Argument & Debate
Connecting to the Topic/Issue
Consider:
- What do I already know about this issue?
- What do I not know about this issue?
- Why is this issue important?
- Who is affected by this issue?
- How are they affected?
- If you could find it, what evidence would best support your argument?
Topics, Text Sets & Prompts
401 Prompts for Argument Writing from the NY Times
AllSides: Issues
C-Span Classroom Deliberations
Middle School Debate: Topics
Issue Lab Research
The New York Times Room for Debate
The New York Times Four Decades of Argument and Illustration: Op Ed
PBS Frontline
The Perspective
Pew Research Center: Topics
ProCon.org
Youth Voices Discussions
AllSides: Issues
C-Span Classroom Deliberations
Middle School Debate: Topics
Issue Lab Research
The New York Times Room for Debate
The New York Times Four Decades of Argument and Illustration: Op Ed
PBS Frontline
The Perspective
Pew Research Center: Topics
ProCon.org
Youth Voices Discussions
Video debates about topical issues
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Multimedia news stories that provide the facts with rich context from diverse viewpoints
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Tools
Debate/discussion platform.
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Tool for breaking down claikms.
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Instruction
- Introduction using The Giving Tree: Introduction to Argument using Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. Tell students that they will be participating in a debate, arguing for one of the following: either the tree in the story is stronger or the boy in the story is stronger. Students take notes during read aloud, split into sides, share format and go!.
- Poetry (A Poem a Day) for Collective Interpretation.
Have students annotate for what pops out at them (language, images etc.)
Have students read aloud, 2-3 times by different students.
Summative Q: How would the poet like you to live your life after reading this
- Debate Team Carousels: Developing Support for Different Sides of a Controversial Issue (Scroll down for activity) via Educational Leadership
- Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project "Nonfiction Research Across Text Sets Unit of Study". A must read for reading and research in preparation for argument and/or debate
- To Eat Or Not to Eat Actively Learn knowledge set exploring elements of argumentative writing
- Teaching Debate Resources
- They Say, I Say Sentence Templates and Transitions
- Engage NY: Building Evidence Based Arguments
- ARE Intro Fill In: from Middle School Debates
- How to Build an Argument Tip Sheet
- UNC Chapel Hill Argument Handout
- UNC Chapel Hill Evidence Handout Clearly defines different types of evidence and how to determine what makes good evidence
- UNC Chapel Hill Statistical Evidence Evaluation Handout
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Resources designed to help teachers understand and teach scientific argumentation.
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From ICivics.
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Graphic Organizers
Central Question Diagram & Youtube Tutorial
Argument Essay Structure
Argument Writing Rubric
Debate Guide To Speaking and Listenting: from Middle School Debates
Costs Benefits Organizer: from Middle School Debates
Argument Essay Structure
Argument Writing Rubric
Debate Guide To Speaking and Listenting: from Middle School Debates
Costs Benefits Organizer: from Middle School Debates
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Argument Diagramming Open Ed Course from Carnegie Melon
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Logic & Rhetoric
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A playlist of debates in the movies.
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Analyzing Tone
Persuasive Tone Descriptors: confident, authoritative, exaggerated, hyberbolic, mitigated (cautious), judgmental, emotional investment, assumptive (not informed), false authority (cocky/arrogant), internal contradiction, shift in tone, more objective or more subjective.
General Thoughts
- Debate is a method for teaching and practicing argument.
- Trivial topics can't be argued well.
- Argument requires both creating evidence based claims and a supported opposition
- Students will naturally realize when they need information to back up a reason; if info is made up, it will be opposed by other side.
- Present argument to convince a particular authentic audience.
- Learn history through argument by analyzing history's real court cases.
- Release text strategically; lead kids down a path of critical thinking. "I think because" For ex: 1st text what did you see? 2nd text did you see anything else? Go back to 1st text any similarities? 3rd text anything that you saw in others? Read again: What do you see now that you didn't see the first time?
- Introduce technical terms. Define and have students look for evidence of term in text.
- Have students identify which clues of reliability are explicit vs. implicit
- Have students test assumptions using probing questions
- Have students compare/contrast texts for reliability
- When you can't find the perfect text, you may have to write it!
- Give students the opportunity to share an argument that they're having before teaching argument within content area.
- Students need to be aware of False Logic: makes assumptions, oversimplifies or reason doesn't match outcome
- Students often see nonfiction text as factual, difficult to see point of view and bias.
Professional Texts
- Gladwell, Blink. Section on Mitigated Language
- Gladwell, Tipping Point. Sections on Blues Clues, Sesame St and Dora
- Birkenstein, Cathy. They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.
- Willhelm, Jeff. Oh, yeah. Discusses making curricula culturally relevant; includes many logic exercises here)
- Fletcher, Jennifer. Teaching Argument
- Kuhn, Deanna. Argue with Me developmental pathways
- Everything's an Argument. Aargument shouldn't be a unit of study; should be a culture!
- Tatum, Alfred. Why Teach Argument
- Tufts, Paul. Grit