Sugary Drinks Ban Begs the Question: An Analysis of Persuasive Text

Sugary Drinks Ban Begs the Question: An Analysis of Persuasive Text

Sugary Drinks Ban Begs the Question: Who has the right to decide what you consume

A Common Core Lesson By

Dean Berry, Ed. D. Gregg Berry, B. A.

Common Core Curriculum Solutions

www.commoncorecurriculum.info

Common Core Reading Standards

Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards

Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Reading with Your Eyes and Your Brain

Skillful readers learn how to read persuasive or opinionated text with a very critical eye. They realize that the author’s purpose is to convince the reader to believe what the author is saying and to consider the arguments given as valid even if they violate logical reasoning and lack supporting evidence. The author’s motive may be to get the reader to buy something, vote a certain way, change an attitude, or behave differently.

• In order to avoid manipulation by the author, good readers learn how to detect poor reasoning and faulty arguments. They are able to identify the various logical fallacies or smoke screens that attempt to cover up the lack of strong supporting evidence for each claim. During this lesson, we will examine an article and separate the fluff from the substance and determine whether or not we believe the author makes a strong or weak argument.

What does a good reader look for?

As you read the following article, attempt to separate the unimportant language and innuendo from the heart of the matter. Look for the primary message that contains the claim or claims that the author is making. As a reader, your job is to look for arguments that support the author’s claim and include reasonable examples and factual statements. However, recognizing the claim and supporting evidence takes practice.

Take a Few Notes

Complete the chart below using the information provided in the following frame.

• Author’s Claim:

• Evidence:

• Reasoning:

Author’s Claim: May be an answer to the question posed, a proposed solution to the problem, or the thesis of the persuasive text.Evidence: Could include appropriate analogies, clearly presented facts, statistical data, quotations or testimonials, or anecdotal examples.Reasoning: Should explain how the evidence supports the claim and needs to avoid using logical fallacies.

Three Essential Requirements for a Persuasive Argument

Recognizing the thesis sentence and author’s claim The thesis sentence or claim is typically the ONE sentence in the text that asserts, controls, and structures the entire argument. Without a strong persuasive, thoughtful thesis or claim, an article might seem unfocused, weak, and not worth the reader's time. • A good thesis sentence will make a claim.• A good thesis sentences will control the entire • argument• A good thesis will provide a structure for the author’s

argument.

Let’s Practice Writing Some Claims

• Select two of the topics below and write a statement for each that makes a claim about how to solve a problem.• Air Pollution• School Drop Outs• Increase in Diabetes• High Unemployment• Cell Phone Addiction• Unhealthy American Diets

How much evidence is provided by the author?

When you read the article, examine the author’s claim and determine if the supporting evidence is adequate to substantiate the claim. After reading the selection, you will be asked to develop an outline showing the claim and supporting arguments with examples and factual statements.

What does evidence look like?

When we read a persuasive text, we must read very closely to ensure that the arguments that are presented include very specific, credible evidence. For example, we should look for statistical data such as numbers and scores, analogies that compare similar claims and solutions, quotations or testimonials supporting the claims, or anecdotal examples that substantiate the claim.

What does the research say?

1. Statistical Evidence• Statistical evidence is the kind of data people tend to

look for first when trying to prove a point.  That’s not surprising when you consider how prevalent it is in today’s society.   Remember those McDonald’s signs that said “Over 1 billion served”? How about those Trident chewing gum commercials that say “4 out of 5 dentists recommend chewing sugarless gum”? Every time you use numbers to support a main point, you’re relying on statistical evidence to carry your argument. 

What do you think?

Use your imagination

What are some possible types of statistical evidence?

For deodorant?Air Pollution?Poor Math Grades?

What do the experts say?

2. Testimonial Evidence• Testimonial evidence is another type of evidence that is

commonly turned to by people trying to prove a point.  Commercials that use spokespersons to testify about the quality of a company’s product, lawyers who rely on eye-witness accounts  to win a case, and students who quote an authority in their essays are all using testimonial evidence. 

