Theme Developed by
Causality / Larson, J.Title of Unit
Post Hoc Ergo Propter HocGrade Level Time Frame
3 – 5 / 23 hoursUnit GATE Scope and Sequence
The student will develop:(1) understanding and skill in using the methods unique to each discipline as well as those common to several disciplines.
(2) an understanding of broad-based issues, themes, or problems within interdisciplinary and multicultural contexts.
(3) the independence, self-direction, and skills in group processes that lead to creative and productive thinking.
(4) critical and higher-level thinking skills in both cognitive and affective areas.
(5) affective behaviors involved in the creative process, including risk-taking, curiosity, imagination and enjoyment of complex challenges.
(6) the convergent and divergent cognitive abilities necessary for creative productivity and an understanding of the roles and characteristics of creative and productive individuals in the evolution of significant change.
(7) products that refine or challenge existing ideas, incorporate concepts, and use techniques, materials, forms and knowledge in innovative ways.
(8) acceptance and valuing of human differences; respect for the needs, cultures, and rights of others; and recognition of the contributions of others.
Unit GATE Strategies
Traffic Light Thinking, FFOE, Concept Development, Thinking Maps, Literature CirclesUnit Overarching Concepts “Big Ideas”
(Students will understand that…)· Two things that occur sequentially are not necessarily a cause and effect.
· The misconception that two sequential events are cause and effect is a common fallacy in both public and personal histories.
Unit Lesson Objectives
*All objectives are at the highest intended grade level. Instruction will be modified for learners at lower levels.5.RI.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
5.RI.5: Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
5.RI.6: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
5.RF.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. A. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patters, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read unfamiliar multisyllabic words accurately in context and out of context.
5.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. C. Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
5.W.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. A. Organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. C. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events.
5.W.10: Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.
5.SL.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.SL.3: Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.
5.SL.4: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5.L.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
5.L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. A. Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. B. Use common, grade appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
Unit Related Misconceptions
Things just “happen.”If I believe it, it is true.
Effects immediately follow their causes.
ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Unit Summative Performance Task Description
Use a Multi-Flow Map to document an important event in their lives or the life of a fictional character about whom they’ve read. They will present their findingsUnit Materials/Resources
Touch Blue, House on Mango Street, When You Reach Me, Tuck EverlastingConfucius: The Golden Rule, Westlandia, A Bad Case of Stripes, Stephanie’s Ponytail
Duck’s Breath and Mouse Pie: a Collection of Animal Superstitions, The Saardu Adventure Begins They Don’t Wash Their Socks: Sports Superstitions, Keep the Buttered Side Up: Food Superstitions from Around the World, How to Magic and Sleight of Hand and Card Trick books and articles
Thinking Maps
Butcher paper
Index cards
EXTENSIONS MENU
Having investigated Pig Latin, research other made up languages. Learn one, and be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge. Or, invent your own language that follows rules you can list. Provide directions that could be used to teach someone else the language you invented. / Analyze a system. Use a 3-D or 2-D Multi-Flow map to represent the evidence of causality in the system. / Read the book “Touch Blue” by Cynthia Lord. Reflect on the role of superstition and luck in the book. Choose a way to share your understanding. This might include art, writing, construction, music or drama but must include a discussion of causality in the story.Identify your favorite of the origin myths you’ve read. Rewrite the story in the form of a play, poem or a song. Whatever you create, be prepared to present your work before the group. / Free* Choice** / Analyze one of the games we’ve played in class. What evidence do you have for causality in the game? How can you use your knowledge of the game’s strategies to change outcomes in the game?
Select two commercials. How are these ads using correlation (sequence and order) to imply cause and effect? Analyze what is said and done in the commercial to promote a belief in cause/effect. How do you think this helps promote the product they’re selling. Is the ad effective? / We have used Multi-Flow thinking maps to describe situations of cause and effect. Reconsider a science, reading or social studies experience from your grade-level classroom. Identify at least three examples of both cause and effect to clarify and expand your thinking about the topic you’ve chosen. Feel free to do additional research. / Imagine you are one of the Tucks from Tuck Everlasting. Choose a setting (time and place) and tell about a day in the life of the Tuck family member you’ve chosen. What might Jesse be doing today? Where does Miles live now? Share your ideas in art, writing, construction, music or drama.
