Lesson Plan:

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

Demonstrate the following skills:

• Diagram arguments using the Toulmin model for a primary journal article and a popular-press op-ed

• Evaluate whether a claim is sufficiently backed up by evidence and reasoning

Demonstrate knowledge of:

• Insect declines in the past half of a century, their possible causes and consequences

Instructional Planning

Prepare copies of the NYTimes op-ed for in-class, provide links to pdf of journal article and Toulmin model website, and lecture on Toulmin model elements.

Procedure

Engage

• Student does: Students will read the NYTimes editorial article about insect declines. Discuss with class if we’ve seen insect declines in our own communities.

• Teacher does: Provide printed copies of the op-ed. Facilitate discussion on insect declines. 

Explore

• Student does: Work in small groups to identify the claim, reasoning, and evidence in the editorial article. Have each group write what they identified for each on the board.

• Teacher does: Randomly assign students to groups. Explain types of scientific argumentation and simplified argumentation model (Claim-Reasoning-Evidence).

Explain

• Student does: Students work in groups of three to identify the other elements of the Toulmin model (warrant, backing, and qualifier), with assistance from the Purdue OWL website after the teacher's explanation. Each student learns about one element and then explains what it is and how it relates to the other elements to the rest of the group. Students go back to the editorial article and identify the other elements of the Toulmin model. 

• Teacher does: Present the full Toulmin model with all components, including descriptions of each element and examples, as on Purdue OWL website.

Elaborate

• Student does: Students read the primary journal article (between class sessions). Students diagram the elements of the full Toulmin model with the small groups. Discuss with their groups how effectively the claim was supported.

• Teacher does: Guide groups as they map the argument in the primary article.

Evaluate

• Student does: Whole class discussion on the article, and how they used argumentation to persuade their audience. Discussion on how global change impacts insect communities. Students write 1-2 pages on how each type of science communication uses argumentation differently (what are differences between types of claim or evidence, for example).

• Teacher does: Facilitate whole class discussions. Grade written assignment.

Assessment

Formative:

• Writing claim, evidence, reasoning with each group on the board

• Small group discussions

• Whole class discussions

• Diagram of Toulmin model with small groups for each article

Summative:

• Written evaluation and reflection comparing the argumentation style of the two papers and impacts of insect communities.

Instructional Materials