Delineate and Evaluate an Argument: Irrelevant Evidence and Conflicting Viewpoints | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

ELA 2019 G8:M2:U1:L5

Delineate and Evaluate an Argument: Irrelevant Evidence and Conflicting Viewpoints

You are here:

Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.6, RI.8.8

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RI.8.1, RI.8.10

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can distinguish between relevant and irrelevant evidence. (RI.8.8)
  • I can evaluate an argument, assessing whether Michael Pollan's evidence presented on the topic of industrial farming is relevant. (RI.8.8)
  • I can evaluate an argument, analyzing how Michael Pollan responds to conflicting viewpoints. (RI.8.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 5 (RI.8.8)
  • Work Time A: Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence note-catcher (RI.8.8)
  • Work Time B: Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer (RI.8.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner – RI.8.8 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence – RI.8.8 (10 minutes)

B. Irrelevant Evidence and Conflicting Viewpoints – RI.8.8 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Conflicting Viewpoints – RI.8.6 (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Preread Anchor Text: Students preread The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 4 (pages 88–89, 91–93, 96–100) in preparation for studying an excerpt from the section in the next lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • RI.8.8 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students answer questions about relevant evidence.
  • RI.8.8 – Work Time A: Students sort relevant and irrelevant information on a topic.
  • RI.8.6 – Work Time B: Students complete sections of their Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting viewpoints.
  • RI.8.8 – Work Time B – Students complete sections of their Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer as they review and evaluate the argument and claims in section 3 of the text.
  • RI.8.6 – Closing and Assessment A: Students give examples of conflicting viewpoints on a variety of real-world situations.
  • The Think-Pair-Share and Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocols are used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of the curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.
  • In this lesson, students practice becoming effective learners, showing perseverance as they learn how to delineate and evaluate arguments and analyze the nuances of their validity. Students also practice effective collaboration as they work with a variety of partners throughout the lesson.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • In this lesson, students review section 3 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma for their work on the Delineate Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer. Provide time for students to read all of chapter 5.
  • Continue to invite students to research more about factory farms, feedlots, and animal processing to better understand the history of industrial meat. Students can share what they learn through these interviews in small groups or with the class.
  • Invite students to find additional texts and resources with conflicting viewpoints that center around the same topic as this lesson’s excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma (industrial farming). Support students to identify where irrelevant evidence is presented or in identifying false statements and fallacious reasoning that may exist.
  • Find additional interviews, speeches, or video on industrial farming, and allow students to evaluate the speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric. Help students identify any fallacious reasoning and point out any exaggerated or distorted evidence.
  • As appropriate for students, use the Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer in Work Time B with more or less scaffolding.
  • Additional text excerpts from Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson discuss similar topics as section 3 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and add depth and further foundational understanding about topics such as feedlots, slaughterhouses, industrial food processing, and the meat industry for students. Using pages 151–156 and 159–163 of Chew on This, have students identify the arguments presented to analyze the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and the soundness of the reasoning.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In previous lessons, students examined the Delineate Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer, focusing on the main claim, supporting points, and relevance and sufficiency of evidence. In this lesson, students look at irrelevant evidence and conflicting information. Previously, students also discussed the author’s point of view and examined how the author responded to or acknowledged conflicting viewpoints. During this lesson, students dig deeper into the author’s point of view by analyzing arguments he raises in the text. Students also examine evidence that is relevant or irrelevant to the claim in this section of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Support All Students

  • Presenting learning targets in writing, orally, and, if possible, accompanied by symbols, will help students to understand the language within them. ▲
  • Note that section 3 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma brings up potentially sensitive topics such as slaughtering animals, CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), and references animal treatment at feedlots. Some students and their families may find these topics upsetting. Allow time for students to process or respond to these topics during individual, small group, or full class discussion, and reach out to families as needed.
  • When grouping students in partners to review the Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer in Work Time B, group ELLs with partners who have more advanced or native language proficiency. The partners with greater language proficiency can serve as a model, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames, for example. Use the same grouping in future lessons if this grouping was successful. This will support students in building trust and becoming more comfortable and confident with their peers. ▲
  • Preselect partners for students who would benefit from more advanced or native language proficiency for their work in Opening A and the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol used in Closing and Assessment A. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Monitor students’ Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer work in Work Time B to ensure students capture accurate main claims, supporting points, and related evidence as identified with guidance.

