Counter Arguments and Fallacies

Northwestern High SchoolMr. Medoff and Mrs. Avery

2/13/12 – 2/17/12

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Objective (day 1)

Students will

Connect new information and prior knowledge

Compare and contrast interpretations of arguments with classmates’ interpretations

Analyze both sides of an argument

Assess how to appropriately counter an argument

In order to Synthesize prior knowledge of

argumentations and counter arguments with actual the actual definitions

Connect strategies for countering a reason with real life situations

Define argument and counter argument

Formulate arguments and counterarguments for a topic

Warm-UpProvide an opinion supported by a

reason.Example:

I believe _____________________________because of ___________________________.

PW: “I couldn’t disagree more”

With a partner:Share your opinion and reason for it.Respond to your partner by saying: “I couldn’t

disagree more,” and then giving a plausible reason why the reason offered by your partner is not convincing.

Example: “I couldn’t disagree more

because___________.

WG: What are your opinions?I couldn’t disagree more.

Define: argumentWhat is an argument?

Define: argument1. A disagreement; verbal or

written opposition; contention; altercation.

2. A discussion involving differing points of view; debate.

Define: counter argumentWhat is a counter

argument?

Define: counter argumentA contrasting, opposing, or refuting

argument.

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.

Factual errors in the reason offered

Some reasons present doubtful facts. Examine the accuracy of the facts presented. Are they

true, false, exaggerations, or broad generalizations?

Consider the following scenario:A new Air Jordan Shoe advertisement claims that their newest shoe

costs 20 % less than the newest Nike shoes. They also claim that 85% of professional basketball players prefer this brand over Nike.

Factual errors in the reason offered

1. Do not just assume that the data is correct. It may turn out that the new Air Jordan shoes are actually more expensive.

2. What is the source of the data? It may be that the person in charge of collecting the information about what shoes NBA players wear only asked certain players, not the entire NBA.

Check out the facts for yourself!

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.

Consider other people’s interests in addition to those

mentioned.Some reasons omit the interests of certain people. Think

about the treatment of others. Will other people suffer or benefit because of the actions proposed?

Consider the following scenario:An advocate for stricter gun laws talks extensively about how the

family members of someone lost to gun violence are affected.

Consider other people’s interests in addition to those

mentioned.What about the people who do

not use guns for terrible crimes, but rather for hunting or recreational activities?

What about the people who were not killed because they had a gun to defend themselves?

What about the potential victims who were not killed because bad guys were deterred by others who had guns?

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs

that underlie the reason.

**

Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that underlie the

reason. Some reasons are based on unproven beliefs or ideas. Look for

flawed ideas that form the basis for the reason. Are the assumptions reasonable?

Consider the following scenario:A pro-life [against abortion] organization claims that women make

the choice to engage in sexual activities, and as a result need to be responsible for the consequences.

Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that underlie the

reason. What about rape victims? They did not

make the choice to engage in sexual activities.

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs

that underlie the reason. 4. Think of undesirable consequences or side

effects not mentioned in the reason.

Think of undesirable consequences or side effects not mentioned in the

reason.Some reasons fail to consider multiple consequences. Think about negative effects that might accompany the

action.Consider the following

scenario:

An advocate argues that lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 will allow young adults to drink in

safer environments rather than in secret, and as a

result, fewer adolescents will die from untreated

alcohol poisoning.

Think of undesirable consequences or side effects not mentioned in the

reason.If more people are legally allowed to drink, then it follows that more people will drink. If more people are

drinking, there will be more occurrences of drinking and driving.

While lowering the drinking age may prevent some accidental deaths due to drinking in secrecy, it may also lead to more drinking and driving accidents.

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that

underlie the reason. 4. Think of undesirable consequences or side

effects not mentioned in the reason.5. Suggest more important, reasonable, or

beneficial or beneficial options.

Suggest more important, reasonable, or beneficial

options.Some reasons fail to consider other ways of achieving the desired results. Identify the intended result of the position and find alternative ways to accomplish it that have less

negative impact or are more likely to happen.

Consider the following scenario:An advocate for school uniforms is arguing that school uniforms are

beneficial for two reasons:1. Issues of inappropriate clothes exposing too much of the body are no

longer a concern.2. It is more difficult for weapons to be smuggled onto campus.