Stand and Deliver

Who can give us a testimonial about one of these?

Jennifer Lopez ClothingAndroid Smart PhoneAlberto’s Carne Asada Fries Gucci’s High Priced Hand Bag

Do personal observations support the claim?3. Anecdotal Evidence• Often dismissed as untrustworthy and meaningless,

anecdotal evidence is one of the more underutilized types of evidence.  Anecdotal evidence is evidence that is based on a person’s observations of the world.   It can actually be very useful for disproving generalizations because all you need is one example that contradicts a claim. 

•Be careful when using this type of evidence to try and support your claims.  One example of a non-native English speaker who has perfect grammar does NOT prove that ALL non-native English speakers have perfect grammar.  All the anecdote can do is disprove the claim that all immigrants who are non-native English speakers have terrible grammar. 

You CAN use this type of evidence to support claims, though, if you use it in conjunction with other types of evidence.  Personal observations can serve as wonderful examples to introduce a topic and build it up – just make sure you include statistical evidence so the reader of your paper doesn’t question whether your examples are just isolated incidents. 

Use Your Imagination

• Create an anecdote or personal observation about a situation and solution that seems to work very well. Use one of the following topics:• Home Security Alarm Systems• Replacing Textbooks with On Line Learning• Animal Cruelty• Facebook Problems

Do similar situations provide evidence?

4. Analogical Evidence• The last type of evidence is called analogical evidence.  It is

also underutilized, but this time for a reason.  Analogies are mainly useful when dealing with a topic that is under-researched.  If you are on the cutting edge of an issue, you’re the person breaking new ground.  When you don’t have statistics to refer to or other authorities on the matter to quote, you have to get your evidence from somewhere.  Analogical evidence steps in to save the day.

•Take the following example: You work for a company that is considering turning some land into a theme park. On that land there happens to be a river that your bosses think would make a great white-water rafting ride.  They’ve called on you to assess whether or not that ride would be a good idea. 

• Since the land in question is as yet undeveloped, you have no casualty reports or statistics to refer to.  In this case, you can look to other rivers with the same general shape to them, altitude, etc.  and see if any white-water rafting casualties have occurred on those rivers.  Although the rivers are different, the similarities between them should be strong enough to give credibility to your research.  Realtors use the same type of analogical evidence when determining the value of a home. •When you use analogies to support your claims, always remember their power. 

How do you evaluate the author’s claim?

Let’s Review These Ideas

Discuss and Take Some Notes• What are some types of evidence that we might look for?• What kind of emotional appeals might the author use? How

should the reader deal with these?• Why should we expect the author to recognize or refute

opposing claims?

Also, take notes on the following page so you can use these prompts when you read the article.

When we read the article, use these phrases to record your notes showing the evidence used in the text.

•According to the text…•The author stated…•For instance…•For example…•Because…

Annotating the text as you perform close reading is a great way to ensure effective critical reading.

As you take margin notes and mark up the text, identify assumptions, opinions, faulty arguments, weak or strong evidence, and key words or phrases.

How much evidence is provided by the author?

Examine the claim for the amount of supporting evidence that directly relates to the claim. After reading the selection, you will be asked to develop an outline showing the claim and supporting arguments with examples and factual statements.

Let’s annotate part of the text. Read the following pages and copy the sections that include the claim and supporting arguments. As you write them on your paper, circle the claim and identify the arguments and evidence.

• Circle the Claim

•Underline the supporting arguments

•Box in each type of evidence

Sugary drinks ban begs the question -- who has the right to decide what you consume?Published September 14, 2012  FoxNews.com

Consuming too much sugar can lead to obesity; few people would argue to the contrary. Yet not everyone agrees, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeatedly affirmed, that solving nutrition issues is the right and responsibility of the government. Unfortunately his latest proposal, approved Thursday by the New York Board of Health, will do nothing to solve obesity in New York. Worse, it will further entrench the idea that New York is bad for business.

