points 175/200 (possible points). Your grade would be:
87.5% which is a B.
Assignment

Your Grade

Assignment

Pledge

/5

Proposition of Value

Index Card

/5

Policy Debate

Your Grade
/75
/100

In The News 1

/10

Case and Refutation Block

/35

In The News 2

/10

Quiz 1

/10

In The News 3

/10

Quiz 2

/10

Proposition of Fact Paper

/50

Quiz 3

/10

Argument Diagram

/50

Quiz 4

/10

Midterm

/100

Quiz 5

/10

Final

/100

Total Grade

/600

Its supposed to be hard. If it wasnt hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it
great A League of Their Own
Grade Scale
537-600=A (90-100%)
477-536.5=B (80-89%)
417-476.5=C (70-79%)
357-416.5=D (60-69%)
0-356.5=F (0-59%)

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall- Confucius

Fall 2016

COMM 104

Course Schedule*
*The instructor reserves the right to make changes as the semester progresses
Week
Topic

Assigned/Due

1- Aug 31

Syllabus; Catchphrase
Defining Argumentation

Read Ch. 1;
Assigned: Index Card and Pledge

2- Sep 7

The Foundations of Argument

Narrative Paradigm and Propaganda
Quiz 1: Week 1

Read Ch. 2; Jowett and ODonnell Propaganda

and Hitlers Propaganda
Due: Index Card and Pledge

3- Sep 14

Argumentation and Critical Thinking

Audiences and Fields of Argument
Quiz 2: Week 2

Read Ch. 3 and 5 Due: ITN 1

Assigned: Proposition of Fact Paper

4- Sep 21

Types of Arguments (Reasoning)

Refuting Arguments (Fallacies)
Quiz 3: Week 3

Read Ch. 6 and Ch. 9 (fallacy sections only)

Assigned: Argument Diagram

5- Sep 28

Research
Workshop: Proposition of Fact Paper

Read Ch. 8
Due: ITN 2

6- Oct 5

Credibility
Toulmin Model Workshop

Due: Proposition of Fact Paper

7- Oct 12

Midterm Exam
Argumentation in Politics

Due: Argument Diagram

Read. Ch. 13
Assigned: Proposition of Value Presentation

8- Oct 19

Introduction to Academic Debate

Read Ch. 11-12

9- Oct 26

Academic Debate Continued

Workshop: Presentations
Quiz 4: Week 8

Read Ch. 9 (Refutation sections)

Assign resolutions and teams for debates

10- Nov 2

Proposition of Value Presentations

All paperwork due

11- Nov 9

Workshop: Policy Debate

Case construction

Due: ITN 3

12- Nov 16

Workshop: Policy Debate

Quiz 5: Case Construction

Practice Debates/Paperwork Check

13- Nov 23

Workshop: Policy Debate

Practice Debates/Paperwork Check

14- Nov 30

Policy Debate

All paperwork Due

15- Dec 7

Policy Debate

16- Dec 14

FINAL EXAM 5:00pm-7:00pm

Green 882-E Scantron

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall- Confucius

Fall 2016
Course: COMM 104
Title:

ARGUMENTATION AND DEBATE

Course Description
Students learn methods of critical inquiry and advocacy identifying fallacies in reasoning and language, testing evidence
and evidence sources, advancing a reasoned position, and defending and refuting arguments. They study the theory
and uses of argumentation and critical thinking, including research and use of evidence and reason. Students also learn
analysis and presentation in the application of critical thinking skills to construct, analyze and present oral and written
arguments. Meets AA degree and transfer requirements in critical and analytic thinking.

Units/Transferability
Transferrable to UC and CSU

Prerequisites/Co-requisites/Advisories
No Prerequisite. No Corequisites. No Advisories.

Course Student Learning Outcomes

1) Student will critique arguments. 2) Student will formulate arguments.

Grading Scale or Criteria

A - Excellent
B - Good
C - Satisfactory
D - Less than satisfactory

F - Failing
P - Pass; at least equivalent to a C grade or better
NP - Not Pass; equal to D or F grade;

Drop Date and Repeats

For classes from 8/29/16 to 12/18/16, the deadline to drop without a W on your transcript is September 11, 2016.
Effective July 1, 2012 students are allowed three (3) attempts to pass a single class within the Los Angeles Community
College District. If a student gets a W or grade of D, F, or NP in a class, that counts as an attempt. If you think
you will not be able to complete this course with a C or better, drop by November 20, 2016. If the class begins or ends
on a different date, please refer to http://www.lacitycollege.edu/services/admissions/dates.html

Attendance Policy
Students who are registered and miss the first class meeting may lose their right to a place in the class. Whenever
students are absent more hours than the number of hours the class meets per week, the instructor may exclude them
from class. If the instructor determines that there are no mitigating circumstances that may justify the absences, the
instructor may exclude a student from the class. Students are responsible for officially dropping a class that they stop
attending.

Financial Aid
If you need help paying for books and other college expenses, call the Financial Aid Office at (323) 953-4000 ext.2010,
http://www.lacitycollege.edu/stusvcs/finaid/.

Accommodations
Students with a verified disability who may need authorized accommodation(s) for this class are encouraged to notify
the instructor and the Office of Special Services (323-953-4000, ext.2270) as soon as possible, and at least two weeks
before any exam or quiz. All information will remain confidential.

Student Code of Conduct

Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, the following actions: cheating on an exam, plagiarism,
working together on an assignment, paper or project when the instructor has specifically stated students should not do
so, submitting the same term paper to more than one instructor, or allowing another individual to assume ones identity
for the purpose of enhancing ones grade (see LACCD Board Rule 9803.28). Penalties may include a grade of zero or
"F" on an exam or paper, or even suspension from the College.