From Persuasion to Argumentation in the Common Core

From Persuasion to Argumentation in the Common Core

UCTE 2011 Conference

Holly Allen, Alta High School

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Jenny Olsen, Canyons School District Evidence-Based Learning

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“Slip or Trip?”

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’d been drunk.

Hillocks, G. (2011).Teaching Argument Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Talking Points/An Informal Lesson Plan

1. Inform students: “We are investigators trying to determine what really happened at this crime scene.”

1. Then read (or have students read) the description that accompanies the picture.

1. “We need to try to determine what happened. Our first question should be, ‘Can we believe what Queenie says?’ Most of you have learned, from watching various crime shows, that witnesses are not always reliable. What do you think? Is what you see in the picture consistent with what Queenie says? If you have any ideas, raise your hand.”

1. Have students begin to fill in evidence they see that does not confirm Queenie’s story. Some guiding questions might be:
2. “Now, can someone explain why that is important?”
3. “Does everyone agree with that?”
4. “Let’s see if we can make that into a general rule.”

1. Then have students “take a minute to think about how to say [the rule that follows the evidence].” If students get stuck, encourage them to begin with “When” and follow with a sentence explaining what happens when people fall down the stairs.

1. Ask for volunteers, and after hearing several, question, “What can we conclude from that?” If they need additional help, provide: for example, if “We know that when people fall down the stairs, they probably drop what they are carrying to save themselves what can we conclude about Queenie’s story now?”

1. These sentences are important because they explain the evidence and show how it supports our claim that Queenie is probably lying.

1. Ask students to put it all together. For example a student may say,“‘Um, Arthur still has a glass in his hand. As a rule, when people fall down stairs, they drop what they are carrying to save themselves. So I think Queenie is probably lying about him falling down the stairs.”

1. On a clean overhead transparency, write what the student has said, each sentence in a separate column (see below). “Good. What we have here are four basic parts of a simple argument.” I label the sentences—evidence, rule, and conclusion; I underline probably and beneath the line I write probably = qualification. “I think you all have the basic idea of argument. But let’s try it again. Who has another piece of evidence to talk about? What else do you see that leads you to think Queenie might be lying?” Then list the evidence students provide.

Hillocks, G. (2011).Teaching Argument Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Evidence / Rule (Warrant) / Conclusion
1. Arthur still has a glass in his hand. / As a rule, when people fall down stairs they drop what they are carrying to save themselves. / Queenie is probably lying about his falling down the stairs.
Probably=qualification
2. There’s something cooking on the stove.
3. Arthur’s clothes are all neat. / When people fall down the stairs, their clothes get disheveled.
4. Nothing on the wall is disturbed.
5. His feet are on the stairs. / If one falls down the stairs, his/her feet shouldn’t be on the stairs.
6. The carpet is neat.

10. Once you have finished brainstorming inform students, “You have two good examples of rules now, so I’d like you, in groups, to work on this assignment.” Distribute the sheets (Group Work Assignment on Evidence and Rules). Assign groups, locations, and group leaders. Inform students, “I’ll visit each group as you work to answer questions. You should each have a worksheet with the labels evidence and rule at the top. I expect each of you to write down the evidence and the rules that your group develops. Find as many pieces of evidence and compose as many relevant rules as you can.”

11. As you walk around the room encourage groups to “stick to what [they] can prove with the kind of argument [they’ve] already made. [They] may have a theory of what may have happened,but you’ll need some very direct evidence to prove it.”

Group Work Assignment on Evidence and Rules
Your group is an investigative team that must determine what may have happened. You can either agree or disagree with Queenie’s version.

1. Do you think Queenie is telling the truth?
2. Find all the evidence you can that indicates whether or not Queenie is telling the truth. Make a list of all the evidence. Evidence includes concrete, observable information; personal testimony; written documents; and material objects and their condition or experience.
3. Next explain how each piece of evidence supports your claim that Queen is or is not telling the truth. Each explanation will be generally accepted as rule, which may begin with a phrase such as, “As a rule….” If other members of your team disagree with you, find evidence that will convince them.
4. Be prepared to explain why your evidence supports your case. Eventually you will write a report to convince the others in the class that your analysis makes the most sense.

Hillocks, G. (2011).Teaching Argument Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

12. Have students turn in their charts and continue the discussion the next day. Once you feel students have a good grasp on the concepts ask them, “If we were really an investigative team and if this were a real crime, to whom would we have to write a report?” Students may suggest the boss, the chief inspector, the district attorney, or the chief of police. We settle on the chief of police. “What would we need to explain to the chief?”

13. List their suggestions on the overhead (if they miss any, ask a leading question: “Should we explain when we arrived on the scene?”):

a)when we arrived

b)what we found

c)what Queenie said

d)what the autopsy found

e)whether the evidence supports what Queenie said

f)our conclusion and/or recommendation

g)explanation of evidence supporting our conclusion and recommendation

14. At this point, ask students individually to write out the evidence and the rules (warrants) that allow them to interpret the evidence. They need to include at least five pieces of evidence, each with an appropriate warrant and any necessary explanation.

Student Example

Marisol’s Presentation of Evidence

We believe that the evidence does not support her claim. First, the cup is in his hand. When people fall down the stairs, they let go of what they are holding to try and get a grip of something to stop. Second, the way Arthur is facing is weird. When someone falls down the stairs, their body would be facedown. Arthur, though, is faced upwards. Third, she waited too long to call the police or ambulance. She waited for her friends to do anything. When someone sees another person hurt they automatically call the police for help.

The last reason I believe she is lying is because the things on the wall are all straight. They seem like if they hadn’t been disturb. If someone falls down the stairs, they will try to hold on to anything. Especially if they you see things in the wall you will try to brake your fall.

Hillocks, G. (2011).Teaching Argument Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinem

Arguments of Judgment

Hillocks, G. (2011).Teaching Argument Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinem

“The Voluptuary” Lesson Plan

1. Distribute copies of “The Voluptuary” and ask students what they think of the man.

1. Ask students to define voluptuary and write why the man in this picture might be labeled one. (For more sophisticated audiences you may wish to reframe the question in terms of the artist’s choices).

1. Ask students, “What makes a ‘good king’?” and encourage them to justify their responses. Record their thinking. At the end of your class’ discussion, you should have a list of criteria in response to this question.

1. Work with the class to apply one of their criteria to the prince picture in “The Voluptuary.” Record their thinking on a chart under the headings Claim, Evidence, and Warrant.

Claim / Evidence / Warrant (Explanation)
The prince is not a good money manager. / There’s a book on the floor called “Debts of Honor,” which means gambling debts. / Anyone who has gambling debts is probably not a good manager of money because spending on gambling results in debt. It is common knowledge that you lose money in gambling. Everyone knows that, even gamblers.

1. Put students in groups of three or four and ask them to work with the remaining criteria established by the class.

1. Students write an argument of judgment on whether or not the prince would be a good king.

Hillocks, G. (2011).Teaching Argument Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinem