Teaching Argument for
Critical Think and Writing: An Introduction
George Hillocks Jr.
"When the data are curious, do not fit preconceptions, they give rise to questions and genuine thinking. Attempts to answer these questions become hypotheses, possible future thesis statements that we may eventually write about after further investigation" (Hillocks 26).
In other words, a good argument begins with looking at possibly evidence or data that can possibly support an argument you are trying to make. This evidence or data all comes from the texts we decide to showcase to our students and have the explore, questions, and draw conclusion that all them to make considerable theories and arguments.
So now the question is, how do we as educators motivate and support students in making meaningful and strong arguments?
Well, according to the text, "students will have to become engaged in a highly interested activity that is both simple and challenging, for which feedback is immediate and clear, that allows for success and inspires further effort" (Hillock 27).
One way that text can play a critical role during students' learning process is by choosing culturally responsive texts that not only connect to students' lives, but also challenges them to think deeper about the world around them. For example, in the reading the teacher played a "mystery game" with the students and shared a visual that sparked many questions and ideas about what may have happened and future arguments.
Based on this idea of engagement in writing arguments,
- What kinds or texts or contexts do you think would spark YOUR students' interests or engagement?
- What are some culturally responsive topics that students would be interested in writing about?
- How does asking questions connect to reading strategies we've already learned about?
Hallie,
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in my response to Becca's prompt, I feel that current events/hot topics in real time are the best to use with students while teaching this type of writing, but I'm not sure that that's what interests them.
Not to go too far off on a tangent, but this reminds me of how I saw in my current classroom, students writing down Hillary Clinton as a courageous woman, someone they looked up to. I couldn't help but be saddended by this because little do they know, Hillary Clinton has done/said things that have been negatively directed at African American communities. Because my students are unaware of this though, they see her in a different light.
To connect this all together, I feel that students may have different topics that they feel they would like to write about, but I feel it is so important to expose our students to real-life problems, and have them learn how to back up their beleifs with straight facts.
Hi Hallie,
ReplyDeleteMy students are really interested in texts that connect to their personal lives. I think it'll spark their interests. I think they would be interested in learning about Bridgeport. You can ask questions in different ways. You can be using a strategy as you're doing so. You can be ask questions as the students are filing out graphic organizers.