Primary Source Exemplar: Progress, Conflict, and Outcomes
Learning Objectives
Students will understand structure of an argument
Students will evaluate effectiveness of evidence
Students will evaluate effectiveness of organization
Students will work in groups and form a consensus regarding their claims
Students will determine the most important information to strengthen their claims and present their findings via discussion and presentation.
Standards Addressed
RI.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.9-10.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details.
RI.9-10.3: Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
RI.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
RI.9-10.8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient
RI.9-10.1a: Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
W.9-10.1b: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each
Instructional Approach/Procedures
Primary Source Text for this Unit:
Food Deserts in Chicago: A Report of the Illinois Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Oct. 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.oercommons.org/courses/food-deserts-in-chicago/view
Review and Pre-Teach
The reading for the previous lesson, “Food Deserts in Chicago,” makes several claims regarding how the US, specifically Chicago, is unique in that its access to the wrong kinds of food for those living in impoverished communities has created an epidemic of health concerns for those who live there. The reading in this lesson provides a counterpoint to this set of claims. These two primary sources on “food deserts” in the US will supply students with more content and evidence for the arguments they will create in the summative assessment for this unit.
In the previous day’s lesson, students began to explore the idea of argument by evaluating evidence presented in a government report. To begin this lesson, the teacher might want to review the main ideas presented in the article showing the short you tube video on the topic found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgQ8tVfP6gI. The teacher can further discuss evidence by exploring the issue presented in two different kinds of texts (media video and government report) and asking questions such as:
What kinds of evidence are used in the video?
What is the impact of the evidence used in the video?
Is there any evidence missing? Are there any ambiguities?
How is the evidence in this video similar to and/or different from the evidence in the government report?
Instruction/Modeling
After reviewing evidence evaluation, the teacher should ask students what they know about creating an argument. The teacher should guide students in an understanding of the pieces of an argument as well as the structure of an argument. The teacher should be sure to address claims and sub-claims, evidence, reasoning, and concession.
Student Tasks/Activity:
After students understand the pieces and structure of an argument, the teacher should ask them to read “Studies Question the Pairing of Food Deserts and Obesity,” a NY Times article.
Students should read the text individually first annotating main ideas as well as unfamiliar vocabulary.
After students have had the opportunity to read the text individually, the teacher should address unfamiliar vocabulary by asking students to share unfamiliar words and then guiding students in an analysis of context to guess at possible meanings. Students should confirm their guesses before moving into the next task.
Students should work in small groups to identify the pieces of the argument. Students might be asked, for example, to outline the text. As they outline, students should be reminded to review and practice evidence evaluation as well.
After students have worked through the article in groups, the teacher should lead students in a discussion evaluating the argument presented in the article. The teacher should review evidence evaluation at this time, but the teacher should also ask questions about structure and organization including the following:
How does the author begin her argument? What makes her first paragraph effective?
What is the author’s first claim? What is her second claim? What is the author’s final claim? Why do you think the author chooses to structure her claims in this order?
In what other order could the author have chosen to make this argument? How would an alternative order have impacted the argument? What do you think would be the most effective order and why?
Where does the author concede a point? Is the concession effective? Why or why not? Is there more than one concession? How does the concession impact the argument as a whole?
Following this discussion evaluating the argument overall, students will work in groups to begin to identify evidence from the texts to support their own arguments in answer to the question: “Does the city of Chicago uphold article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human for its citizens?” This question can be displayed on a chalkboard or overhead for students to return to as they read and review their notes and annotations.
Using the Discussion Web graphic organizer from ReadWriteThink.org, students will work in groups of two or three and discuss each of the texts in terms of the central question for the day: “Does the US uphold article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights for its citizens?” Students will each be given a handout, and will use the discussion web format as a guide. Student groups should place the central question in the center of the web and find evidence to support either a positive or negative answer. Then, based on their analysis of the evidence, students will reach a consensus and report their findings to the whole class.
Note: Once again, the issues that surround this central question are complex; the many dimensions required to make a well-researched determination are simply not able to be explored at any great length in this unit. Therefore simple affirmative or negative answers are understandably limited. However, the emphasis of this unit should be on developing the student skills of fashioning sound claims, and evaluating them against the evidence that is provided. The issue of US fidelity to article 25 is instructionally less important than the student’s ability to read closely and make a claim that is substantiated with evidence from the text. These texts are meant simply to provide a context from which students can derive materials that will support their arguments.
Student Literacy Tasks
Reading task
Students will conduct a “close read” of this “text” by making inferences and drawing conclusions based on evidence.
Vocabulary task
Students will understand the meaning of technical and figurative speech used in each text (e.g. “food desert” and the implications of this term)
Sentence syntax task
Students will craft well-written claims and evidentiary statements based upon the Common Core language Standards
Inquiry and analysis task
Students will evaluate the claims and evidence supplied in each text for relevancy and effectiveness.
Writing (or other production)
Students will use their written claims to add complexity to the culminating written assignment at the end of the unit.
Checking for Understanding
Guided Questions and Discussions: The instructor will check for understanding throughout the lesson by modeling close reading, annotation, analysis, and prompting student thinking with questioning and discussion.
Graphic Organizers: Students will demonstrate understanding of the concepts by using the graphic organizers provided.
Writing-Based Assessment: Students will write evidence-based claims while observing language conventions outlined by the Common Core Language Standards.
Differentiation and Supports
Adaptations: This lesson may be adapted to fit a two day schedule if students are more comfortable with a slower pace for reading and discussion.
Supports: Students having difficulty with the material may draw upon those in their groups to craft claims and arguments, students should be grouped strategically, and placed in groups that represent a diversity of skill levels and background knowledge.