RECR 4150 Position Topic Presentation Scored

Question: #551

RECR 4150
Position Topic Presentation (50 points)

After being assigned to groups, students will be responsible for providing a 10- to15-minute presentation that highlights a philosophical issue in their related field. Students should use the outline below as a guide to developing their presentation:

1. Students must research debatable topics that relate to their future profession.
Possible topics/arguments:
Health
- Should health care be free for everyone?
- Should everyone be forced to have health care?
- Should the government prohibit private companies from selling unhealthy food?

Recreation
- Should National Parks prohibit horseback riding on ALL park land?
- Should the government intervene in college sports?
- Do sport lockouts more helpful or harmful for fans?
- Should everyone get a trophy?

Kinesiology
- Should girls be able to play on boys sports teams?
- Should young children participate in organized sports?
- Should school and sports be separated?

2. Think of a philosophical question that highlights a topic of interest to your group.
a. Example: Is it harmful for humans to eat fast food more than 4 times a week?

3. Create an introduction
a. Develop your philosophical/thesis statement (i.e. something you believe in).
b. Don’t be too broad.
c. Example: Illegal drug use is detrimental because it encourages gang violence.

4. Defend the argument against someone else's criticism.
5. Offer reasons to believe the thesis.
6. Offer counterexamples (i.e. exceptions) to the thesis.
7. Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of two opposing views about your thesis.
8. Give examples which help explain your thesis, or which help to make the thesis more plausible.
9. Reconstruct your argument. Provide reasoning.
a. Go to http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/calhoun/courses/101/101recon.html to view information on how to reconstruct your argument.

10. Conclusion
What You Will Be Graded On
I. Argumentation (40%)
Outstanding Rating:
Presents, in a clear manner, strong and well-developed arguments in support of its central claims. Successfully rebuts any relevant counterarguments and also anticipates and defuses potential objections. Is in many ways subtle, original, and insightful.
Unsatisfactory Rating:

Fails to adequately defend its central claims. Fails either to successfully rebut relevant
counterarguments or to anticipate and defuse potential objections. Is always trite, trivial, or
unoriginal.

II. Explana
tion and Mastery of the Pertinent Material (30%)
Outstanding Rating:

Chooses a relevant topic. Demonstrates mastery of the pertinent philosophical views, concepts, and arguments. Gives an accurate and charitable explanation and interpretation of the pertinent philosophical texts and views, providing textual support where appropriate. Fully explains key philosophical terms, concepts, and distinctions in an illuminating way, using the author’s own words, examples, and descriptions.

Unsatisfactory Rating:
Chooses an irrelevant topic, or one that is too vague. Fails to demonstrate mastery of the pertinent philosophical views, concepts, and arguments. Provides an incomplete, inaccurate, and/or uncharitable explanation and interpretation of the pertinent philosophical texts and views. Fails to provide adequate explanations for key philosophical terms, concepts, or distinctions.
III. Introduction and Conclusion (20%)

Outstanding Rating:
Has an introduction that motivates the project and defines a sharp focus by clearly stating its central aim(s), e.g., a thesis or controlling idea relating to the assigned topic.
Has a conclusion that summarizes results clearly, explores implications/limitations of those results, and leaves readers with a sense of the paper’s importance.

Unsatisfactory Rating:
Has an inadequate introduction, one that fails to motivate the project or to establish a clear focus by stating a thesis or controlling idea that relates to the assigned topic.
Has an inadequate conclusion, one that fails either to summarize results or to explain their
implications, limitations, and importance.

What You Will Be Graded On

IV. Organization (10%)
Outstanding Rating:
Has a clear and logical organizational plan, wherein the ordering of ideas builds naturally towards the achievement of its central aims. Provides a user-friendly guide to that organizational plan. Uses transitional words/phrases/sentences to show how the various ideas, sentences, and paragraphs relate to the paper’s central aims and to each other.

Unsatisfactory Rating:
Has an illogical or indiscernible organizational plan—the paper is a hodgepodge of ideas. Fails
to provide a clear guide to the organizational plan. Fails to use adequate transitions. Jumps
from one idea or point to another without establishing any connection between them or to
the paper’s central aims.

**Groups will be required to submit their PowerPoints on Blackboard on the date that they are scheduled to present to the class.