Down the Road

  • In future lessons, students will go back to examining the structure of specific paragraphs in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, analyzing how the structure contributes to developing key ideas in the text. Students will discuss the author’s point of view and examine how the author responds to or acknowledges conflicting viewpoints prior to having another lesson on delineating argument and analyzing evidence in Lesson 6.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 5 (one per student)
    • Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence note-catcher (one per student)
    • Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence sentence strips (one set per partner group)
  • Gather scissors and tape or glue sticks for student use during the Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence note-catcher work.
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 5 at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.B.6, 8.I.B.7, and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson builds on work with delineating arguments and relevant and sufficient evidence in Lesson 4. Students sort relevant and irrelevant evidence and then continue using the graphic organizer introduced in the previous lesson. They also consider how the author responds to conflicting viewpoints. In Closing and Assessment A, students engage in the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol to further consider relevant and irrelevant evidence. This activity includes work with tangible scenarios to help students better understand the concept of relevance.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to identify relevant and irrelevant evidence and conflicting viewpoints. Students will benefit from support around working with unfamiliar vocabulary to help them understand information and ideas so that they can carry out work with analyzing relevancy and viewpoint. During the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol, pair students with supportive peers who can help them navigate discussion.

Vocabulary

  • irrelevant (A)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Homework: Delineate Arguments: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 (answers for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Homework A)
  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Equity sticks (from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
  • Author's Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • Homework: Delineate Arguments: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Homework A)
  • Vocabulary logs (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • Author's Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • The Omnivore's Dilemma (text; one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Closing and Assessment A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 5 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence note-catcher (answers for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 5 (one per student)
  • Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence note-catcher (one per student)
  • Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence sentence strips (one per pair of students)
  • Scissors (one per pair of students)
  • Glue and/or tape (one per pair of students)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RI.8.8 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As they arrive, students complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 5.
  • Prompt students to Turn and Talk about their answers to the entrance ticket. Clarify any misconceptions about the relevant evidence they identified, and explain to students that today's lesson will help them examine evidence that is unrelated, or irrelevant, to claims an author presents.
  • Using a preferred classroom routine, collect or review the answers to Homework: Delineate Arguments: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3. Refer to Homework: Delineate Arguments: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 (answers for teacher reference) as needed.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence - RI.8.8 (10 minutes)

  • Review the learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can distinguish between relevant and irrelevant evidence."

  • Ask students to find a partner and Turn and Talk to review their understanding of the word relevant:

"Remind your partner, what does relevant mean?" (Relevant means something that is connected or applicable.)

"What is relevant evidence? Why is it important to include relevant evidence when making an argument?" (Relevant evidence is connected to the claim and helps illuminate the point being made to the reader.)

  • Explain to students that in addition to looking at evidence that is connected to the claim, it is also important to be able to identify irrelevant evidence. Ask partners to Think-Pair-Share:

"What does the word irrelevant mean?" (Irrelevant means something that does not apply or is not connected.)

"What is irrelevant evidence?" (Irrelevant evidence is not connected to the claim and does not help the reader understand the point being made.)

  • With students' support, record the meaning of the term irrelevant on the academic word wall. Invite students to record the term in their vocabulary logs.
  • Display and distribute the Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence note-catcher, and prompt students to capture the definitions of relevant and irrelevant in the spaces provided.
  • Read the directions aloud while students follow along. Distribute a sheet of Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence sorting strips to each pair. Direct partners to cut out the strips and sort the given evidence, naming each piece as relevant or irrelevant and sorting them into piles as indicated on the note-catcher. Use the Sort Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence note-catcher (answers for teacher reference) as needed, and answer any questions that students have about sorting the evidence.
  • Once partners have completed their sorting, prompt them to join another partner group, forming quads. Direct quads to Think-Pair-Share, and discuss:

"Was there any evidence that was hard to categorize? Why?" (Responses will vary.)

