The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence in the Common Core

Transcription

1 The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence in the Common Core Presented by: Tr Daniel R. Moirao Ed.,D. Silver Strong & Associates

2 Essential Questions 1. What s in a name? 2. What does it mean to see the Common Core as a tapestry? 3. Why are the Core Six strategies essential to fulfilling the promise of the Common Core? 4. Why is Compare and Contrast a best bet? 5. How can we use writing to improve student thinking and learning in all content areas? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 2

3 What s In A Name? What s in a name? Riddle: What s one of the first words everyone learns but is different for everyone? Answer: The Names We Go By How many different names do you go by? What do these names mean to you? Share some of your names with a neighbor. What Does It Mean To Be Thoughtful? Thoughtful educators are Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 3

4 PARCC Assessment Samples Grade 4 ELA Your Assignment Your class is preparing a museum display that will include photos of a variety of animals and interesting facts about them. You have been asked to write an article for the museum display explaining about animal defenses. In your article Choose one animal from the article "Animal Roll- Ups" and one animal from the video "Animal Defenses." In your article, identify your two animals, explain how each animal protects itself from its enemies, and explain how the two animals defenses are similar to or different from one another. Include details from your sources. Grade 7 Analytical Prose Constructed- Response Based on the information in the text Biography of Amelia Earhart, write an essay that summarizes and explains the challenges Earhart faced throughout her life. Remember to use textual evidence to support your ideas. ELA 7 th Grade Below are three claims that one could make based on the article Earhart s Final Resting Place Believed Found. Claims: Earhart and Noonan lived as castaways on Nikumaroro Island. Earhart and Noonan s plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean. People don t really know where Earhart and Noonan died. Part A Highlight the claim that is supported by the most relevant and sufficient evidence within Earhart s Final Resting Place Believed Found. Part B Click on two facts within the article that best provide evidence to support the claim selected in Part A. ELA 7 th Grade You have read three texts describing Amelia Earhart. All three include the claim that Earhart was a brave, courageous person. The three texts are: Biography of Amelia Earhart Earhart's Final Resting Place Believed Found Amelia Earhart s Life and Disappearance Consider the argument each author uses to demonstrate Earhart s bravery. Write an essay that analyzes the strength of the arguments about Earhart s bravery in at least two of the texts. Remember to use textual evidence to support your ideas. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 4

5 Academic Learning Skills In analyzing the Common Core State Standards and the new assessments, we have identified eight essential academic skills woven throughout the standards and tasks. Place a star next to the two skills that you pay the most attention to in your classroom or school. Then place an empty box next to the two skills that you feel need more attention. Evaluating evidence and using it to support positions Reading and understanding rigorous texts Understanding and contributing to meaningful discussions about content Finding important patterns and structures built into content Mastering academic vocabulary and integrating it into speaking and writing Using writing to advance learning and clarify thinking Writing comfortably in the Common Core text types: argument, informative, and narrative Conducting comparative analysis Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 5

6 Priority Pyramid Look at the list of academic learning skills from the Common Core. Which threads do you incorporate into your instruction? With a partner, create a Priority Pyramid. Rank the top five in order of implementation in your classroom. Common Threads in the Common Core Evaluating evidence and using it to support positions Reading and understanding rigorous texts Understanding and contributing to meaningful discussions about content Finding important patterns and structures built into content Mastering academic vocabulary and integrating it into speech and writing Using writing to advance learning and clarify thinking Writing comfortably in the Common Core text types: argument, informative, and narrative Conducting comparative analysis Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 6

7 What s the Big Idea? DIRECTIONS: Below are some statements from educational experts. Read them and see if you can conclude what the big idea is? Trying to change students classroom experience through changes in curriculum is very difficult. A bad curriculum well taught is invariably a better experience for students than a good curriculum badly taught. Dylan Wiliam Embedded Formative Assessment (p. 13) Reviews of reading and math programs at all grade levels showed that changes in textbooks had little impact on student achievement. Only those programs that changed teaching practices made a significant impact in student achievement. Slavin & Lake 2008; Slavin, Lake, Chambers, Cheung & Davis, 2009; Slavin, Lake, & Groff, 2009 If we are to fulfill the promise of the Common Core, we need to shift from what I am going to teach and what the students are going to do towards how am I going to teach and what are the students going to learn. Black, Harrision, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam (2004 p.19) The greatest impact on learning is the daily lived experiences of students in classrooms, and that is determined much more by how teachers teach than by what they teach. Dylan Wiliam Embedded Formative Assessment (p. 19) What s the big idea? How does the Core Six text address the big idea? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 7

