Engaging Students in Argument Cultivating Thinkers

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Why argument? v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

Argument Genre PSA Literary analysis Commentary Reviews

Toulmin Method Structuring the argument

Teaching for transfer Will they use what they learned today tomorrow?

A Read-Aloud Oh, Yeah?! Smith, Wilhelm, Fredricksen

Practice, practice, practice Wiki: Thinking of argument

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

What do you notice?

The Scenario At 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?

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 Tales Notice, consider a claim, test it with warrants

Unit Planning Essential questions to guide the inquiry Questions 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 Scenario Who’s guilty? Study the data: the scenario Develop a claim Build a warrant that shows how the data supports the claim

Counterargument One 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 Up The One and Only Ivan  What’s the claim?  What’s the evidence?

Zoos Pro? Con? Study and prepare argument Present Paraphrase Do it again Consensus 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 case After 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 positions This 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?