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 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.
Connects coding concepts to linguistics by having students design flowcharts and 'rules' to solve for unknown terms in complex analogies.
Explores analogies through the lens of space and time, using diagramming to visualize movement between terms and sequences.
Introduces formal logic notation (A:B :: C:D) and maps word relationships onto these structures, emphasizing the importance of order and symmetry in verbal reasoning.
A peer review session where students map out the logical validity of each other's essays, acting as 'judges' to ensure conclusions follow necessarily from premises.
Synthesis lesson where students draft a position paper structured entirely around the logical forms learned in previous lessons. The focus is on structural integrity and logical necessity.
Using Disjunctive Syllogisms to present alternatives and prove a conclusion by process of elimination. Students apply this strategy to persuasive speechwriting.
Exploring the Hypothetical Syllogism to create sustained, coherent chains of reasoning. Students practice linking conditional statements to build complex, multi-paragraph arguments.
Introduction to Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens as fundamental structures for persuasive writing. Students learn to identify these forms in professional editorials and draft their own logical blueprints.
In this application lesson, students take text containing formal fallacies and rewrite it. They must alter the premises or the conclusion to make the argument formally valid, understanding the difficulty of maintaining truth while fixing structure.
Students analyze syllogisms where the middle term does not cover all members of the category, leading to false connections. They use Euler circles or diagrams to visualize why the connection fails.
The summative assessment where students present and defend their logical chains against questioning in a simulated high-stakes environment.
A logic-focused workshop where students evaluate peer drafts based on structural validity rather than rhetorical style or grammar.
Students master the valid deductive forms of Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens, applying them to paragraph development and conditional reasoning.
Moving beyond the 5-paragraph essay, students learn to outline papers where topic sentences serve as premises in a larger syllogistic structure.
Students investigate arguments where a premise is assumed rather than stated, practicing how to unmask these hidden links in everyday discourse and social media.
This lesson examines the inverse error (If P then Q; Not P; therefore Not Q). Students look at political promises and advertising guarantees to see how this structure is used to mislead consumers.
Students dive deep into the error of assuming that because a result occurred, a specific cause must have happened (If P then Q; Q; therefore P). They analyze forensic and medical scenarios where this error leads to false convictions or diagnoses.
Students distinguish between informal fallacies (errors in content/relevance) and formal fallacies (errors in the logical structure). They review examples to categorize errors based on whether the 'math' of the logic is broken.
A comprehensive lesson for 12th-grade English focusing on the nuances of cause and effect analysis, logical fallacies, and structural organization in academic writing.
A study of Act 1, Scene 4, where Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio prepare to crash the Capulet ball. Students will analyze Mercutio's vivid Queen Mab speech, Romeo's persistent melancholy and prophetic dreams, and the tension between whimsical fantasy and dark reality.
A study of Act 1, Scene 3, introducing the Nurse and Lady Capulet's proposal of marriage to Paris. Students will analyze the Nurse's coarse humor, Lady Capulet's extended metaphor of Paris as a book, and Juliet's initial stance on marriage and obedience.
A study of Act 1, Scene 2, where Count Paris asks for Juliet's hand and Romeo and Benvolio discover the Capulet party through a chance encounter. Students will analyze the dynamics of parental choice, the role of chance, and the poetic language used to describe the ladies of Verona.
An intensive study of the opening scene and prologue of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Students will analyze the mechanics of the ancient grudge, the characterization of the principal families, and the specific poetic techniques used to establish Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline.
Final essay submission along with a self-reflection on the writing process and feedback implementation.
A collaborative workshop where students evaluate peer arguments for logic, flow, and evidentiary support.
Focuses on the mechanics of writing, including transitions, tone, and the effective integration of academic research into the narrative.
Students transform their research into a structured argument, focusing on thesis development and mapping out evidence.
Students explore contemporary news cycles, select a controversial topic, and perform initial source evaluation. Includes argumentative prompts and a research log.
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.
Students apply the 'Observation + Knowledge = Inference' formula to purely textual passages, identifying 'textual images' and their implications.
Students use graphic novels to bridge the gap between visual and textual inference, focusing on the meaning created in the 'gutters' between panels.
Students deconstruct the implied promises of advertisements, identifying how visual cues create persuasive subtext without explicit statements.
Students analyze silent films to predict narrative outcomes based on character body language, facial expressions, and environmental cues.
Students use Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to distinguish between objective observation and subjective inference using high-impact photography.
Culminating application of all inference strategies to a complex, grade-level text through synthesis mapping.
Utilizes foreshadowing and logic to predict narrative outcomes using structured flow-chart organizers.
Analyzes how word choice and connotation influence the inferred tone and mood of a text.
Differentiates between explicit and implicit information through a scavenger hunt using high-interest nonfiction snippets.
Students will learn the essential components of a Public Service Announcement, focusing on persuasive techniques and crafting a compelling call to action to drive social change.
An introductory lesson for Jon Krakauer's 'Into the Wild', focusing on rhetorical analysis, transcendentalist influences, and the ethical debate surrounding Chris McCandless's journey.
A comprehensive introduction to identifying logical fallacies—ad hominem, straw man, and red herring—using historical and scientific contexts to prepare English I students for STAAR-level rhetorical analysis.
A character study lesson exploring the tension between destiny and personal agency in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Students analyze key turning points to determine whether the characters are victims of fate or the architects of their own destruction.
A deep dive into the rhetorical strategies used during the climactic confrontation in Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, focusing on how character voices and setting reinforce themes of class and the American Dream.
A deep dive into the intersection of race and poverty within the context of Trevor Noah's memoir 'Born a Crime', exploring how systemic laws shaped personal identity and economic opportunity in South Africa.
An intensive one-day analytical investigation into Chapter 3 of The Great Gatsby, focusing on the artifice of Gatsby's parties, the nature of his guests, and the first encounter with the man himself.
This lesson explores the intersection of rhetorical devices and logical reasoning, specifically focusing on how figurative language is used to enhance or manipulate persuasive arguments.
The capstone Socratic Seminar where students engage in a structured, evidence-based discussion about the ethics of modern digital persuasion.
Students evaluate the ethics of digital influence and prepare evidence-based arguments for a Socratic Seminar, focusing on active listening and logical fallacies.
Students identify and analyze modern persuasive techniques used in social media and digital advertising, focusing on emotional triggers and algorithmic micro-targeting.
The final week of the unit where students synthesize their learning to create their own 'Existentialist Manifesto' or creative work that explores their personal philosophy.
Broadens existentialist thought to include social and internal identity, examining Ralph Ellison's 'Battle Royal' and Clarice Lispector's introspective prose.
Explores the concepts of radical freedom and 'the wall' through Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, focusing on how individuals navigate choice in an indifferent universe.
An introduction to the unit focusing on the concept of 'The Absurd' through Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis,' exploring themes of alienation, bureaucracy, and the breakdown of identity.