8 Sample Unit From Everyday to Epic: Comparing Heroism in American Poetry Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 8

9 From Everyday to Epic: Comparing Heroism in American Poetry Know Students will know The different characteristics of a hero. The basic structure of a poem. Common Core State Standards to be addressed RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL.8.5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Learning Window Habits Listening with understanding and empathy Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision. Understand Skills Students will understand Students will develop their ability to How poetry conveys information and emotion. Read challenging texts (poems) That people from all walks of life can be Make meaningful inferences heroes. Comparatively analyze texts Use evidence from texts. Write an argument using textual evidence. Vocabulary hero, poetry, tone, imagery, perspective Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 9

10 Preparing Students for New Learning Define a hero using prior knowledge and/or personal experience. Deepening and Reinforcing Learning Compare & Contrast Describe both poems using criteria. Identify key similarities and differences between the poems. Draw conclusions about the impact of perspective on each poem. Presenting New Learning Sticky Notes Comprehension Question Read two poems, record important notes and details, and identify tone using evidence. Applying Learning Argument & Contrast Write an argument for the ideal description of a hero using textual evidence from both poems. Reflecting on and Celebrating Learning Identify new insights into heroism and how thinking may have changed. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 10

11 Preparing Students for New Learning What does the term hero mean to you? Think of a person, real or fiction, who you believe is a hero. What are some of the defining characteristics of this person? Why do all cultures have heroes? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 11

12 Presenting New Learning Below is Nikki Giovanni s, A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long. As you read the poem, use the Sticky Notes notemaking technique (on the right) to collect your thoughts about what you believe the author is trying to communicate. Consider the emotional tone or attitude of the poem, the images the author is trying to create, and the author s intended effect of the poem. A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long (You never know what troubled little girl needs a book) by Nikki Giovanni Sticky Notes At a time when there was not tv before 3:00 P.M. And on Sunday none until 5:00 We sat on the front porches watching The jfg sign go on and off greeting The neighbors, discussion the political Situation congratulating the preacher On his sermon There was always the radio which brought us Songs from wlac in nashville and what we would now call Easy listening or smooth jazz but when I listened Late at night with my portable (that I was so proud of) Tucked under my pillow I heard nat king cole and matt dennis, june christy and ella fitzgerald And sometimes sarah vaughan sing black coffee Which I now drink It was just called music There was a bookstore uptown on gay street Which I visited and inhaled that wonderful odor Of new books Even today I read hardcover as a preference paperback only As a last resort And up the hill on vine street (The main black corridor) sat our carnegie library Mrs. Long always glad to see you The stereoscope always ready to show you faraway Places to dream about Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 12

13 Mrs. Long asking what are you looking for today When I wanted Leaves of Grass or alfred north whitehead She would go to the big library uptown and I now know Hat in hand to ask to borrow so that I might borrow Probably they said something humiliating since southern Whites like to humiliate southern blacks But she nonetheless brought the books Back and I held them to my chest Close to my heart And happily skipped back to grandmother s house Where I would sit on the front porch In a gray glider and dream of a world Far away I love the world where I was I was safe and warm and grandmother gave me neck kissed When I was on my way to bed But there was a world Somewhere Out there And Mrs. Long opened that wardrobe But no lions or witches scared me I went through Knowing there would be Spring Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 13

14 Comprehension Question Tone of A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long Which of the following options best expresses the overall tone of the poem? a. truth and wisdom b. fear and anxiety c. wonder and thanks d. race and understanding Select three pieces of evidence from the poem to support your answer to the question above Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 14