According to a New York Times poll, the majority of New Yorkers surveyed said they did not want the proposed big-soda ban. Perhaps they recognize that the ban is a complete waste of money.  There’s nothing to prevent customers from purchasing multiple bottles of 16 ounce drinks at restaurants or movie theaters. Sweetened drinks in bottles greater than 16 ounces will still be available in grocery and convenience stores. What the proposal will do is inconvenience consumers by micromanaging their drinks’ sizes.

Furthermore, the new regulations will hurt smaller drink makers like Honest Tea, whose product is sold in 16.9 ounce bottles—standard in the industry—and has only 70 calories per bottle. While larger manufacturers might be able to create special bottles for New York City, some smaller companies may not be able to do the same and will simply have to suffer the loss of sales.

As Honest Tea CEO and co-founder Seth Goldman noted in his Wall Street Journal op-ed, even if his company did sell its product in special bottles for New York City, what happens when city officials decide to arbitrarily reduce allowable bottle sizes again?

Goldman hits on a fundamental underlying driver in Bloomberg’s proposal: if less sugar is good, no sugar is better. Public health advocates like Mayor Bloomberg assign value judgments to products like sugar, fat, salt and alcohol: bad in any measure. They see no benefits to the consumption of certain products. They believe that adults are unable to make responsible decisions and control their own consumption choices, so the government must do it for them—in the name of public health, of course.

The constant onslaught of regulation that has been the hallmark of Bloomberg’s administration could hurt New York’s economy by scaring away new businesses. But there’s a much scarier aspect to the mayor’s proposal. While it may be silly to worry about whether we can still get our super-sized sodas, it raises the very important question of who has the right to make choices about what an individual person consumes? And when governments adopt “nudging” policies that are meant to drive us to the choices lawmakers want us to make, when does that become control?

•While any product if consumed in great enough quantities can cause negative health effects, the greater danger we face as Americans is in giving up the right to make our own choices. Every person is different—including in their dietary needs. It should be the sole responsibility of each adult to determine what foods his or her body needs to stay healthy—and when to indulge their sweet tooth.

Michelle Minton is a Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies for the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a contributor to Openmarket.org.

Let’s Read About Logical Fallacies Before We Reread the Article

Check your notes and share your information from the text. How did you answer the following?

•According to the text…•The author stated…•For instance…•For example…•Because…

Share Your Annotations

•Read the claim you identified to the class

•Read one of the supporting arguments

•Explain of type of evidence, if any, that the author used

Let’s Talk

•How might you summarize the article you just read?

•What was the author’s main point in writing the article?

Verbalize Your Summary

Using several sentences, turn to another student and tell them the main point of the article.

Quick WriteHow might you summarize the article you just read? Use a couple of sentences to write a summary of the article.

Let’s learn about logical fallacies before we read this article for a second time. Understanding how fallacies can be used to convince readers to accept arguments with little evidence, is essential for good reading skills.

• In order to avoid manipulation by the author, good readers learn how to detect poor reasoning and faulty arguments. They are able to identify the various logical fallacies such as begging the question, strawman, overgeneralization, slippery slope, and others. During this lesson, we will study the fallacy of slippery slope.

Slippery Slope Fallacy If you give them an inch, next thing you know they will take a mile!

A slippery slope fallacy attempts to discredit a proposed idea by arguing that its acceptance will undoubtedly lead to a sequence of events, one or more of which are undesirable. Though it may be the case that the sequence of events may happen, this type of argument assumes that it is inevitable that several more undesirable events will occur, all the while providing no evidence in support of that. The fallacy plays on the fears of the audience that taking one step in the direction of a solution they do not want will lead to an even worse outcome in the near future.

Slippery Slope Definition

Definition: The arguer claims that a sort of chain reaction, usually ending in some dire consequence, will take place, but there’s really not enough evidence for that assumption. The arguer asserts that if we take even one step onto the “slippery slope,” we will end up sliding all the way to the bottom; he or she assumes we can’t stop partway down the hill.