"Identify one more piece of relevant evidence and one more piece of irrelevant evidence for the argument being made." (Responses will vary.)

"Can you think of other examples, in real life, where you will need to analyze and sort relevant and irrelevant evidence?" (Responses will vary, but may include: when analyzing political candidates and the policies they support, or when investigating a topic of interest to them, etc.)

  • Explain to students that they will now analyze relevant and irrelevant evidence from section 3 of The Omnivore's Dilemma.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • To help students better understand conflicting evidence, invite them to make claims about everyday topics (e.g., school, television, food) for their classmates to provide conflicting evidence to.

For Heavier Support

  • To help students better understand conflicting evidence, invite them to provide conflicting evidence to claims about everyday topics. For example:
    • Television is a waste of time.
    • Students should be able to use cell phones in class.
    • Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
    • Students should have four hours of homework every night.

B. Irrelevant Evidence and Conflicting Viewpoints - RI.8.8 (20 minutes)

  • Review the learning targets relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can evaluate an argument, assessing whether Michael Pollan's evidence presented on the topic of industrial farming is relevant."

"I can evaluate an argument, analyzing how Michael Pollan responds to conflicting viewpoints."

  • Explain to students that they will continue using the Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer that they started in the previous lesson. Display the graphic organizer, and direct students to retrieve their copies.
  • Focus students on the first question at the end of the graphic organizer on irrelevant evidence. Explain that in The Omnivore's Dilemma there is not much irrelevant evidence because Pollan has done careful research and is presenting information and evidence that align to his beliefs. It is important, however, to be able to recognize information that may be irrelevant to an author's claim. Because of that, this question will help them practice identifying what irrelevant information might look like.
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

"Why is it important to identify irrelevant information when you are delineating an argument?" (Responses will vary, but may include the idea that knowing an argument well also means you can distinguish between evidence that does and does not support the argument.)

  • Prompt partners to read through the options given for potential pieces of irrelevant evidence, discussing each option and determining the best response. Use equity sticks to call on a student to share his or her answer and the reasoning behind it. (Students should identify that answer A is irrelevant because, although it is a true statement, it does not connect to the main claim Pollan is making about industrial farming in this section of the text.).
  • Ask students to Turn and Talk:

"Can you think of another piece of evidence that would be irrelevant to his claim?" (Responses will vary but should reference evidence from the section that does not connect to the claim.)

  • Prompt students to think about how they know if evidence is relevant or irrelevant, and then invite them to Turn and Talk:

"What are some strategies you can use to identify irrelevant evidence in the future?" (Responses will vary, but may include that irrelevant evidence will be off topic, it could be distracting, it might be interesting but not in support of the main claim, etc.)

  • Focus students on the second question on the Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer, which asks students to think about conflicting viewpoints that are presented in the text. Remind students that an important aspect of delineating arguments is looking for places where conflicting points of view are presented or implied and noting how the author acknowledges or responds to those viewpoints. Thoughtful authors think about what other points of view on a topic might look like. They make sure they address these conflicting points of view in their own arguments.
  • Display and ask students to retrieve their copies of the Author's Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher. Prompt students to also retrieve their copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma and open to page 63. Direct students to read aloud with their partners, starting at "Only certain animals . . ." and ending on page 65 at ". . . fast food indeed."
  • Ask:

"What is Michael Pollan's viewpoint on how cattle should be fed?" (He believes that cattle have evolved to eat grass.)

"What is the conflicting viewpoint that is implied in this section?" (Cattle should be raised on corn.)

"How does the author respond to the conflicting viewpoint?" (by pointing out that cattle raised on corn mature more quickly and can be sold for beef earlier, which benefits the industrial farmer, yet cattle have stomachs that evolved to eat grass, and eating a diet of grass takes them more time to mature.)