15 Below is Walt Whitman s O Captain! My Captain! As you read the poem, use the Sticky Notes notemaking technique (on the right) to collect your thoughts about what you believe the author is trying to communicate. Consider the emotional tone or attitude of the poem, the images the author is trying to create, and the author s intended effect of the poem. O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman Sticky Notes O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather d every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up for you the flag is flung for you the bugle trills; For you bouquets and ribbon d wreaths for you the shores a- crowding; For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head; It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; The ship is anchor d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! But I, with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 15

16 Comprehension Question Tone of O Captain! My Captain! Which of the following options best expresses the overall tone of the poem? a) honor and reverence b) sacrifice and glory c) awe and appreciation d) victory and sorrow Select three pieces of evidence from the poem to support your answer to the question above Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 16

17 Deepening and Reinforcing Learning Description Phase: Use the following Description Organizer to analyze the two poems according to key criteria. A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long Criteria O Captain! My Captain! Narrator (Perspective) Tone Imagery Language/Structure Message/Meaning Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 17

18 Comparison Phase: Use the Top Hat Organizer below to identify key similarities and differences between the two poems. Differences A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long O Captain! My Captain! Similarities Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 18

19 Conclusion Phase: Each poem looks at heroism from a different perspective. What is the most important difference between the two poems? How does this difference affect the meaning and impact of the poems? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 19

20 Applying Learning Application Phase: Everyday or epic, what is the ideal description or type of a hero? Write an argument that responds to this question. Be sure your ideas are clear, your position is supported with specific evidence from the poems, and you follow the conventions of Standard English. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 20

21 Reflecting on and Celebrating Learning Look back at your initial thoughts on heroism. After reading and analyzing both poems, what new insights do you have about what a hero is and who can be a hero? How has your thinking changed (if at all)? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 21

22 Nikki Giovanni (1943- ) is a world- renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. She was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all- black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her sister spent their summers with their grandparents in Knoxville, and she graduated with honors from Fisk University, her grandfather's alma mater, in 1968; after graduating from Fisk, she attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. Giovanni published her first book of poetry in 1968 and is the author of some 30 books for both adults and children. Many of Giovanni's books have received honors and awards, including a National Book Award finalist, multiple NAACP Image Awards, a Caldecott Honors Book, and recording industry awards for her spoken word albums. Giovanni is the recipient of some twenty- five honorary degrees and Governor's Awards from both Tennessee and Virginia. She was the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and she has also been awarded the Langston Hughes Medal for poetry. She is currently a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Biographical information adapted from giovanni.com/.) Walter Walt Whitman ( ) is regarded as one of America s most significant nineteenth century poets. Born on Long Island, Whitman grew up in Brooklyn and received limited formal education. His occupations during his lifetime included printer, schoolteacher, reporter, and editor. Whitman s self- published Leaves of Grass (1855) was inspired in part by his travels through the American frontier and by his admiration for Ralph Waldo Emerson. This important publication underwent eight subsequent editions during his lifetime as Whitman expanded and revised the poetry and added more to the original collection of twelve poems. Emerson himself declared the first edition was the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed. During the Civil War, Whitman worked as a clerk in Washington, DC. For three years, he visited soldiers during his spare time, dressing wounds and giving solace to the injured. These experiences led to the poems in his 1865 publication, Drum- Taps, which includes, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom d, his elegy for President Lincoln. After suffering a serious stroke in 1873, Whitman moved to his brother s home in Camden, New Jersey. While his poetry failed to garner popular attention from his American readership during his lifetime, Whitman is now seen as America s world poet and the first writer of a truly American poetry. (Biographical information adapted from whitman.) Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 22

23 Thinking About Writing in the Classroom How are writing and thinking similar? How do they differ? What is the connection between writing and thinking? What would a strategy that helps students become better writers and thinkers look like in the classroom? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 23

24 The Common Core Mission Statement According to its mission statement, the Common Core State Standards Initiative aims to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. ( Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 24

