engaging students in argument

Engaging Students in ArgumentCultivating Thinkers

JISFebruary2013.Wikispaces.comClick into this site for a good share of our work – and all the handouts.

Why argument?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

ArgumentGenre

PSALiterary analysisCommentaryReviews

Toulmin Method

Structuring the argum

ent

Teaching for transferWill they use what they learned today tomorrow?

A Read-AloudOh, Yeah?!Smith, Wilhelm, Fredricksen

Practice, practice, practiceWiki: Thinking of argument

What do you notice?First, go to wiki: Day 1 Thinking of Argument

What do you notice?

The ScenarioAt five-feet-six and a hundred and ten pounds, Queenie

Volupides was a sight to behold and to clasp. When she tore out of the house after a tiff with her husband, Arthur, she went to the country club where there was a party going on.

She left the club shortly before one in the morning and invited a few friends to follow her home and have one more drink. They got to the Volupides’ house about ten minutes after Queenie, who met them at the door and said, “Something terrible happened. Arthur slipped and fell on the stairs. He was coming down for another drink – he still had the glass in his hand – and I think he’s dead. Oh, my god—what shall I do?”

The autopsy conducted later concluded that Arthur had died from a wound on the head and confirmed that he had been drinking.

 Can we believe what Queenie says?

What do you think?Believe her or not?

What do you notice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTAEaFDqHZw

Your turn….Study the data in Boudoir, generate a tentative claim, determine your warrants that connect the data to the claim.

What’s the argument?Claim, evidence/data, warrant?

What’s up?John Keane’s Fairy TalesNotice, consider a claim, test it with warrants

Unit PlanningEssential questions to guide the inquiryQuestions to sustain the conversation out of school

To what extent are people in control of their lives?

Which one speaks to you?

Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control

--Albert Einstein

With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice.

-- Oprah Winfrey

Hazing ScenarioWho’s guilty?Study the data: the scenarioDevelop a claimBuild a warrant that shows how the data supports the claim

CounterargumentOne limitation of the traditional one-shot persuasive essay assignment is that there is little ongoing development of arguments and counterarguments surrounding writing such essays; students have no reason to explore counterarguments, because they often do not receive counterarguments from the teacher, and therefore have to reason to do so.

--Newell, Beach, Smith, VanDerHeide

A writer’s consideration of counterargument results in higher quality essays

Structured Controversy

Zoos: A good or bad idea?

Pair UpThe One and Only Ivan What’s the claim? What’s the evidence?

ZoosPro?Con?Study and prepare argumentPresentParaphraseDo it againConsensus on position statement

Here we go!Take a look at the websites on the wiki.With your partner, make a claim, figure out your evidence, and clarify your warrants.Anticipate the counterarguments.

Present your caseAfter you’ve presented your case, the opposing side needs to accurately paraphrase your position.If they’re accurate, listen to their position.You get to paraphrase their position now.They’ll decide if you’re smack on or off the mark.

Trade positionsThis time you and your partner will build the case for the other position.Follow same process.

And now…Build your real case. How would you answer the question about zoos being a good or a bad idea?

Essential question:How can we engage students in argument? And why should we?