Slippery Slope Example

•Example: “Animal experimentation reduces our respect for life. If we don’t respect life, we are likely to be more and more tolerant of violent acts like war and murder. Soon our society will become a battlefield in which everyone constantly fears for their lives. It will be the end of civilization. To prevent this terrible consequence, we should make animal experimentation illegal right now.”

Slippery slope fallacy wants us to believe that if an idea is implemented, it will cause more objectionable things to happen whether we like it or not!

The slippery slope argument suggests that if you select an untested solution, the remedy will cause the problem to get progressively worse.

If you implement this solution, things will eventually get worse and the end result will be horrible. However, there is no evidence to indicate that his will be true.

Is this a slippery slope fallacy? Why or Why Not?

If we allow the government to implement any gun control laws such as background checks or assault riffle bans, before you know it, ordinary citizens will lose their right to have any weapons to protect themselves from criminals and the government.

Go to Next Frame

Pair Share Turn to your neighbor and discuss your answer to this question.

If we allow the government to implement any gun control laws such as background checks or assault riffle bans, before you know it, ordinary citizens will lose their right to have any weapons to protect themselves from criminals and the government.

Is this a slippery slope fallacy?

Giving the government the power to view people’s telephone records in order to identify potential terrorists should not be done because it will reduce people’s right to privacy.

Pair Share Turn to your neighbor and discuss your answer to this question. Is this a slippery slope fallacy argument?

Giving the government the power to view people’s telephone records in order to identify potential terrorists should not be done because it will reduce people’s right to privacy.

Is this a slippery slope fallacy?

"We've got to stop them from censoring materials used in classrooms. Once they start banning one form of literature, they will never stop. Next thing you know, they will be burning all the books!"

Go to the Next Frame

Pair Share Turn to your neighbor and discuss your answer to this question. Is this a slippery slope fallacy argument?

"We've got to stop them from censoring materials used in classrooms. Once they start banning one form of literature, they will never stop. Next thing you know, they will be burning all the books!"

Is this a slippery slope fallacy?

"We have to stop the tuition increase! The next thing you know, they'll be charging $40,000 a semester!"

Go to the Next Frame

Pair Share Turn to your neighbor and discuss your answer to this question.

"We have to stop the tuition increase! The next thing you know, they'll be charging $40,000 a semester!"

Quick Write

Think about one of the issues listed below and write an argument that uses the slippery slope fallacy to convince people that if a certain solution is chosen, it will lead to horrible consequences in the future.• Increasing school attendance one hour a day• Requiring a 9:00pm curfew for anyone under 16• Lowering the speed limit to 60mph on all freeways• Lowering the drinking age to 19 years old

Sugary drinks ban begs the question -- who has the right to decide what you consume?Published September 14, 2012  FoxNews.com

Consuming too much sugar can lead to obesity; few people would argue to the contrary. Yet not everyone agrees, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeatedly affirmed, that solving nutrition issues is the right and responsibility of the government. Unfortunately his latest proposal, approved Thursday by the New York Board of Health, will do nothing to solve obesity in New York. Worse, it will further entrench the idea that New York is bad for business.

According to a New York Times poll, the majority of New Yorkers surveyed said they did not want the proposed big-soda ban. Perhaps they recognize that the ban is a complete waste of money.  There’s nothing to prevent customers from purchasing multiple bottles of 16 ounce drinks at restaurants or movie theaters. Sweetened drinks in bottles greater than 16 ounces will still be available in grocery and convenience stores. What the proposal will do is inconvenience consumers by micromanaging their drinks’ sizes.

As you read the next page, look for the slippery slope fallacy. Write down the phrase that suggests such a fallacy. Explain why it is a fallacy.