25 Organizer for Summarizing the Core Six Foreword DIRECTIONS: 1. Read the foreword to The Core Six by Heidi Hayes Jacobs. 2. Use the Summarize organizer below to collect the four big ideas. 3. Meet with a partner. Share, compare, and synthesize your big ideas into two big ideas. 4. Meet with a pair. In groups of four, decide on the single most important idea. 5. Use what you ve learned to write a brief summary. Source: Tools for Thoughtful Assessment Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 25

26 A Unit on Argument Making Powerful Arguments: A Study in Craftsmanship Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 26

27 Making Powerful Arguments: A Study in Craftsmanship Common Core State Standards W Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. RI Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RI Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. RI Determine an author s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. L Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain- specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 27

28 Learning Window Knowledge The elements of a great argument Key terms associated with argument The important similarities and differences between argument and persuasion Attitudes/Habits of Mind Citizenship and responsibility: Understand that civil argument is healthy, provided the argument is objective, impersonal, and focuses on the issues at hand. Habits of Mind Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision Managing impulsivity Understanding That the ability to craft a high- quality argument is critical to success in college and 21 st century careers. Skills Compare and contrast (argument vs. persuasion) Analysis (Analyzing great arguments) Crafting a high- quality argument Key Academic Vocabulary argument persuasion claim reason cohesion evidence formal style objective tone conclusion Essential Questions 1. How do we use argument in our everyday lives? 2. What is the difference between argument and persuasion? 3. What makes a great argument great? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 28

29 Preparing Students for New Learning Reading for Meaning Argument and the Common Core Is It Argument? Video Clips Think of a Time What makes an argument powerful? Deepening and Reinforcing Learning Search Party Find the element of an argument in a sample essay Modeling How to find a claim, evidence, counterclaim, and conclusion. Presenting New Learning Compare and Contrast Argument vs. Persuasion Recipe Card The ingredients for a great argument. Reflecting on and Celebrating Learning Metaphorical Expression A great argument is like Choose Your Argument Analyze two great arguments Applying Learning Make your argument Who makes the better argument? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 29

30 What is my task? I will have to choose and analyze two great arguments. One is about contemporary issues, while the other is an older, classic argument. In each argument, I will need to identify the key elements. Then I will need to write my own argument about which is the better argument. What will I need to know? KNOWING GOALS What will I need to be able to do? DOING GOALS Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 30

31 Preparing Students for New Learning Reading for Meaning What do you know about an argument? What do you associate with the term argument? Below are three statements about argument. Review the statements and decide whether you agree or disagree with each statement. Agree Argument is the most important type of writing for success in college, careers, and life. Support Refute Disagree Agree The collegiate environment is better suited to developing students argument- writing skills than high school. Support Refute Disagree Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 31

32 Agree Making an argument requires a set of interrelated thinking and writing skills Support Refute Disagree Agree People who are good at argument tend to be better decision makers. Support Refute Disagree Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 32

