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Lesson 9

We will continue to practice delineating and evaluating arguments about mandating vaccinations, using two opposing arguments from a medical journal. We will highlight the perspective, claims, and evidence found in each of the arguments and in a rebuttal to the second one, in preparation for comparing how the two sets of authors have built these academic arguments from claims and counterclaims.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I identify the claims, reasoning, and evidence used to develop arguments and explanations?

  • Can I evaluate the relevance and credibility of information, ideas, evidence, and reasoning in arguments for and against mandatory vaccinations?

  • Can I recognize points of connection among textual elements and perspectives presented in two texts?

Texts

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • “Counterpoint: Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? No,” Peter Schröder-Bäck and Kyriakos Martakis, Chest Journal, 2015
    • “Point: Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? Yes,” Ross D. Silverman and Kristin S. Hendrix, Chest Journal, 2015

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss – Read – Write

We will read and annotate the article “Point: Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? Yes” by Ross Silverman and Kristin Hendrix.

Step 1

In pairs or small groups, read the academic argument in favor of mandated vaccinations, paying attention to the five subheadings of the article and annotating instances in which a claim or argument is made. As you read, consider an assigned discussion question from below. Use a copy of the Analyzing Relationships Tool to note and analyze places in the text where answers to this question are presented.

Text-Based Reading and Discussion Questions (Be sure to write your assigned question from below on your Analyzing Relationships Tool.)

  1. Ethics: What do the authors mean when they say, "Therefore, the germane ethical considerations cannot be limited to those impacting individuals; it is necessary to consider the policy in a public health ethics context"?

  2. US Law: How are vaccinations connected to the US Court System? Cite details from the text to support your answer.

  3. Economic Benefit: How are disease outbreaks connected to economics? Cite details from the text to support your answer.

  4. Trust: How would you describe the authors’ perspective on the concept of trust? What phrases or sentences lead you to believe this?

  5. Conclusions: Why do the authors believe that a mandate is necessary? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Step 2

After reading and discussing your section of the article, add at least five words to your Vocabulary Journal. Choose words that are integral to the article or are unfamiliar to you.

Add one interesting or compelling sentence to your Mentor Sentence Journal.

Activity 2: Discuss

As a class, we will briefly discuss the article “Point: Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? Yes,” including the text’s issue, perspective, position, claims, and evidence.

As a small group or pair, share with the class what you have learned as a result of reading the article in response to your particular question. You will share what your discussion question was and what you learned after reading the article with this question in mind, using the Analyzing Relationships Tool to guide your presentation to the class.

After sharing your responses to your assigned questions, engage in a brief class discussion about some of the argumentation elements you identified when reading the article. Use the following prompts from the Evaluating Arguments Tool as a guide for your class discussion. Be sure to cite evidence from the text to support your answers.

  1. The Issue: How clear, accurate, and complete is the explanation of the issue?

  2. Perspective: How clear and reasonable is the author’s viewpoint or attitude about the issue?

  3. Position: How clearly is the argument’s position, or thesis, presented, explained, and connected to its claims?

  4. Evidence:How credible, convincing, and complete is the supporting evidence?

Activity 3: Read – Discuss

We will use the Evaluating Arguments Tool, and its guiding questions to decide whether an argument is convincing.

As a class, review the purpose and organization of the Evaluating Arguments Tool. Ask clarifying questions about the tool, its purpose, and its organization so that you are prepared to use it.

Activity 4: Read – Write

We will read and evaluate the academic argument “Counterpoint: Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? No,” by Peter Schröder-Bäck and Kyriakos Martakis.

Step 1

Individually read the article, considering how it presents counterarguments to “Point: Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? Yes.” Respond to the following guiding questions in your Learning Log:

  1. Based on the evidence from Paragraph 3, what is the argument’s ethical perspective about mandating vaccinations for school-age children? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

  2. In Paragraph 7 the authors say, "Our societies can afford incentives and should explore these possibilities first before turning to compulsion," then give examples of such incentives. Do you believe the idea of incentives for vaccinations is a good idea? Why or why not?

  3. According to the authors, if schools are closed for outbreaks of diseases, what else should be closed? Do you agree? Why or why not?

  4. In Paragraph 9, why do the authors say preventing children from attending school is ethically questionable? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Step 2

Use the Evaluating Arguments Tool to analyze and evaluate the arguments, claims, and counterclaims that the authors make. As you read the text, review each element listed in the Evaluating Arguments Tool, answering the guiding questions listed and making notes about where you found that element represented in the text. You might refer back to the prompts discussed in the previous activity that help break down the tool’s organization.

In addition, add at least five words to your Vocabulary Journal. Choose words that are integral to the article or are unfamiliar to you.

Add one interesting or compelling sentence to your Mentor Sentence Journal.

Activity 5: Discuss – Present

As a class, we will discuss and compare the two articles, and the arguments they present in favor of, or in opposition to, mandatory vaccinations.

Using and referencing your notes from both articles and the Evaluating Arguments Tools, share your answers to the following guiding questions. Be sure to cite evidence from both texts to support your answers.

  1. How does each argument respond to the debate about mandatory vaccinations from the perspectives of the common good and individual rights?

  2. What are the main points of disagreement between the two arguments?

  3. Do the arguments presented in both texts make sense to you? If not, why?

  4. Which text presents a stronger argument, in your opinion? What evidence is not presented or considered in the texts?

  5. What do you need to know more about in order to have an informed opinion?

Activity 6: Discuss – Read – Write

We will read and analyze “Rebuttal to ‘Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? No.’”

Read and annotate “Rebuttal to ‘Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? No,’" noting how the authors respond, point by point, to arguments and claims made in “Counterpoint: ‘Should Childhood Vaccination against Measles Be a Mandatory Requirement for Attending School? No.’”

Thinking about the three journal articles as examples of an ongoing academic debate, discuss how such arguments seem to be similar to and different from the more general public arguments you have read previously. Consider how claims and counterclaims are made and how the evidence is used.

After reading all three articles, write a paragraph in your Learning Log that explains your own perspective and position in relation to the points and counterpoints presented by these scholars.

Activity 7: Write

For homework, we will complete a Word Map for at least one word added to our Vocabulary Journals.

For homework, review your Vocabulary Journal for this section, and choose one word from it. Complete a Word Map for your chosen word.