Furthermore, the new regulations will hurt smaller drink makers like Honest Tea, whose product is sold in 16.9 ounce bottles—standard in the industry—and has only 70 calories per bottle. While larger manufacturers might be able to create special bottles for New York City, some smaller companies may not be able to do the same and will simply have to suffer the loss of sales.

As Honest Tea CEO and co-founder Seth Goldman noted in his Wall Street Journal op-ed, even if his company did sell its product in special bottles for New York City, what happens when city officials decide to arbitrarily reduce allowable bottle sizes again?

Let’s Talk

•Which phrase do you think is an example of the slippery slope fallacy?

• Explain why you believe the phrase is a slippery slope fallacy.

Goldman hits on a fundamental underlying driver in Bloomberg’s proposal: if less sugar is good, no sugar is better. Public health advocates like Mayor Bloomberg assign value judgments to products like sugar, fat, salt and alcohol: bad in any measure. They see no benefits to the consumption of certain products. They believe that adults are unable to make responsible decisions and control their own consumption choices, so the government must do it for them—in the name of public health, of course.

Take a Closer Look at the Text

• As you read the next page, identify what the author says to move the argument away from the sugary soda ban issue to another, bigger, scarier issue?

The constant onslaught of regulation that has been the hallmark of Bloomberg’s administration could hurt New York’s economy by scaring away new businesses. But there’s a much scarier aspect to the mayor’s proposal. While it may be silly to worry about whether we can still get our super-sized sodas, it raises the very important question of who has the right to make choices about what an individual person consumes? And when governments adopt “nudging” policies that are meant to drive us to the choices lawmakers want us to make, when does that become control?

Discuss the Text

What did the author say to move the argument away from the sugary soda ban issue to another, bigger, scarier issue?

•While any product if consumed in great enough quantities can cause negative health effects, the greater danger we face as Americans is in giving up the right to make our own choices. Every person is different—including in their dietary needs. It should be the sole responsibility of each adult to determine what foods his or her body needs to stay healthy—and when to indulge their sweet tooth.

• Michelle Minton is a Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies for the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a contributor to Openmarket.org.

Sugary drinks ban begs the question -- who has the right to decide what you consume?Published September 14, 2012  FoxNews.com

Consuming too much sugar can lead to obesity; few people would argue to the contrary. Yet not everyone agrees, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeatedly affirmed, that solving nutrition issues is the right and responsibility of the government. Unfortunately his latest proposal, approved Thursday by the New York Board of Health, will do nothing to solve obesity in New York. Worse, it will further entrench the idea that New York is bad for business.

According to a New York Times poll, the majority of New Yorkers surveyed said they did not want the proposed big-soda ban. Perhaps they recognize that the ban is a complete waste of money.  There’s nothing to prevent customers from purchasing multiple bottles of 16 ounce drinks at restaurants or movie theaters. Sweetened drinks in bottles greater than 16 ounces will still be available in grocery and convenience stores. What the proposal will do is inconvenience consumers by micromanaging their drinks’ sizes.

Furthermore, the new regulations will hurt smaller drink makers like Honest Tea, whose product is sold in 16.9 ounce bottles—standard in the industry—and has only 70 calories per bottle. While larger manufacturers might be able to create special bottles for New York City, some smaller companies may not be able to do the same and will simply have to suffer the loss of sales.

As Honest Tea CEO and co-founder Seth Goldman noted in his Wall Street Journal op-ed, even if his company did sell its product in special bottles for New York City, what happens when city officials decide to arbitrarily reduce allowable bottle sizes again?

Goldman hits on a fundamental underlying driver in Bloomberg’s proposal: if less sugar is good, no sugar is better. Public health advocates like Mayor Bloomberg assign value judgments to products like sugar, fat, salt and alcohol: bad in any measure. They see no benefits to the consumption of certain products. They believe that adults are unable to make responsible decisions and control their own consumption choices, so the government must do it for them—in the name of public health, of course.

