An illustrative argument activity

In an illustrative argument activity (Kuhn & Udell, unpublished), academically at-risk middle-school students engage in a ten-week debate activity focused on the topic of capital punishment. Based on their initial pro v. con opinions, students are assigned to a 4-6 person team who share their opinion and with whom they work until near the end of the project. The social goal that unites and energizes the team is preparation for a final "show-down" debate activity against a team holding the opposing opinion. Assessments preceding and following the activity are based on (a) a student's individual argument in support of a pro or con opinion, for both the capital punishment topic and a new, transfer topic, and (b) a sample of argumentive discourse between two students holding opposing opinions, again on both the capital punishment topic and a new topic. Initial results indicate significant progress in the quality of both individual argument and argumentive discourse following the activity.

Source of information on the assessment of individual arguments supporting an opinion:

Kuhn, D., Shaw, V., & Felton, M. (1997). Effects of dyadic interaction on argumentive reasoning. Cognition and Instruction, 15, 287-315.

Source of information on the assessment of argumentive discourse:

Felton, M., & Kuhn, D. (in press). The development of argumentive discourse skill. Discourse Processes.

A summary of the program's specific ACTIVITIES and cognitive goals:

GENERATING REASONS
Goals: Reasons underlie opinions. Different reasons can underlie the same opinion.

ELABORATING REASONS
Goals: Good reasons support opinions.

SUPPORTING REASONS WITH EVIDENCE
Goals: Evidence can strengthen reasons.

EVALUATING REASONS
Goals: Some reasons are better than others.

DEVELOPING REASONS INTO AN ARGUMENT
Goals: Reasons connect to one another & are building blocks of argument.

EXAMINING & EVALUATING OPPOSING-SIDE'S REASONS
Goals: Opponents have reasons too.

GENERATING COUNTERARGUMENTS TO OTHERS' REASONS
Goals: Opposing reasons can be countered: "We can fight this."

GENERATING REBUTTALS TO OTHERS' COUNTERARGUMENTS
Goals: Counterarguments can be rebutted: "We have a comeback."

CONTEMPLATING MIXED EVIDENCE
Goals: Evidence can be used to support different claims.

CONDUCTING & EVALUATING TWO-SIDED ARGUMENTS
Goals: Some arguments are stronger than others.