Gateways to Writing Logical Arguments

• Published in: English journal Vol. 99; no. 6; pp. 33 - 39
• Main Author: McCann, Thomas M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Urbana National Council of Teachers of English 01.07.2010
• Edition: High school edition
• Subjects: Adolescents; College Faculty; College instruction; College Students; Colleges & universities; Critical thinking; Elementary education; English Instruction; Grade 5; Learning; Learning procedures; Literary criticism; Logic; Logic and Critical Reasoning; Logical argument; Logical Thinking; Mayors; Parents; Parks & recreation areas; Persuasive Discourse; Point of view; Police; Politics; Secondary school students; Smith, Michael W; Teacher Educators; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Models; Writing (Composition); Writing Assignments; Writing instruction; Written composition; New York; United States > US
• ISSN: 0013-8274; 2161-8895
• DOI: 10.58680/ej201011520

Middle school and high school students have a conception of what the basic demands of logic are, and they draw on this understanding in anticipating certain demands of parents and teachers when the adolescents have to defend positions. At the same time, many adolescents struggle to "write" highly elaborated arguments. Teaching students lessons in the technical aspects of syllogistic logic or the Toulmin model seems to have little effect in helping students to write logical arguments. Even among college students, exercises in logic problems and the recall of technical terms do not seem to support students in generating written arguments. In contrast, Michael W. Smith has noted that it is through the daily oral interchanges in grappling with problems and responding to the persistent questions of "Why?" "So What?" and "Who says?" that learners begin to recognize and satisfy the requirements of logic. With careful attention to a sequence of interactive experiences, a teacher can help students to develop procedures for logical argument, beginning with oral interchanges and transferring the processes at work with conversational partners to the composing of highly elaborated compositions. In this article, the author discusses sources and scenarios for designing classroom-ready writing assignments that help students develop argumentation skills.