Module 03 Written
Assignment – Identifying Fallacious Reasoning in a Text
Read the following text and answer the multiple choice questions below it. The numbers
in the margins correspond with the questions.
My friend Jacob and I frequently get together for long
conversations at a local restaurant. What might start out as a simple dinner
among friends can turn into an evening long debate, the finer points punctuated
by the occasional pint and usually ended with coffee and dessert. Only recently
we discussed the local school district.
1. “I think our district is broken because that
is what my friend Maxine keeps telling me,” he said. “She’s a teacher; she
ought to know.”
2. “Please,” I said, “Maxine and the rest of the
teachers’ union are just acting bitter so they can push for a better contract
next year. The union leaders are already complaining about too little pay, but
they don’t say anything about poor student outcomes.”
3. Jacob didn’t respond right away. “That’s because the outcomes are fine,” he said.
4. I could only laugh. “Please. The outcomes are becoming so bad it’s criminal.”
5. “Well, Shady Haven High has never dropped
below the national average, and they are offering open enrollment to qualifying
students.”
6. “Yes, so there is Shady Haven and the rest of
the district’s schools, and heaven forbid you attend any of the other schools
because the averages are so much worse. Obviously the solution is to ship every
student to Shady Haven so they have a chance at learning something,” I replied.
7. “The average for the entire district is still above the average,” Jacob shot back “Without
Shady Haven skewing the results?” I asked, but Jacob wouldn’t respond to the question.
8. ”Things aren’t that bad and you know it,” he said, “The school district isn’t doing a
bad job educating our kids. Now, about dessert…”
9. “It’s not time for dessert yet,” I said, “and you don’t know what you’re talking about”.
10. “Yes, I do” Jacob answered. “Everyone knows that the district is doing well.”
Assignment: Answer the following questions about the text above. Each number corresponds with the
numbered line in the text’s margin.
1. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Inconsistency
b. Begging the Question
c. Appeal to Authority
d. Suppressed (overlooked) Evidence
2. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Straw Man
b. Either/Or Fallacy
c. Questionable Premise
d. Tokenism
3. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Tokenism
b. Questionable Premise
c. Suppressed (overlooked) Evidence
d. Either/Or Fallacy
4. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Begging the Question
b. Straw Man
c. Appeal to Authority
d. Inconsistency
5. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Suppressed (overlooked) Evidence
b. Tokenism
c. Straw Man
d. Either/Or Fallacy
6. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Tokenism
b. Questionable Premise
c. Suppressed (overlooked) Evidence
d. Either/Or Fallacy
7. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why
a. Tokenism
b. Questionable Premise
c. Suppressed (overlooked) Evidence
d. Either/Or Fallacy
8. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Inconsistency
b. Begging
the Question
c. Appeal
to Authority
d. Suppressed
(overlooked) Evidence
9. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Straw Man
b. Appeal to Authority
c. Ad Hominem Argument
d. Begging the Question
10. Identify the type of fallacy being used and provide a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)
why.
a. Appeal to Ignorance
b. Suppressed (overlooked) Evidence
c. Questionable Statistics
d. Inconsistency
I have completed this assignment on my own but I am not sure how well I did. I wanted to get help with it just in case.
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