  • As students share, record their responses at the bottom section of the displayed Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher, under "Conflicting Viewpoint." Note the page number and topic, the viewpoint the author addresses, and the author's conflicting viewpoint. Instruct students to follow along and record responses on their own note-catchers. Refer to Author's Purpose and Point of View: The Omnivore's Dilemma note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Focus students back on their Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer, and explain to students that they will look for ways that Pollan responds to the conflicting viewpoints presented about how cattle are fed. Direct partners to reread the last question on the graphic organizer and select the appropriate response. As necessary, refer to Delineate an Argument: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 3 graphic organizer (example for teacher reference).
  • Use a total participation technique to review responses and discuss as a group, addressing any questions that arise about conflicting viewpoints.
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

"How does Michael Pollan make his argument stronger by presenting this alternate viewpoint?" (Pollan acknowledges the claim that feeding cattle corn is healthy, and then counters it with the details of various illnesses cattle may experience. By providing evidence against the conflicting viewpoint, he strengthens his own claim.)

  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • To help students better understand conflicting evidence, invite them to make claims about everyday topics (e.g., school, television, food) for their classmates to provide conflicting evidence to.

For Heavier Support

  • To help students better understand conflicting evidence, invite them to provide conflicting evidence to claims about everyday topics. For example:
    • Television is a waste of time.
    • Students should be able to use cell phones in class.
    • Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
    • Students should have four hours of homework every night.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Conflicting Viewpoints - RI.8.6 (10 minutes)

  • Remind students that in this lesson, they learned to delineate arguments by recognizing irrelevant information and analyze conflicting viewpoints. Explain that they will practice using these new skills in familiar contexts.
  • Prompt students to find a partner, and lead them through the following series of questions using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Each situation presents a real-world scenario where varying viewpoints may exist. Prompt students to find a new partner in between each question.
    • Situation 1: Getting a new cell phone. Should you be allowed to get a new cell phone since yours is a hand-me-down?

"What is the viewpoint you may have?" (Responses will vary, but may include: I think I should have a new cell phone.)

"What reason supports this viewpoint?" (Responses will vary, but may include: the phone I have is my brother's old one, and it's out of date.)

"What is a conflicting viewpoint your parents may have?" (You do not need a new cell phone.)

"What reason supports this viewpoint?" (Responses will vary, but may include: a phone being out of date doesn't affect how well it works.)

    • Situation 2: Increasing the driving age. The state you live in wants to increase the driving age from 16 to 18 in order to help reduce traffic accidents.

"What is the viewpoint you may have?" (Sixteen-year-olds should be able to get their driver's license.)

"What reason supports this viewpoint?" (Responses will vary, but may include that most accidents happen from distracted drivers, regardless of their age.)

"What is a conflicting viewpoint the state may have?" (Citizens need to be eighteen years old before applying for a driver's license.)

"What reason supports this viewpoint?" (Responses will vary, but may include that older drivers have fewer accidents than younger drivers.)

    • Situation 3: Getting a summer job. Your parents want you to get a summer job at the local ice-cream shop.

"What is the viewpoint you may have?" (Responses will vary, but may include that teenagers should have time off in the summer after working hard in school all year.)

"What reason supports this viewpoint?" (Responses will vary, but may include that teenagers require many hours of sleep each night, and working long hours would get in the way of sufficient sleep.)

"What is a conflicting viewpoint your parents may have?" (You should have a summer job.)

"What reason supports this viewpoint?" (Responses will vary, but may include that jobs help teenagers learn valuable life skills like time and money management.)

  • As time permits, invite two students to brainstorm additional situations and share them with their peers. Continue to present the situations and ask students to respond using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol.
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • To help students navigate the Back-to-Back Face-to-Face protocol, strategically use Goal 1 Conversation Cues:
    • "Can you say more about that?"
    • "Can you give an example?"
    • "So, do you mean _____?"

Homework

Homework

A. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students preread The Omnivore's Dilemma, Section 4 (pages 88-89, 91-93, 96-100), in preparation for studying an excerpt from the section in the next lesson.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up