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Lesson 11

We will continue to consider the following question: What are the risks of using AI in society? We will delineate and evaluate an argument presented by Stephen Hawking.

Lesson Goals

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

Texts

Core

  • Unit Reader
    • “Will Robots Outsmart Us? The Late Stephen Hawking Answers This and Other Big Questions Facing Humanity,” excerpt from Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Stephen Hawking, Spacetime Publications Limited. Used by permission of Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC., 2018
  • Digital Access
    • “Fortune Brainstorm Films: Artificial Intelligence,” Fortune Magazine, YouTube, November 7, 2018

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write – Discuss

We will review the elements of argumentation as an introduction to delineating a personal essay and argument from Stephen Hawking.

Step 1

Before working on delineating Stephen Hawking’s argument, access your prior knowledge of argumentative writing.

With your partner, discuss what you know about argumentative writing and write your ideas in your Learning Log.

After your partner discussion, share your ideas with the whole class. Create a class list of terms and characteristics of argumentative writing.

Step 2

Examine the Argument Reference Guide and compare the class list of terms and characteristics with the terminology and ideas found in the guide. Do you have anything the guide does not? Is there anything you missed that you need to add to the class list and definitions?

Step 3

Reread the explanation of counterclaims (p. 3 of the guide). Why do you think authors may include counterclaims in their arguments? How might including counterclaims impact the reader of the argument?

Activity 2: Read – Write – Discuss

Now that we have an understanding of argumentative writing, we will practice delineating an argument using the Delineating Arguments Tool. We will also learn the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning so we can better analyze the organizational structures of texts we read and think about the approach we want to use as we craft our own argumentative essay for the Culminating Task.

Step 1

The way an argument is structured can add to both its clarity in message and the effect the message has on the reader. Today, we will learn about two ways to organize an argument so you can begin thinking about the most effective way to structure your argumentative essay in this unit. We will also revisit a term from the last lesson, counterclaim or counterargument, as the term can also be an overall organizational structure for reasoning.

Access the Delineating Arguments Guide. Read the explanations of deductive and inductive. For each explanation, create three short bullet points that summarize the key aspects of each type of reasoning.

Compare your bullet points with a partner. Did you create similar bullet points? Discuss any differences and adjust your bullet points as needed to help you focus on the most important aspects of each type of reasoning.

Step 2

To practice analyzing arguments to determine whether their main reasoning structure is deductive or inductive reasoning, we will revisit the video "Fortune Brainstorm Films: Artificial Intelligence" that we watched previously. Thinking about the bullet points you have created that highlight the main aspects of the two types of reasoning, we will look at some points on the next screen to determine whether the film uses deductive or inductive reasoning.

Step 3

  • The film begins with short interviews and quotations about different ideas from leaders in the industry. The quotes range from the importance of AI, how to do AI at scale, the power of machine learning and AI, and so forth. Then, an analogy is provided, comparing the process of developing AI to the way lettuce is grown.

  • The next main segment includes more interviews, this time focusing on what companies can do with AI, what is already being done, and what might be done in the future.

  • A discussion of what computing is and some details about the history of thoughts around computing are provided, ending with a comparison to how electricity became common, just as AI will.

  • Close to the end of the video, Christopher Heiser says, "We've got people arguing that AI is great and other people arguing that it's the end of humanity. The answer is always somewhere in between. It's something we have to think pretty deeply about."

Based on your analysis of these points from the video and the bullet points you made, does the video use deductive or inductive reasoning? Discuss your answer with a partner.

Step 4

Now think about what you have learned about counterclaims or counterarguments, the third type of reasoning listed in the Delineating Arguments Guide.What characteristics does this reasoning approach share with deductive or inductive reasoning?

Activity 3: Read – Write – Discuss

We will practice delineating an argument using “Will Robots Outsmart Us? The Late Stephen Hawking Answers This And Other Big Questions Facing Humanity.” we will also analyze whether Hawking uses deductive or inductive reasoning.

Step 1

We will use the Delineating Arguments Tool to analyze “Will Robots Outsmart Us? The Late Stephen Hawking Answers This and Other Big Questions Facing Humanity.”

Before we analyze the text, work with a partner to review the tool, considering the following questions:

  • Are there any terms on the tool that are unfamiliar to you? If so, find the terms in either the Argument Reference Guide or the Delineating Arguments Guide and reread the explanation.

  • What are the key differences among purpose, perspective, and position?

  • Is it possible that you may not use all the claims or counterclaims sections when delineating arguments? Why or why not?

Step 2

As a class, complete the top portion of the Delineating Arguments Tool for “Will Robots Outsmart Us? The Late Stephen Hawking Answers This and Other Big Questions Facing Humanity.”

  1. What issue is Hawking addressing?

  2. What is the controversy behind the issue?

  3. What is Hawking’s purpose in this essay?

  4. What is his perspective?

  5. What is his position?

In partners, follow the directions below:

  • Discuss the claims in the article you identified during your homework reading. What evidence did you notice in support of the claims?

  • Write the claims you or your classmates identified in the Claim boxes on the Delineating Arguments Tool.

  • Now, write the evidence you found to support the claims in the Supporting Evidence boxes.

  • Reread the article looking for the counterclaims that Hawking addresses.

  • Write the counterclaims in the Counterclaim boxes.

  • What evidence does Hawking use to address those counterclaims and continue to prove his point? Write that evidence in the Supporting Evidence boxes beneath the counterclaims.

  • What is the main reasoning structure used in Hawking’s argument? Justify your choice by providing a general description of the organization of the essay.

Activity 4: Discuss

As a class, we will begin to assess the strength of Hawking’s argument.

Use the Delineating Arguments Tool as a reference and share your thoughts about the effectiveness of Hawking’s argument. Share your thoughts on the following questions in a whole-class discussion.

  1. How clear is the explanation of the issue?

  2. Are the argument’s perspective and position clear?

  3. What are the claims presented in support of the position?

  4. How clearly does the evidence link back to each claim?

  5. How credible and convincing is the evidence? Is there enough evidence to support each claim and the overall position?

  6. Is the argument logical? Does it make sense?

Activity 5: Read – Write – Discuss

With a partner, we will evaluate the strength of Stephen Hawking’s argument.

Using the Evaluating Arguments Tool, evaluate Hawking’s argument. Reference your Delineating Arguments Tool as you look for your text-based observations.

As you complete the Evaluating Arguments Tool, use the guiding questions to direct your thinking as you look through the article for examples and evidence to support your thoughts.

After finding evidence for each element, evaluate whether the element is a questionable (✓-), acceptable (✓), or strong (✓+) component of the overall argument.

Once you have evaluated each element, discuss with your partner your final thoughts on this argument using the questions below:

  1. What is your overall evaluation of this argument (weak, acceptable, strong)?

  2. Does Hawking do a good job of proving his point and persuading his readers?

Write your final thoughts on this article in the Comment box.

Activity 6: Discuss

We will discuss our evaluations as a class.

Share your thoughts on the effectiveness of Hawking’s argument with the class, referring to the tools you used during this lesson.