3. ELEMENTS OF A STRONG ARGUMENT
1. Clarify your thinking
• Do your research ahead of time
• Make sure that you understand the subject well
• Think about both the pros and cons of the subject
before you solidify your stance
Information received from http://thoughtfullearning.com/inquireHSbook/pg102
4. ELEMENTS OF A STRONG ARGUMENT
2. Construct a clear claim
• Make a single statement that shows your stance on
the subject
• Clarify why this is your stance
Information received from http://thoughtfullearning.com/inquireHSbook/pg102
5. ELEMENTS OF A STRONG ARGUMENT
3. Collect evidence
• Pull a variety of quotes/statistics/graphs/etc. that will
support your claim
• If you do not have enough evidence to back up your
claim, you should consider changing it
Information received from http://thoughtfullearning.com/inquireHSbook/pg102
6. ELEMENTS OF A STRONG ARGUMENT
4. Consider objections
• Understand all viewpoints related to the subject, not
just your own
• What could the opposing side believe? What problems
might they point out in your argument? How will you
rebuttal these opposing claims?
Information received from http://thoughtfullearning.com/inquireHSbook/pg102
7. ELEMENTS OF A STRONG ARGUMENT
5. Appeal to your audience
• Know who you are speaking to
• Determine the best approach/language/intensity to use
when speaking to specific audiences
Information received from http://thoughtfullearning.com/inquireHSbook/pg102
8. ELEMENTS OF A STRONG ARGUMENT
6. Confirm your main points
• Wrap up your argument by restating your main points
in a different way
• Connect your points to other real-life examples and to
the future
Information received from http://thoughtfullearning.com/inquireHSbook/pg102
10. SOCRATES
• Ancient Greek philosopher, scholar, and
teacher
• Taught his students by asking question
after question so that he could expose
contradictions in students’ thoughts and
ideas
• This method is known as the Socratic
method
11. SOCRATIC SEMINAR
• Formal discussion, based on text
• Participants ask open-ended
questions, and others respond
with their own thoughts
• Reasoning must be backed by
evidence
• For our class, our discussion will
be based on I, Tituba: Black Witch
of Salem.
• You will be expected to pull
evidence (quotes) from the text to
incorporate into your arguments.
13. REVIEW – IMPORTANT THEMES
AND CHARACTERISTICS
• Intersectionality of gender and race.
- Black and Female
• Destructive effects of sexism, racism, and
intolerance
• Connections based on difference
- Hester Prynne,
- Benjamin Cohen D'Azevedo
• Tituba was used and abused for her spirituality,
but once deemed to powerful, they exiled her as a
witch.
14. REVIEW – KEY VOCABULARY
• Puritan: a member of Protestant group in England and New England in the
16th & 17th centuries that opposes many customs of the Church of England
• Intersectionality: the interconnected nature of race, class, and gender
regarded as creating an overlap of systems of discrimination
• Prejudice: an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed without knowledge,
thought, or reason
• Stigma: the discrimination against a person based on perceivable social
characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of
society
16. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW’S SEMINAR
Do the challenges that Tituba face
strengthen or hinder her ability to
reach her full potential?
17. Template received from https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/student-directed-socratic-seminar-discussion-unit-251722
18. BEFORE YOU GO
TICKET TO LEAVE
On your index card, write down:
One thing from I, Tituba: Black
Witch of Salem that you feel
strongly about (something that
you would like to discuss during
the Socratic seminar tomorrow)
One way that you will ensure that
your argument will be strong.
HOMEWORK
• Finish your Socratic Seminar
Preparation worksheet. I will be
checking them off as you walk
through the door tomorrow.
