The purpose of this unit is to consider what the value of small group discussion might be for learning and how such group work can be structured and organised. There are many group work strategies that can be used in argumentation activities. Those strategies outlined here are linked to films on the website which show how group work can be implemented in classrooms. Other examples of group work strategies are included in IDEAS session 2, which provides useful additional material for professional development work in this area.
Students need to develop sound skills of listening carefully to each other and taking it in turns to respond to each other before they can fully engage in argumentation. In this first part of Unit 1 you will focus on strategies that help to develop group work skills, including:
Once students have developed the basic skills of listening and responding, they can begin to engage more fruitfully in argumentation. This part of Unit 1 focuses on strategies that can help students to take stances and justify their position through constructing arguments with evidence. When students working together have opposing stances, they can develop their argumentation skills by using rebuttals, that is, using evidence to support their position and to justify why an alternative position is less acceptable. These four strategies are shown on the films, and there are links to the lesson outlines and lesson resources that provide context for the argumentation activities:
This CPD unit has been developed by AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust for use by science teachers in the UK.
Unit authored by Shirley Simon, Paul Davies and Jillian Trevethan at the Institute of Education, University of London. Website design by Graphite Digital.
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