The constant onslaught of regulation that has been the hallmark of Bloomberg’s administration could hurt New York’s economy by scaring away new businesses. But there’s a much scarier aspect to the mayor’s proposal. While it may be silly to worry about whether we can still get our super-sized sodas, it raises the very important question of who has the right to make choices about what an individual person consumes? And when governments adopt “nudging” policies that are meant to drive us to the choices lawmakers want us to make, when does that become control?

•While any product if consumed in great enough quantities can cause negative health effects, the greater danger we face as Americans is in giving up the right to make our own choices. Every person is different—including in their dietary needs. It should be the sole responsibility of each adult to determine what foods his or her body needs to stay healthy—and when to indulge their sweet tooth.

• Michelle Minton is a Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies for the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a contributor to Openmarket.org.

Additional Common Core Standards Covered

Reading Standards

Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Writing Standards

Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

82

Copyright Protected © 2015 Dean R. Berry All Rights Reserved

No part of this document may be reproduced without written permission from

the author

Sugary drinks ban begs the question -- who has the right to decide what you consume?Published September 14, 2012  FoxNews.com

• Consuming too much sugar can lead to obesity; few people would argue to the contrary. Yet not everyone agrees, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeatedly affirmed, that solving nutrition issues is the right and responsibility of the government. Unfortunately his latest proposal, approved Thursday by the New York Board of Health, will do nothing to solve obesity in New York. Worse, it will further entrench the idea that New York is bad for business.

According to a New York Times poll, the majority of New Yorkers surveyed said they did not want the proposed big-soda ban. Perhaps they recognize that the ban is a complete waste of money. There’s nothing to prevent customers from purchasing multiple bottles of 16 ounce drinks at restaurants or movie theaters. Sweetened drinks in bottles greater than 16 ounces will still be available in grocery and convenience stores. What the proposal will do is inconvenience consumers by micromanaging their drinks’ sizes.

• Furthermore, the new regulations will hurt smaller drink makers like Honest Tea, whose product is sold in 16.9 ounce bottles—standard in the industry—and has only 70 calories per bottle. While larger manufacturers might be able to create special bottles for New York City, some smaller companies may not be able to do the same and will simply have to suffer the loss of sales. As Honest Tea CEO and co-founder Seth Goldman noted in his Wall Street Journal op-ed, even if his company did sell its product in special bottles for New York City, what happens when city officials decide to arbitrarily reduce allowable bottle sizes again?

Goldman hits on a fundamental underlying driver in Bloomberg’s proposal: if less sugar is good, no sugar is better. Public health advocates like Mayor Bloomberg assign value judgments to products like sugar, fat, salt and alcohol: bad in any measure. They see no benefits to the consumption of certain products. They believe that adults are unable to make responsible decisions and control their own consumption choices, so the government must do it for them—in the name of public health, of course.

• The constant onslaught of regulation that has been the hallmark of Bloomberg’s administration could hurt New York’s economy by scaring away new businesses. But there’s a much scarier aspect to the mayor’s proposal. While it may be silly to worry about whether we can still get our super-sized sodas, it raises the very important question of who has the right to make choices about what an individual person consumes? And when governments adopt “nudging” policies that are meant to drive us to the choices lawmakers want us to make, when does that become control?

While any product if consumed in great enough quantities can cause negative health effects, the greater danger we face as Americans is in giving up the right to make our own choices. Every person is different—including in their dietary needs. It should be the sole responsibility of each adult to determine what foods his or her body needs to stay healthy—and when to indulge their sweet tooth.

• Michelle Minton is a Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies for the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a contributor to Openmarket.org.

Through close reading it is possible to determine the perspective and point of view of the author.

Whose Perspective is

represented in the text?

What is the author’s point of view? Cite evidence from the text that clearly indicates the author’s point of view.

Identify the author’s claim and supporting evidence.Is the evidence adequate to support the claims that the author is making?

. What is the author’s message? Did she/he provide sufficient evidence to support the claims made in the text? Explain why you think that the evidence was or was not strong enough to support the claims.