Section 4: Overview

Organizing Evidence to Develop and Support an Argument

We will individually gather evidence from previous texts and new research related to our position and counterarguments against that position. We will each develop a final set of argumentative claims and counterclaims that are the building blocks, or premises, for our argument and organize evidence for each claim.

• Lesson 1:

  We will study a model argument to see how a philosophy professor has developed a research-based case for his position. Working from our draft delineation plan for our arguments, we will develop a final set of claims and counterclaims and an approach to reasoning that will organize our final argument.

• Lesson 2:

  For each of the claims and counterclaims we have articulated, we will organize evidence from our reading and research that can be used to support a claim or respond to others’ claims that we intend to counter.

• Lesson 3:

  We will each write a synopsis of our planned argument in response to the Central Question: How do we balance the common good with individual rights and personal liberty?

• Lesson 4:

  We will review feedback on the Section Diagnostic. We will use the feedback to make revisions to our work.

• Lesson 5:

  We will share the analyses we have made about our independent reading texts and make connections to the unit. We will plan a final product to share our experiences from reading independently and the knowledge we have gained.