The Argumentation Toolkit
  • Home
  • Intro
  • Argument Elements
    • Evidence
    • Reasoning
    • Student Interaction
    • Competing Claims
  • Resources
  • Teacher Learning
    • Introductory Module >
      • Session 1
      • Session 2
      • Session 3
      • Session 4
    • Advanced - Science Seminar >
      • Session 1
      • Session 2
      • Session 3
      • Session 4
    • Advanced - Designing Rich Tasks >
      • Session 1
      • Session 2
      • Session 3
      • Session 4
    • Advanced - Evidence and Reasoning >
      • Session 1
      • Session 2
      • Session 3
      • Session 4
  • About

TEACHER LEARNING 

Watch this video to discover more about our teacher learning resources and to see them in action.
We have designed learning modules as suggested ways to use resources in the Argumentation Toolkit with either preservice or inservice teachers. These learning modules include agendas and other resources (e.g. card sort activity) to illustrate how the Argumentation Toolkit may be used to support teacher learning about argumentation. The sessions are organized in two ways: 1) Learning Module (multiple sessions bundled in sequences) and 2) Individual Sessions.

Each session is viewable in two ways: 1) by scrolling down a page, or 2) by clicking on the "Presentation View" button under the agenda and viewing the session as a slideshow. The content in both versions is the same.

Organized by Learning Module

 The modules each include a sequence of four 45-minute sessions for a total of 3 hours. These can be used for one longer meeting (i.e. 3 hours) or used over multiple sessions (4 sessions 1 month apart, each for 45 minutes). We recommend using the Introductory Module on Scientific Argumentation first. Any of the other modules may be used after the first one depending on the needs and interests of teachers. 

Module Name

  • Introductory Module on Scientific Argumentation


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  • Advanced Module - Science Seminar



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  • ​Advanced Module - Designing Rich Argumentation Tasks
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  • Advanced Module - Evidence and Reasoning

Description

  • Goal - Introduces the four argument elements. 
  • ​DCI - Life science focused on fossil record (MS-LS4-1, MS-LS4-2) and the human body systems (MS-LS1-3)

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  • Goal - Introduces the science seminar, an argumentation activity.
  • DCI - Earth science focused on weather (MS-ESS2-5) and climate (MS-ESS2-6)



  • Goal - Introduces four criteria and other considerations when designing rich argumentation tasks
  • DCI - Life science focused on growth, development and reproduction of organisms (MS-LS1-5) and fossil record (MS-LS4-1) ​

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  • Goal - Supports teachers in helping students overcome common challenges in using evidence and reasoning in scientific arguments.
  • DCI - Earth science focused on earth processes, such as earthquakes (MS-ESS2-2), the cycling of earth materials (MS-ESS2-1), and the force of gravity (MS-ESS2-4).
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Organized by Session

The sessions that make up these modules can also be accessed individually, either by argumentation element (e.g. evidence, competing claims) or by activity (e.g. card sort, student writing).  Each session is 45 minutes long. If you do select sessions here, consider the background of the teachers. The sessions pulled from the Advanced Modules assume some familiarity with the argumentation elements. See this organization below. 
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Session Name

  • What is the role of evidence in a scientific argument?
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  • How does considering competing claims support students' use of evidence and reasoning?
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  • What is the role of reasoning in a scientific argument?
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  • How do we support students in interacting with peers during argumentation?
 
  • What is a science seminar?
 
  • How do you prepare students for a science seminar?
 
  • How do you conduct a science seminar?
 
  • How do you support students writing a scientific argument after a science seminar?
 
  • What design criteria support rich argumentation tasks?
 
  • How can you support students to evaluate the quality of evidence?
 
  • How can you support students to revise their thinking given new evidence?
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  • Work session - designing a rich argumentation task
 
  • How are evidence and reasoning similar and different?
 
  • How can you support student use of evidence in a scientific argument?
 
  • How can you support student use of reasoning in a scientific argument?
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  • How can you create classroom activities to target whole class challenges with evidence and reasoning? 

Argumentation Element

  • Evidence

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  • Competing Claims
 

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  • Reasoning
 
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  • Interaction
 


  • Interaction
 
  • Evidence, Interaction
 
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  • Interaction, Competing Claims
 
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  • Competing Claims, Reasoning
 


  • All
 
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  • Evidence
 

  • Reasoning
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  • All
 

  • Evidence, Reasoning
 

  • Evidence
 
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  • Reasoning

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  • Evidence, Reasoning

Activity

  • Card Sort

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  • Cart Sort



  • Reasoning Tool, Student Writing
 

  • Analyzing Data



  • Analyzing Classroom Transcript
 
  • Analyzing Data
 

  • Science Seminar
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  • Student Writing



  • Analyzing and Revising Lessons
 

  • Evidence Gradient Tool
 
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  • Anticipation Guide, Gathering Evidence

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  • Teacher Designing Lessons
 

  • Analyzing Small Group Transcript, Student Writing
 
  • Student Writing
 
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  • Student Writing

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  • Teacher Designing Lessons

Comments & Feedback

Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated as we continue to improve these modules!
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This project was supported by National Science Foundation Grant DRL-1119584. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
All content and materials © 2015 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.