I am helping to teach persuasion to a bunch of sixth graders. Remember this is argumentation at a very basic level. Here is our progress:
There are facts and opinions. Then we define those (NB- I had to sit silently here because of my doubt that there are more than a dozen facts in the world).
You try and persuade by giving an opinion and supporting it with facts. It does not help to support an opinion with another opinion.
Here is where we run into a problem - how do you explain to sixth graders that not just any fact supports an opinion? Ex. SFA is the best junior high because the colors are green and white. Well, it is a fact that SFA's colors are green and white, but that does not support that conclusion.
My partner in crime asked me how to explain that, and I immediately began to think in terms of fallacies, Aristotle, and Toulmin. I stared blankly as I realized that I could not explain this phenomenon without using Greek words.
I have become that guy. I am that guy that nobody likes to talk about because I don't make sense outside of academia. My family has been insinuating this for years, but I feel a sense of certainty about it now.
And if anybody has any ideas about how to teach persuasion to a twelve year old, don't hold back.
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1 comment:
It may be impossible. Even politicians support arguments based on emotion rather than facts. If the voting populace can't distinguish between fact, how can sixth graders. Good luck.
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