*How Free? Not that Free – you’ll need to check with me before you get started.
**How much Choice? Umm, some choice but of course you’ll want to do something related to what we’ve been learning, doing and thinking.
Post Hoc Ergo Procter Hoc (1 - Defining)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Present a dramatically false presentation of causality based on order. Ex: Teacher is “upset” because today’s weather or a bell ringing has “caused” a coffee spill.OBJECTIVE (EEI FOUR PART)
Given a visual engagement to observe, students will correctly identify the intended events as sequential or causal with 90% accuracy. Given an opportunity to reflect on what they’ve seen, students will write a clear defense of their identification of causality or correlation using at least three details as evidence.LEARNING SUB-OBJECTIVE
Listen and speak with teacher/peers, incorporate physical movement and creative dialog to express an event of causality or order, attend to details in a presentation, differentiate between order and causality, defend thinking using evidenceTEACHER ACTIONS-STRATEGIES / STUDENT BEHAVIORS
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
Define and provide multiple examples of post hoc fallacy including examples from children’s literature (see materials list) [Traffic Light Thinking: Red Light] / Students listen and contribute examples
Assign students to create a skit displaying either a series of sequential events or of causal events. Monitor student behavior, check in with working pairs [Traffic Light Thinking: Green Light] / Work in pairs to create a 30 second skit
Monitor student behavior, keep checklist as formative data / Respectfully perform/be audience for brief presentations
Provide signaling mechanism for students (hand gesture, slate, etc.) to identify each skit as one showing order or causality / Indicate whether each skit is an example of order or causality
Promote engaged student discussion about each skit, asking “How do you know?” and other open-ended questions to help develop criteria for differentiating between correlation and causation. [Traffic Light: Yellow Light] / Participate in whole group discussion
MODELING
Anticipatory Set. Defining of Post Hoc with 3 – 5 examples and non-examples.GUIDED PRACTICE
Lead students in providing examples, non-examples. Students create mini skits with partners.INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
Students identify each skit as example or non-example.CLOSURE
In journals, students write about one skit showing the Post Hoc fallacy, providing details that explain why it is not an example of causality and write about another that did show causality, identifying details as evidence.Teacher Resource Information:
Post hoc ergo propter hoc, Latin for "after this, therefore because of this," is a logical fallacy that states, "Since that event followed this one, that event must have been caused by this one."
Post hoc is a particularly tempting error because temporal sequence appears to be integral to causality. The fallacy lies in coming to a conclusion based solely on the order of events, rather than taking into account other factors that might rule out the connection.
The form of thepost hoc fallacycan be expressed as follows:
§ Aoccurred, thenBoccurred.
§ Therefore,AcausedB.
WhenBis undesirable, this pattern is often extended in reverse: AvoidingAwill preventB.
Post Hoc Ergo Procter Hoc (2 – Transition Words)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Every morning while I’m loading my car to come to school, the school bus comes for my neighbor’s daughter. Is this an example of cause and effect?OBJECTIVE (EEI FOUR PART)
Given grade-level text, students will prove that text is either causal or sequential using transition words from within the text as evidence with 90% accuracy.LEARNING SUB-OBJECTIVE
write to describe a previous event, identify language indicating sequence and/or cause/effect in their own writing and writing of peers, classify transition words, attend to a read aloud, sequence information using a graphic organizer (cartoon), construct a graphic organizer to show cause and effect, use appropriate language to indicate causality and sequencingTEACHER ACTIONS-STRATEGIES / STUDENT BEHAVIORS
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
Review Post Hoc Ergo Proctor Hoc / Listen and discuss examples with peers
Lead discussion contrasting sequence of events vs. cause/effect / Participate in group discussion.