Suggest more important, reasonable, or beneficial

options.The advocate brings up two important points. Rather than

disagreeing completely, perhaps offer an alternative.1. Instead of having school uniforms, what about a policy that

outlines how much of the body is allowed to be exposed?2. Rather than having school uniforms, what about a policy

that does not allow certain items, such as baggy clothes, to address the issue of weapons being smuggled onto

campus?

Developing counter argumentsWhen developing a counter argument, make

sure it is plausible and convincing.

Plausible: the idea presented in the counter argument is true or could likely happen.

Convincing: the idea presented in the counter argument makes the reason seem unimportant or less believable.

ExampleArgument: It is okay to cheat

because cheating doesn’t really hurt anyone.

Counter argument: Someone who cheats could get caught. Students risk suspension from school and other consequences that outweigh the better grade they may get by cheating.

Is this plausible and convincing?

Plausible and Convincing?It is plausible because people most schools and

teachers have strict consequences for cheating.It is convincing because it relates directly to

the person who is cheating and could affect things they care about.

Another exampleArgument: It is okay to cheat

because sometimes you don’t have time to study

Counter argument: There are ways to avoid failing other than cheating. A student could explain the situation and get an extension or ask that the grade not be counted.

Is this plausible and convincing?

Plausible and Convincing?It is not plausible because many teachers

would not grant an extension.It is not convincing because if an extension was

granted, it would probably only be a one time thing.

Exit SlipWhat is a counter argument?

Give an example of a counter argument and explain how it is plausible and convincing.

Objective (day 2)

Students will

Connect new information and prior knowledge

Compare and contrast interpretations of arguments with classmates’ interpretations

Analyze both sides of an argument

Assess how to appropriately counter an argument

Analyze non-print texts for examples of counter arguments

In order to Synthesize prior knowledge of

argumentations and counter arguments with the actual definitions

Connect strategies for countering a reason with real life situations

Define argument and counter argument

Formulate arguments and counterarguments for a topic

Watch clips illustrating different counter argument opportunities

Warm-Up1. What is one strategy people use when making a

counter argument?

2. Create a counter argument to the above statement.

Argument: This class should be assigned more homework because homework gives students the opportunity to

practice and clarify the information that they learned in class.

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered. (Facts)2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to those

mentioned. (Others)3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that

underlie the reason. (Assumptions) 4. Think of undesirable consequences or side effects not

mentioned in the reason. (Consequences)5. Suggest more important, reasonable, or beneficial

options. (Alternatives)(Facts) (Others) (Assumptions) (Consequences)

(Alternatives) Fresh Oranges Are Crazy Animals

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.

Factual errors in the reason offered

Some reasons present doubtful facts. Examine the accuracy of the facts presented. Are they

true, false, exaggerations, or broad generalizations?

Consider the following scenario:A new Air Jordan Shoe advertisement claims that their newest shoe

costs 20 % less than the newest Nike shoes. They also claim that 85% of professional basketball players prefer this brand over Nike.

Factual errors in the reason offered

1. Do not just assume that the data is correct. It may turn out that the new Air Jordan shoes are actually more expensive.

2. What is the source of the data? It may be that the person in charge of collecting the information about what shoes NBA players wear only asked certain players, not the entire NBA.

Check out the facts for yourself!

Taco PartyWatch the following video clip:

Questions for a counter argument:1. Are the facts being presented true?2. Are the facts exaggerated or generalized?3. Where are the facts coming from?4. Who is the source5. Is the source reliable?

AT&T

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.

Consider other people’s interests in addition to those

mentioned.Some reasons omit the interests of certain people. Think

about the treatment of others. Will other people suffer or benefit because of the actions proposed?

Consider the following scenario:An advocate for stricter gun laws talks extensively about how the

family members of someone lost to gun violence are affected.

Consider other people’s interests in addition to those

mentioned.What about the people who do

not use guns for terrible crimes, but rather for hunting or recreational activities?

What about the people who were not killed because they had a gun to defend themselves?

What about the potential victims who were not killed because bad guys were deterred by others who had guns?

Lost ChildWatch the following video clip:

Questions for a counter argument:1. Whose interests are being considered in this commercial?2. Whose interests are not being included in this commercial? 3. Why are certain people’s interests excluded?