33 What follows is a reading taken directly from the Common Core State Standards about the role of argument in college and careers. As you read the article, collect evidence from the text that supports or refutes each statement. The Special Place of Argument in the Standards While all three text types are important, the Standards put particular emphasis on students ability to write sound arguments on substantive topics and issues, as this ability is critical to college and career readiness. English and education professor Gerald Graff (2003) writes that argument literacy is fundamental to being educated. The university is largely an argument culture, Graff contends; therefore, K 12 schools should teach the conflicts so that students are adept at understanding and en- gaging in argument (both oral and written) when they enter college. He claims that because argument is not standard in most school curricula, only 20 percent of those who enter college are prepared in this respect. Theorist and critic Neil Postman (1997) calls argument the soul of an education because argument forces a writer to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of multiple perspectives. When teachers ask students to consider two or more perspectives on a topic or issue, something far beyond surface knowledge is required: students must think critically and deeply, assess the validity of their own thinking, and anticipate counterclaims in opposition to their own assertions. The unique importance of argument in college and careers is asserted eloquently by Joseph M. Williams and Lawrence McEnerney (n.d.) of the University of Chicago Writing Program. As part of their attempt to explain to new college students the major differences between good high school and college writing, Williams and McEnerney define argument not as wrangling but as a serious and focused conversation among people who are intensely interested in getting to the bottom of things cooperatively. Those values are also an integral part of your education in college. For four years, you are asked to read, do research, gather data, analyze it, think about it, and then communicate it to readers in a form... which enables them to assess it and use it. You are asked to do this not because we expect you all to become professional scholars, but because in just about any profession you pursue, you will do research, think about what you find, make decisions about complex matters, and then ex- plain those decisions usually in writing to others who have a stake in your decisions being sound ones. In an Age of Information, what most professionals do is research, think, and make arguments. (And part of the value of doing your own thinking and writing is that it makes you much better at evaluating the thinking and writing of others.) (ch. 1) In the process of describing the special value of argument in college- and career- ready writing, Williams and McEnerney also establish argument s close links to research in particular and to knowledge building in general, both of which are also heavily emphasized in the Standards. Much evidence supports the value of argument generally and its particular importance to college and career readiness. A 2009 ACT national curriculum survey of postsecondary instructors of composition, freshman English, and survey of American literature courses (ACT, Inc., 2009) found that write to argue or persuade readers was virtually tied with write to convey information as the most important type of writing needed by incoming college students. Other curriculum surveys, including those conducted by the College Board (Milewski, Johnson, Glazer, & Kubota, 2005) and the states of Virginia and Florida, also found strong support for writing arguments as a key part of instruction. The 2007 writing framework for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (National Assessment Governing Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 33

34 Board, 2006) assigns persuasive writing the single largest targeted allotment of assessment time at grade 12 (40 percent, versus 25 percent for narrative writing and 35 percent for informative writing). (The 2011 prepublication framework [National Assessment Governing Board, 2007] maintains the 40 percent figure for persuasive writing at grade 12, allotting 40 percent to writing to explain and 20 percent to writing to convey experience.) Writing arguments or writing to persuade is also an important element in standards frameworks for numerous high- performing nations. Specific skills central to writing arguments are also highly valued by postsecondary educators. A 2002 survey of instructors of freshman composition and other introductory courses across the curriculum at California s community colleges, California State University campuses, and University of California campuses (Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California, 2002) found that among the most important skills expected of incoming students were articulating a clear thesis; identifying, evaluating, and using evidence to support or challenge the thesis; and considering and incorporating counterarguments into their writing. On the 2009 ACT national curriculum survey (ACT, Inc., 2009), postsecondary faculty gave high ratings to such argument- related skills as develop ideas by using some specific reasons, details, and examples, take and maintain a position on an issue, and support claims with multiple and appropriate sources of evidence. The value of effective argument extends well beyond the classroom or workplace, however. As Richard Fulkerson (1996) puts it in Teaching the Argument in Writing, the proper context for thinking about argument is one in which the goal is not victory but a good decision, one in which all arguers are at risk of needing to alter their views, one in which a participant takes seriously and fairly the views different from his or her own (pp ). Such capacities are broadly important for the literate, educated person living in the diverse, information- rich environment of the twenty- first century. Working in groups, review each statement and the evidence you collected for each. See if you can reach a consensus on each statement using the text to support your thinking. If you can t reach a consensus on a statement, rewrite if so you can. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 34

35 Think of a Time Now, think about your own experiences with argument. Think about a time you convinced or influenced someone else s thinking. Think of a time someone convinced or influenced you. What makes an argument powerful? Understanding what makes a good argument means understanding the distinction between argument and persuasion? What do you believe are the differences between argument and persuasion? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 35

36 Presenting New Learning Compare and Contrast: Phase One Description Let s explore the differences between argument and persuasion in more depth. Using the including set of documents to guide you, describe each using the provided criteria. Argument Criteria Persuasion What s the goal? What are the characteristics of each? What tactics and techniques are commonly used? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 36

