Copy - Teaching Argumentation in the Classroom

Teaching Argumentation in the English Classroom Veronica Paoletti

Context: Liceo LinguisticoYear: 3rd year Level of English: mixed ability class (B1-B2) Students: 24 SEN: 1 SLD student (dyslexia), one with attention deficit (ADHD) Use of Technology: Interactive Board and online collaborative platform (Padlet/Kahoot/Mentimeter) to collect and share ideas Objective: to develop argumentation skills in English in order to be able to hold a debate. Prerequisites: students can already express their opinions using basic structures (I think that...,In my opinion....); understand short informational and literary texts; can work collaboratively in pairs/groups.

First Lesson:Introduction to Argumentation in English

Warm up: 10 minutes

1. The teacher shows a provocative statement: Social Media is beneficial for teenagers 2. Students vote

Engage: 15 minutes

The teacher: shows 2 extracts of videos to start brainstorming https://youtu.be/4RnS0sQTOk0(pros) https://youtu.be/najiOPaR37I?si=EeGvThMcijmtg7lI (cons) The students: write down a few notes about what they think might be interesting in the video about the topic given

'IncEngageluding quotes always reinforces our presentation. Breaks the monotony'

Study: 15 minutes The teacher shows a short argumentation to highlight the structure of the Argument 1. claim 2. evidence 3. reasoning Use slides with colours for SEN students

Example: A strong argument uses a Claim (an assertion), backed by credible Evidence (data or facts), and linked by Reasoning (an explanation of why the evidence supports the claim). https://1drv.ms/b/c/a24212d5c62756c7/EdRu1KyJvc9Fk9JWm2xq06UBevn7txnE3P6PxSDm6enDmQ?e=h6X3lr

Activate: 20 minutes

Students work in pairs to identify claim, evidence and reasoning in a short newspaper article. SEN support: sentence starters and highlighted keywords.

https://1drv.ms/b/c/a24212d5c62756c7/EdRu1KyJvc9Fk9JWm2xq06UBevn7txnE3P6PxSDm6enDmQ?e=h6X3lr

Second Lesson:Identifying argumentation in texts

Engage: 10 minutes Brainstorm: How many hours a day do you spend on social media? Show a quick Mentimeter poll: real-time class results (school ipads).

Study: 25 minutes

Read a short essay: Is the internet bad for young people? https://1drv.ms/b/c/a24212d5c62756c7/Ece-4xD9BcRCsGGww7U0o4oBhFpglnJXbPUYMwiIa0Uvmg?e=chHIC5 Task: Identify claim, evidence, reasoning (highlight them with colours). Teacher feedback (oral): check if they can clearly separate opinion from fact and claim from evidence.

Activate: 25 minutes

In pairs, students complete a table with Claim / Evidence / Reasoning: peer tutoring. https://1drv.ms/b/c/a24212d5c62756c7/ETC_-0dMbwFJoE9C1ocQ6_EBMKnnB7ChZJmQ26LTlwCCJA?e=bt6w1X Share results orally: quick formative check with whole class.

Third lesson : Building an argument

Engage : 10 minutes The teacher shows two Instagram posts (one positive, one negative). The teacher asks: “Do you agree with this message? Why or why not?”

The teacher introduces sentence starters (e.g., I strongly believe … / For example … / This shows that … / On the other hand …): traditional lesson Mini-exercise: students complete half-finished arguments with the correct starter

Study: 20 minutes

Group activity: prepare a short speech (2 minutes) for or against the following statement:“Social media helps teenagers connect.” Each group presents, classmates give quick peer feedback using a checklist (Claim clear, Evidence given, Reasoning logical).

Activate (30 min):

Fourth Lesson: Debate

Engage: 10 minutes

kahoot: quiz with 4 multiple-choice questions about the topic given https://create.kahoot.it/details/640d5401-c618-4e3a-80cf-6ec234ba497b?drawer= Formative assessment: discussion about the reasons why they have chosen their answers (feedback)

Study: 15 minutes

The teacher writes on the board the five categories of an argumentation using different colours for SEN students.In pairs the students complete 3 short dialogues, using the suitable expressions for each category. For SEN students: handout with different colours for each category (Eg. claim: red, Evidence: blue). They may have multiple options (instead of blanks). They are allowed to read if they find it difficult to invent.

DEBATE- 3 GROUPS OF 4 PEOPLE: PROS VS 3 GROUPS OF 4 PEOPLE: CONS Social media has more negative than positive effects on young people Final peer + teacher feedback with checklist Assessment rubric for debate (Indire) used by the teacher https://1drv.ms/b/c/a24212d5c62756c7/EV2RJyJb27VHtXFMx-SWBW4BfAGJiIqusLkmS3-rAPKNSQ?e=bmcsRdPeer Checklist for final feedback https://1drv.ms/b/c/a24212d5c62756c7/EeF94uPyL6pIoYcLZ-UvBUABoLlZ-v5WFNqStJWsFlOAiw?e=mrUMqw

Activate: 45 minutes

Thank you!

Did you know...

Did you know that 90% of the information we assimilate comes through sight? Visual resources are very helpful for reinforcing your message: images, illustrations, gifs, videos... Not only because they remain in memory, but alsobecause they are more attractive and easierto understand.

Did you know...

Did you know that 90% of the information we assimilate comes through sight? Visual resources are very helpful for reinforcing your message: images, illustrations, gifs, videos... Not only because they remain in memory, but alsobecause they are more attractive and easierto understand.