4. Do the interests of those who are excluded matter?

Lost for a minute

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs

that underlie the reason.

**

Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that underlie the

reason. Some reasons are based on unproven beliefs or ideas. Look for

flawed ideas that form the basis for the reason. Are the assumptions reasonable?

Consider the following scenario:A pro-life [against abortion] organization claims that women make

the choice to engage in sexual activities, and as a result need to be responsible for the consequences.

Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that underlie the

reason. What about rape victims? They did not

make the choice to engage in sexual activities.

Ally BankWatch the following video clip:

Questions for a counter argument:1. What are the reasons for switching to Ally Bank?2. Does the commercial make assumptions about other banks?3. What types of assumptions does the commercial make?4. Do all other banks try to deceive their customers?

Pony!

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs

that underlie the reason. 4. Think of undesirable consequences or side

effects not mentioned in the reason.

Think of undesirable consequences or side effects not mentioned in the

reason.Some reasons fail to consider multiple consequences. Think about negative effects that might accompany the

action.Consider the following

scenario:

An advocate argues that lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 will allow young adults to drink in

safer environments rather than in secret, and as a

result, fewer adolescents will die from untreated

alcohol poisoning.

Think of undesirable consequences or side effects not mentioned in the

reason.If more people are legally allowed to drink, then it follows that more people will drink. If more people are

drinking, there will be more occurrences of drinking and driving.

While lowering the drinking age may prevent some accidental deaths due to drinking in secrecy, it may also lead to more drinking and driving accidents.

Ron PaulWatch the following video clip:

Questions for a counter argument:1. Does this advertisement consider consequences that might

result from making abortion illegal?2. What are some of the consequences that might happen? 3. Why are these potential consequences not addressed?

Pro-Life

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in addition to

those mentioned.3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that

underlie the reason. 4. Think of undesirable consequences or side

effects not mentioned in the reason.5. Suggest more important, reasonable, or

beneficial or beneficial options.

Suggest more important, reasonable, or beneficial

options.Some reasons fail to consider other ways of achieving the desired results. Identify the intended result of the position and find alternative ways to accomplish it that have less

negative impact or are more likely to happen.

Consider the following scenario:An advocate for school uniforms is arguing that school uniforms are

beneficial for two reasons:1. Issues of inappropriate clothes exposing too much of the body are no

longer a concern.2. It is more difficult for weapons to be smuggled onto campus.

Suggest more important, reasonable, or beneficial

options.The advocate brings up two important points. Rather than

disagreeing completely, perhaps offer an alternative.1. Instead of having school uniforms, what about a policy that

outlines how much of the body is allowed to be exposed?2. Rather than having school uniforms, what about a policy

that does not allow certain items, such as baggy clothes, to address the issue of weapons being smuggled onto

campus?

PhenObestinWatch the following video clip:

Questions for a counter argument:1. Are there other ways of achieving the desired results? 2. Does this method come with possible negative

complications?3. Are the other methods less likely to have negative results?

Weight loss pill

Developing counter argumentsWhen developing a counter argument, make

sure it is plausible and convincing.

Plausible: the idea presented in the counter argument is true or could likely happen.

Convincing: the idea presented in the counter argument makes the reason seem unimportant or less believable.

ExampleArgument: It is okay to cheat

because cheating doesn’t really hurt anyone.

Counter argument: Someone who cheats could get caught. Students risk suspension from school and other consequences that outweigh the better grade they may get by cheating.

Is this plausible and convincing?

Plausible and Convincing?It is plausible because people most schools and

teachers have strict consequences for cheating.It is convincing because it relates directly to

the person who is cheating and could affect things they care about.

Another exampleArgument: It is okay to cheat

because sometimes you don’t have time to study

Counter argument: There are ways to avoid failing other than cheating. A student could explain the situation and get an extension or ask that the grade not be counted.

Is this plausible and convincing?

Plausible and Convincing?It is not plausible because many teachers

would not grant an extension.It is not convincing because if an extension was

granted, it would probably only be a one time thing.

Exit SlipWhat is a counter argument?

Give an example of a counter argument and explain how it is plausible and convincing.

