Syllogisms, deductive validity, and the principles of inductive probability for evaluating evidence-based claims. Targets common logical fallacies and the construction of sound, persuasive arguments.
A lesson focused on the climactic Act III of '12 Angry Men', exploring the shifting dynamics of the jury, the re-examination of evidence, and the final resolution of the trial.
Teaches students to evaluate claims, analyze evidence, and craft strong argumentative responses for the NYS ELA exam.
Develops students' ability to identify central ideas and the specific evidence that supports them in informational texts.
Focuses on the essential vocabulary and structural frameworks needed to analyze complex middle school texts.
A 30-minute lesson focused on the rhetorical strategy of qualifying claims using modifiers and counter-perspectives, specifically analyzing Juror 8's arguments in Act II of Twelve Angry Men.
Students learn to combine textual evidence with background knowledge to make inferences and draw conclusions about fascinating animal adaptations and scientific phenomena.
A lesson focused on Act 1 of 12 Angry Men, where students analyze initial evidence and engage in structured debates to practice evidence-based reasoning.
A deep dive into complex argumentative structures, specifically focusing on counterarguments, rebuttals, and the role of graphic features in multimodal texts. Students will conclude with a rhetorical analysis SCR.
An introduction to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the core components of argumentative writing. Students will read and annotate the anchor text, identifying the author's thesis and supporting arguments.
A final review and assessment covering both inference and synthesis through short passages and varied question types.
Introduces synthesis (4.6H) as a way to combine multiple ideas to create a new, 'bigger' understanding, like assembling a complex machine.
Deepens the use of evidence (4.6F) to support inferences, teaching students to 'bolt down' their ideas with specific text details.
Focuses on the basics of making inferences (4.6F) by combining text clues with background knowledge, using the 'Inference Engine' metaphor.
Students put their skills to the test in a high-stakes 'HQ Lockdown' escape room. They must solve inference mysteries and identify key ideas to crack the codes and unlock the room.
Day 3 applies both standards to informational text. Students will evaluate complex details to find the main message and make inferences about the author's purpose.
Day 2 shifts focus to 5.6G, evaluating details to determine key ideas. Students learn to distinguish between 'Big Ideas' and 'Supporting Evidence' in informational texts.
Day 1 focuses on the core skill of making inferences (5.6F) using evidence and prior knowledge (schema). Students will act as 'Text Detectives' to uncover hidden meanings.
A high-school level exploration of how to use qualifiers and modifiers to create nuanced arguments, using Juror 8's rhetoric in 12 Angry Men as a primary case study. Students learn to move beyond absolute claims to build more persuasive, credible arguments.
A high-school level exploration of Sherlock Holmes's methods, focusing on the distinction between observation, inference, and deduction through character analysis.
A comprehensive 90-minute lesson focused on making text-based predictions and supporting responses with concrete evidence for 8th-grade students.
A comprehensive review of chapters 1-20 of To Kill a Mockingbird to prepare students for the pivotal verdict in chapter 21. Includes character analysis, a timeline of events, and a detailed plot summary.
A comprehensive set of materials for a high school Open House, including a presentation and a parent/guardian support handout for the Reading and Learning Center English class.
A high school ELA lesson focused on analyzing rhetorical strategies in personal narratives, using Sangu Delle's TED Talk to explore how vulnerability and data combine to create persuasive arguments.
Students identify and interpret visual metaphors for abstract Stoic virtues in a video about Marcus Aurelius, then design their own 3-panel storyboard to explain a new virtue.
A Socratic seminar lesson exploring the themes of Emilia's Lament from Shakespeare's Othello in the context of arranged marriage, agency, and societal expectations. Students will analyze the text to prepare for a deep, student-led discussion.
A comprehensive lesson where 8th graders learn to construct persuasive essays using an 'architectural' framework, focusing on thesis foundations, structural claims, and evidentiary reinforcement.
Students become 'argument architects' by learning to construct well-supported persuasive essays through thesis development, evidence integration, and logical organization. This 8th-grade ELA lesson uses a construction-themed approach to deconstruct exemplars and build robust written arguments.
A comprehensive 8th-grade ELA lesson on persuasive writing where students act as architects to build robust, evidence-backed arguments through systematic planning and organization.
A structured writing intervention focusing on helping 5th-grade students identify, evaluate, and select the strongest evidence to support a claim. The lesson uses a detective-themed 'Case File' approach to engage students in evidence-based writing.
A 30-minute lesson for kindergarteners on forming and expressing an opinion through drawing, focused on their favorite animals. Students learn the difference between facts and opinions and practice stating their 'why'.
Students refine their opinion writing by adding descriptive details and multiple reasons to their 'because' statements to become 'Opinion Experts'.
Students learn to bridge their opinions with reasons using the conjunction 'because', transitioning from simple statements to supported claims.
Students are introduced to the concept of an opinion and practice expressing their personal preferences using the sentence starter 'I like...'.
A lesson where students learn to decode and apply rubrics to argumentative writing, treating the rubric as a blueprint for forging strong, defensible arguments.
A 30-minute lesson designed for 11th-grade students to synthesize their understanding of argumentation by drafting a cohesive paragraph that integrates a claim, evidence, and reasoning to support a broader thesis. Students engage in a rapid review, observe modeling, and produce an independent writing piece.
A foundational lesson on argumentative writing, covering essential terminology like claims, evidence, and counterclaims through a 'blueprint' architectural theme.
A critical thinking lesson for 8th Grade ELA focused on the historical origins of inductive and deductive reasoning. Students analyze the contributions of Aristotle and Descartes to the scientific method using video evidence.
Students will learn the fundamental differences between deductive and inductive reasoning, evaluating the strength and certainty of arguments through video analysis and creative writing.
A culminating mock defense where students justify a complex decision to a panel, demonstrating mastery of reasoning synthesis.
Students apply the Toulmin model to fine-tune the structural connections between different reasoning frameworks in their arguments.
Students practice pivoting between reasoning types during high-pressure Q&A sessions to maintain argumentative momentum.
Students engage in dialectical exercises to anticipate counter-arguments and draft pre-emptive rebuttals using varied reasoning models.
Students analyze complex thesis topics to determine the optimal deployment of deductive, inductive, and analogical reasoning frameworks.
Students act as editors for a flawed argument essay that presents evidence in a confusing order. They must cut, paste, and rearrange the text to create a coherent, logical sequence that supports the thesis.
Students examine famous speeches to analyze the 'Arrangement' canon of rhetoric—why the speaker placed the emotional appeal after the logical proof, or vice versa. They analyze the cumulative effect of the sequence.
Students analyze technical documents and complex instructions to identify gaps or ambiguities in the sequence. They critique texts where poor sequencing leads to user error or misunderstanding.
Working with complex historical or scientific texts, students map out multi-step causal chains where one event triggers a sequence of others. They identify the distinction between correlation and sequential causation.
The capstone project where students build their own analogy-based logic puzzles for peers to solve.
Focuses on building automaticity and identifying common logical traps and distractors in rapid-fire analogy solving.
Students explore creative and lateral associations between concepts, moving beyond simple synonyms and antonyms.
Students use the bridge of an analogy to decode unknown vocabulary and nonsense words in a simulated translation task.
Students treat words as data points to crack logic codes, starting with visual patterns and moving to verbal equations.
Students dissect argumentative texts to identify the sequence of premises leading to a conclusion, categorizing organizational patterns like deductive and inductive reasoning.
A summative assessment where students solve and create multi-step logic puzzles and LSAT-style games based on verbal analogies.
Investigates false equivalence and other logical fallacies in real-world data and media, applying analogy skills to information literacy.