Think back to the skit you did. Use transition words to tell what happened in four sentences. / Write about a previous experience.
Put students’ sentences on board/document camera. / Critique language used in writing samples
Review student writing. Identify cause/effect words. Identify sequencing words. / Compare language used for sequencing and for cause/effect.
Develop T-chart or Tree Map / Classify language used for sequencing and for cause/effect.
Read aloud from Confucius book / Students listen to use context and indicator words to identify causality or sequence
Lead discussion about sequential parts of the text and how this is indicated vs. how cause/effect is indicated / Participate in discussion. Monitor own understanding.
Model drawing a sequence cartoon for sequence text, a Multi-Flow Thinking Map for Cause/Effect for that section of text. / Listen, contribute, monitor own understanding.
Provide each student team another section from the book to read with a partner / Read for understanding.
Monitor student behavior and learning. / Prove sequentiality or causality using evidence in an appropriate graphic organizer.
MODELING
reading aloud, building sequenced cartoon/cause/effect Thinking MapGUIDED PRACTICE
identify and discuss language of cause/effect, sequencing. students read with partners, develop visual representation of cause/effect, sequenceINDEPENDENT PRACTICE
write sentences including appropriate transition wordsCLOSURE
In an exit slip, students will write at least one sentence indicating cause/effect and one showing a sequence of events using transition words to make their intention clear.Teacher Resources: http://www.smart-words.org/transition-words.html
Post Hoc Ergo Procter Hoc (3 – Latin Roots)
ANTICIPATORY SET
We’ve been talking about the Latin phrase Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc. Which of the words in the phrase is the most familiar to you? Today we’ll talk about Post and other parts of Latin that are found in the English we speak today.OBJECTIVE (EEI FOUR PART)
Given affixes and Latin roots, students will create meaningful multisyllabic words that are used correctly in context.LEARNING SUB-OBJECTIVE
identify the meaning of several Latin roots, use affixes to modify known words, use affixes and Latin roots to create new words, use Fluent, Flexible. Original and Elaborative thinkingTEACHER ACTIONS-STRATEGIES / STUDENT BEHAVIORS
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
Group students to best facilitate successful dialog and achievement of task. Monitor students. / Generate a list of known affixes (prefixes and suffixes)
Provide t-chart, 3-chart, or other graphic organizer. Model how to place affix and meaning on chart. / Use experience and team members to identify meanings for the listed affixes.
Present word families from a single Latin root: bene (good): beneficial, benevolent, benefactor / Listen. Make connections.
Provide each group of children with five Latin roots and large sheet butcher paper / Students brainstorm other word families generated from the roots on their list
Give instruction for a Carousel (Groups move to other tables, adding to the existing lists) / Students listen
Monitor student behavior, take note of formative development / Respectfully and quietly participate in the carousel, generating new words to add to the lists of others
Engage students in discussions of what they notice about the word lists and about words in English with Latin roots (especially frequent affixes) / Make connections and observations about frequently found affixes
Point out that some affixes work with verbs to make them nouns (contemplate/contemplation) while others turn nouns into adjectives (risk/risky) / Students listen and discuss with peers. Identify examples from their lists.
Provide affix meaning charts. Model Silly Words by taking non-Latinate word: napkin – nonnapkin, transnapkin, napkinial, napkinable and guide students to create meanings for these new words. / Use affix meaning charts, partnered conversation and creative thinking to generate plausible meanings and uses for the new words.
Guide students to create more words from the sample, providing correction for non-examples (renapkin: how would one “napkin again?”). Monitor as formative assessment. / Create more silly words from original. Create Frayer Model, mini dictionary, or other graphic organizer to present words, meanings, uses and illustration.
Lead students to list other “roots” for Silly Words. Assign each student to create Silly Words from a different “root.” / Create Silly Words independently or in partners. Provide definition, illustration and a sample sentence for each word presented using dictionary format, Frayer model or other graphic organizer.
MODELING