Objective (day 3)Students will:- Confirm understanding after reading, viewing, and/or listening to print and non print

texts- Determine the critical or central idea(s) of a text- Use during-reading strategies appropriate to both the text and purpose for reading

by visualizing, making connections, and using fix-up strategies such as re-reading, questioning, and summarizing

- Analyze counter arguments as they apply to print and non-print textsIn order to:- Analyze the articles “Capital Punishment is Wrong” and “JC Penney Offends Traditional Families Again” while completeing worksheets about counter arguments- Analyze the advertisement “Verizon vs. AT&T” and complete worksheet about counter arguments- Analyze the news article about the Pledge of Allegiance as it relates to counter arguments and complete worksheet- Create counter arguments to arguments made by classmates about school uniforms in public schools and the death penalty

Warm Up

1. What are the 5 strategies for creating a counter argument?

2. Explain each strategy. Example:

1. The first strategy is finding factual errors in an argument.

2. You can use this strategy by asking questions about whether the facts or true or false, or who is the source of the facts?

Remember: Funny Oranges Are Crazy Animals!

Do today’s warm-up on a separate sheet of paper to be turned in.

5 strategies for countering a reason

1. Factual errors in the reason offered.2. Consider other people’s interests in

addition to those mentioned.3. Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that

underlie the reason. 4. Think of undesirable consequences or side effects

not mentioned in the reason.5. Suggest more important, reasonable, or beneficial

or beneficial options.

Counter Argument Stations

Get into groups of FIVE. (Each group needs somebody that can connect to the internet with a phone or iPod)

There will be SIX stations. Stations 1-3 will address the counter argument strategy of

finding factual errors. (Facts) Station 1 – Verizon vs. AT&T commercial Station 2 – Capital Punishment article Station 3 – Capital Punishment [argument vs. counter argument]

Stations 4-6 will address the counter argument strategy of considering the opinions and ideas of others not mentioned in the article. (Others) Station 4 – School Uniforms [argument vs. counter argument] Station 5 – Million Moms article Station 6 – Pledge of Allegiance news clip

Station 1 – Verizon vs. AT&T

Station 6 – I Pledge Allegiance

Exit SlipWhy is it so important to address counter

arguments in a persuasive essay?

Objective (day 4)

Students will Confirm understanding after reading, viewing, and/or listening to print and non-print texts

Determine the critical or central idea(s) of a text

Use during-reading strategies appropriate to both the text and purpose for reading by visualizing, making connections, and using fix-up strategies such as re-reading, questioning, and summarizing

Analyze counter arguments as they applies to print and non-print texts

In order to Analyze the articles “Should Marijuana Be Legal” and “3 Reasons for Reading” while

completing worksheets about counter arguments

Analyze the photograph about gay marriage and complete worksheet about counter arguments

Create counter arguments to arguments made by classmates

Warm-Up1. Make an argument

[argument: reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong]

I believe ____________________ because of _______________________.

2. What is a counter argument that an opposing advocate might make?

3. How would you respond to that counter argument to make it less valid?

[valid: sound; just; well-founded]

Counter Arguments Clarified

You are just WRONG! Hmmmm, good point, BUT…

• Factual errors in the reason offered.

• Look for questionable assumptions or beliefs that underlie the reason.

• Consider other people’s interests in addition to those mentioned.

• Think of undesirable consequences or side effects not mentioned in the reason.

• Suggest more important, reasonable, or beneficial or beneficial options.

We can divide our five strategies into TWO main categories:

Rotation Station!Get into groups of THREE.

Folder 1 – Addressing questionable assumptionsFolder 2 – Addressing potential consequencesFolder 3 – Addressing alternatives

Exit SlipWhat strategy do you find to be the most

persuasive?

Objective (day 5)

Students will:- Confirm understanding after reading, viewing, and/or

listening to print and non print texts- Determine the critical or central idea(s) of a text- Analyze counter arguments as they apply to print and

non-print texts

In order to:- Analyze the non-print text “Thank You For Smoking”

- Identify counter argument strategies for assessment during “Thank You For Smoking”

Warm Up

What do you find most confusing

about counter arguments?

Sit in OlympicSit in

Olympic

Exit SlipHomework:

Have a nice weekend!