The Toulim Model

I find that the Toulmin Model is a great way to help organize a paper. It helps to break down the topic of a paper from the claims to the supports as well as the warrants, backings, rebuttals, and qualifiers. With the model, it's easier to know what needs to be included in an academic paper. It's helpful to include all of this because it can help make your paper stronger and as to why people should care about what you are writing about. It organizes a paper and helps gives it a so what. With the model it is a lot easier to go back and edit my papers so I can put in what I'm missing. The model is really beneficial. I tend to have a lot of ideas but have no idea how to write them down or even where to start, but with the model it gives me an idea of how the paper should be like. While following the model my papers became more organized.

A Parent On Drugs and the Effect and A Family

I decided to change the topic of my paper and make it about a parent being on drugs and the effect that it will have on the family. Such as the effect in the relationship between husband and wife as well as the kids, along with financial problems. I felt that this topic would have made a better argument than smoking. It's kind of hard to get my point across without being too repetitive. I just can't say parents should never do drugs because of problems like these, over and over again. I find that I can be really redundant and that is what I need to work on.

This week in class we had to do peer reviews, but the peer review sheets were different than what they usually were. I felt that the new peer review sheet is a lot better. It helps to pinpoint what is good about a paper and what is needs work. Although it took a long time it is very beneficial. As I was editing my partner's paper, the review sheet really helped me analyze his paper. There were questions as to how to look at the paper and what to critique. I know that this information will be useful for him and it will also be useful for me so that I can go back and revise mine.

Smoking

I have been assigned to write an essay on a subject that effects a community. I have chosen to do the issue of smoking and it's effect on a family. What I find challenging about this topic is that is that everybody already knows the danger of smoking, so my paper might be boring. Smoking has become such an epidemic that the dangers of smoking is now general knowledge. I feel it is important to include the effects of smoking and the dangers about it, but I won't go into too much detail. I will focus more on the effects that it can have on a family such as money issues and relationship issues. Although smoking is no as serious as doing other drugs like meth or marijuana, it is still bad for a person. They are still taking toxins into their bodies that will hurt them. For me smoking is a nasty habit and I can not stand the smell. Every time I walk by someone who is smoking I will always hold in my breath. I have seen the effects of smoking and I don't think I will ever be able to pick up a habit for smoking.