This week in English 2 we discussed the difference between a rant and an effective argument. This came about because I recently implemented Kelly Gallagher’s Article of the Week assignment with that group, and it quickly came to my attention that they had never been taught the basics of argument. (For those unfamiliar, the premise of this activity is that each week students read a nonfiction article, often about a current topic. They show evidence of active reading and understanding and then write a one-page response.) Last week’s article was about a deported mother living in Tijuana. I received responses that called the mother in the article “stupid,” responses that said “the illegals” were taking jobs that other Americans needed. And here’s the thing. I’ve been doing cartwheels in this circus long enough to realize that not all of my students will share my same worldview. (Duh!) Politically, religiously, socially... we come from different worlds. So while I might not share the same opinions on the current issues as my students, I do have a responsibility to teach them how to share those views effectively. I projected a t-chart highlighting some of the differences between a rant and effective argument. A rant relies on emotion; an argument focuses on claims supported by evidence. A rant is often wild and impassioned; an effective argument is logical and reasonable. Students nodded as I presented this information. Then I got to the last row on the chart. A logic-based argument is more likely to change someone’s mind than a rant. I posed a question. “How many of you have been influenced by a rant?” Several students raised their hands or nodded their heads. “You mean to tell me,” I continued, “that yelling is an effective method for changing your mind?” “Yes,” one boy agreed. “If someone is yelling really loudly and passionately, then I will probably listen.” “But don’t you want facts and evidence?” I pushed. “Nah,” several of them responded. And there you have it. We live in a society no longer persuaded by facts. I pushed the rewind button for my students. Using a graphic organizer, we chose the elementary route and planned out an argument about the superiority of dogs as pets. (Sorry, folks, but I’m a dog person.) We examined counter-arguments and together came up with answers to refute the opposition. At the end of the lesson I asked, “How is that different from a rant?” “Well, I’ve thought about the other side now,” one student answered. And that’s the hard work, isn’t it? That’s what I want for my students. I want them to examine their beliefs and question their biases. I want them to continually ask themselves, “WHY do I believe that?” And I get pushback and side-eyes and heavy sighs. But still. I dig in and do the work because THAT is the kind of world I want to live in. I don’t want to live in the world of social media ranting and either-or thinking. I don’t want my sons to grow up in a world where if you think differently than I do, you’re my enemy. I want dialogue and discussion, and I want democracy. One step at a time. Today at the end of the class we wrote anonymous encouraging notes to members of our learning community. We recently read Shirley Jackson’s “The Possibility of Evil” where the main character writes hate-filled anonymous messages. We chose to rise above that. Students thanked classmates for being “an awesome teammate.” One student told a favorite teacher that she was “the only reason I still like school.” We wrote notes to a lunch lady and the janitor; we thanked the school secretary and counselor. We spread love, not hate. This work is hard, the work of dismantling prejudices and discovering new beliefs and confirming old ones. But it is work that I love, that I am lucky to do. Rant over.
1 Comment
Alaina
9/16/2016 10:54:38 am
Thank you for doing this. Thank you for trying to change the world, one student at a time. Awesome.
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