37 Document #1: Dress Codes (A Sample Argument) The terms argument and persuasion are easily confused. Even experts sometimes use the terms loosely and interchangeably. But argument and persuasion are not exactly the same. Let s explore what the two terms mean. An argument sets out to present and validate a claim using principles of logic and reasoning. At the heart of any good argument is evidence. When developing an argument, the writer must use evidence responsibly, without resorting to broad generalizations or appeals to the audience s emotions. A good argument is also a balanced argument; not only should the writer use solid evidence to support the claim, he or she should also consider other perspectives on the issue. In an argument, these other perspectives are often presented as counter claims, which, like the claim of the argument, should be addressed using evidence. Persuasive writing promotes an opinion on a position. While the opinion is typically rooted in truth and can be supported with evidence, persuasion goes beyond logic and evidence to make its case. When writing to persuade, writers use a variety of strategies to win the audience. One common strategy is an appeal to the credibility, character, or authority of the writer. When writers establish that they are knowledgeable and trustworthy, audiences are more likely to believe what they say. Another persuasive strategy is to appeal directly to the audience self- interest or sense of identity ( My fellow students, we need to stand up for our rights! ). Persuasive writing can also play on people s emotions by arousing fear ( Do you want to be without healthcare when you retire?) or by invoking a sense of nostalgia. Other persuasive techniques include exaggeration and relying on generalizations without offering evidence to support those generalizations. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 37

38 Document #2: Dress Codes (A Sample Argument) I believe that it would be beneficial for our schools to adopt dress codes. Although some may argue that this action would restrict the individual student s freedom of expression, I do not agree. Our right to express ourselves is important, but in our society none of us has unrestricted freedom to do as we like at all times. We must all learn discipline, respect the feelings of others, and learn how to operate in the real world in order to be successful. Dress codes would not only create a better learning environment, but would also help prepare students for their futures. Perhaps the most important benefit of adopting dress codes would be creating a better learning environment. Inappropriate clothing can be distracting to fellow students who are trying to concentrate. Short skirts, skimpy tops, and low pants are fine for after school, but not for the classroom. T- shirts with risky images or profanity may be offensive to certain groups. Students should express themselves through art or creative writing, not clothing. With fewer distractions, students can concentrate on getting a good education which can help them later on. Another benefit of having a dress code is that it will prepare students to dress properly for different places. When you go to a party you do not wear the same clothes you wear to church. Likewise, when you dress for work you do not wear the same clothes you wear at the beach. Many professions even require uniforms. Having a dress code in high school will help students adjust to the real world. Lastly, with all the peer pressure in school, many students worry about fitting in. If a dress code (or even uniforms) were required, there would be less emphasis on how you look, and more emphasis on learning. In conclusion, there are many important reasons our schools should adopt dress codes. Getting an education is hard enough without being distracted by inappropriate t- shirts or tight pants. Learning to dress for particular occasions prepares us for the real world. And teens have enough pressure already without having to worry about what they are wearing. Document #3: Dress Codes (A Sample Persuasive Essay) I ve been a student at both a public and a private school, and I can attest that strict dress codes do not make one bit of difference in student behavior. We had just as many discipline problems in my private high school, where there was a strict dress code, as we do here. And if that s the case, why should our school even be considering imposing a dress code? After all, many students like to express their personal style through their clothes. And I know from firsthand experience that dress codes don t improve behavior; therefore, students right to self- expression should not be taken away. I say to my fellow students: Worry about a dress code. Get angry about a dress code. Why? Because, if you use your common sense, you ll see that a dress code is a way to force all Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 38

39 students into the same mold. Don t you believe you are unique? Shouldn t you, and only you, have the right to make decisions about what you wear? From the time I was a kindergartner, my parents gave me the personal responsibility to dress myself. Now, as a teenager in high school, a school board that s never even met me is going to take that right and responsibility away? That just doesn t make any sense. People supposedly argue that clothing can be distracting, but I have never met anyone who feels this way. Even if there were students who would be distracted by clothing, then I bet those students would likely be distracted by any number of things. Today, people s clothes might bother them. Next week it might be the way girls wear their hair or that the milk in the cafeteria is too cold. I think you see my point: Why should the hypersensitivities of a few students be privileged over the personal freedom of the entire student body? Having a standard dress code in place is only one step away from having school uniforms. So, with uniforms in place, what s next? Teaching religion in the classroom? Restricting extracurricular activities? Monitoring students outside of school? Our school leaders often tell us that they want us to take more responsibility. They tell us that we should respect and celebrate our differences. And yet they want to make us all dress exactly the same. If you ask me, I d say that makes them terrible hypocrites. Document #4: Common Core Standard: Writing Arguments (9 th - 10 th ) W Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience s knowledge level and concerns c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 39

40 Compare and Contrast: Phase Two Comparison Unique to Argument Unique to Persuasion Common to Both Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 40

41 Compare and Contrast: Phase Three Conclusion Are the two more alike or more different? Compare and Contrast: Phase Four Applying (Recipe Card) Now that you re clear on the differences between argument and persuasion, let s focus in on argument. What are the essential ingredients and steps that go into a high- quality argument? Create a Recipe Card that identifies the essentials. Recipe for A High- Quality Argument Ingredients: Steps: Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 41

42 Deepening and Reinforcing Learning Next, we ll be looking at arguments crafted by some masters of argument. You ll be allowed to choose which arguments you want to analyze, and you ll be asked to dissect each argument by identifying its elements. But before we jump ahead, let s try it out using a tool called Search Party. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 42

43 Linux is better than other more commonly used operating systems. First of all, it s free to obtain unlike other operating systems, which can cost hundreds of dollars to purchase. It also has fewer security issues like viruses, spyware, and adware. A third advantage is that it has a large community of users who are constantly adding and improving programs. This means you don t have to wait until a software company releases a new product to get new programs; you get them constantly! Some people prefer Windows because it offers some programs that Linux doesn t have, but there are comparable programs in Linux that are almost as good. Given a choice, people should go with Linux because of the benefits it offers in terms of cost, security, and abundant programs and updates. Analyzing an Argument What s the claim? What evidence/reasons support the claim? How does it address potential counterclaims? How does it conclude? How would you assess its overall quality and cohesion? Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 43

44 Choose Your Arguments Now let s turn our attention to some more sophisticated arguments, both current and historical. You will need to choose two arguments to focus your attention on one from the current day, and one from history/literature. Your choices are: Historical/Literary Atticus Finch s closing argument from To Kill a Mocking bird (Remember that?) About Revenge in which the great Renaissance thinker, Francis Bacon, crafts an argument about the role of revenge in a civilized society Dr. DuBois Explains, in which the great American scholar and author, W.E.B DuBois argues for a more academic education for African- Americans in the early 1900s. Contemporary (not in packet) Ban Tackle Football for Players Under 14 from The Boston Globe Labels for Genetically Modified Foods Are a Bad Idea from the Scientific American Why Limiting CEO Pay is a Good Idea from The Los Angeles Times Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 44

45 American Rhetoric: Movie Speech "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962) Atticus Finch delivers his Closing Argument at the Trial of Tom Robinson Finch: To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. The State has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. Now there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led, almost exclusively, with his left [hand]. And Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken "The Oath" with the only good hand he possesses -- his right. I have nothing but pity in my heart for the Chief Witness for the State. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance. But, my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt. Now I say "guilt," gentlemen, because it was guilt that motivated her. She's committed no crime. She has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 45

46 breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with. She must destroy the evidence of her offense. But, what was the evidence of her offense? Tom Robinson, a human being. She must put Tom Robinson away from her. Tom Robinson was to her a daily reminder of what she did. Now what did she do? She tempted a negro. She was white and she tempted a negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: She kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a strong, young negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards. The witnesses for the State, with the exception of the sheriff of Lincoln County, have presented themselves to you gentlemen -- to this Court -- in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted; confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption, the evil assumption, that all negroes lie; all negroes are basically immoral beings; all negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption that one associates with minds of their caliber, and which is in itself, gentlemen, a lie -- which I do not need to point out to you. And so, a quiet, humble, respectable negro, who has had the unmitigated TEMERITY to feel sorry for a white woman, has had to put his word against two white peoples. The defendant is not guilty. But somebody in this courtroom is. Now, gentlemen, in this country our courts are the great levelers. In our courts, all men are created equal. I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and of our jury system. That's no ideal to me. That is a living, working reality! Now I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence that you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this man to his family. In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, believe Tom Robinson. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 46

47 About Revenge by Francis Bacon Revenge is a sort of wild justice. The more people try to take revenge, the more the law should punish them. When a man commits a crime, he breaks the law. But when the injured person takes revenge, the person destroys law itself. In taking revenge, a person does indeed get even with his enemy. But when one refuses to take revenge, he shows that he is better than his enemy. King Solomon, I am sure, said it is glorious for a person to forget an injury. Whatever is past is gone and can't be changed. Wise people know they have enough to do in the present and with whatever might happen in the future. They don't spend their time taking revenge. People who spend their time worrying about past injuries just waste their time. Also, no person hurts another person just to hurt him. Rather, it is done for his profit or his own pleasure or his honor or for some other reason he might have. So why should I be angry with someone for loving himself better than he loves me? Suppose someone hurts me because he is evil. Isn't that just like a thorn or briar which scratches me because it can't do anything else? Revenge is most allowable when there is no specific law to correct an injury. However, one must then be careful that the kind of revenge one takes does not break another law. Some people when they get even want their enemy to know that it will happen. This is a more generous way of acting. Not letting your enemy know you are going to get even is a cowardly thing to do. It is like killing at night from ambush. There was an Italian ruler, Cosimo de Medici, who said the following to his friends who might betray or injure him. "We read," he said, "that we are commanded to forgive our enemies. But we never read that we are commanded to forgive our friends." I think, however, that the spirit of what Job said is truer. He said, "Shall we receive good from God and not also be willing to accept evil?" The same is true, in part, about friends. What is certain about planning to get even is that one's own wounds remain open. If one didn't spend one's time trying to take revenge, those injuries would heal and be forgotten. Public or state revenges are, for the most part, good as in the case of the murderers of Julius Caesar. Private revenges are, however, not good. People who take revenge live the life of witches. They cause trouble to others and come to a bad end. Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 47

48 Dr. Du Bois Explains From a Letter, Indianapolis Star April 8, 1912 Will you allow me to correct your statement of March 3d as to my attitude toward the education of colored children? I did not decry common labor. On the contrary I emphasized the importance of doing present tasks well and faithfully. What I did emphasize was the fact that it was the duty of every group and nation to eliminate the hardest and most exhausting manual toil; that this is done by the selection of ability and the training of men through education. The primary function of education then is not the output of goods but the training of men. If now a group of people like American Negroes are advised to turn all their attention or their chief attention to the training of laborers and servants, they are advised to commit social suicide. They will soon find that in the rapidly changing technique of industry their laborers will be displaced while they will have developed no intelligent leadership in industry or thought to guide the mass. Such leadership will not be supplied by the whites because of race prejudice. Yet these same whites are the first to criticise lack of it. They demand loudly and angrily the great social virtues on the part of the freedmen's sons-thrift, organization, co-operation, suppression of crime, upbuilding of homes, etc. These virtues are not developed simply by individual action, but by group experience and compulsion. If Negroes wish, then, to rise in efficiency and civilization, shall they bend their energies to the training of good servants or of good men? Shall they select and push ability and efficiency among their children, or shall they try and make street laborers and "hands" of all? The answer is perfectly clear. The present lowly tasks should be done by colored people and done well, but they should bend every energy and make every sacrifice to select and discover through education the brains and ability which will raise the Negro race to its rightful equality with the rest of the races of the world. Persons who oppose this perfectly rational program a program which every civilized nation is following today are those who wish to keep the black man forever as a "hewer of wood and drawer of water." It is such people who are trying to make the colored public schools of Indianapolis places for making bread, clothes and tables, and not for making men. It is such people that discourage gifted colored children from entering the high school and going to college. It is such people who pay Negro demagogues to advocate industrial education as a sole and sufficient educational program. If I mistake not the colored people of the United States have been deceived in this matter long enough and are beginning to see the light. Source: University of Massachusetts, Special Collection Du Bois Central Copyright 2014 Thoughtful Education Press. All Rights Reserved. Page 48