Educate Out Prejudice
Curriculum Pilot
Critical Thinking - Garo Avakian
Contents:
1. Lesson Plan (pp. 2 – 6)
2. Group Profile with Equality and Diversity Statement
(pp. 7 – 8)
3. Resources (pp. 9 – 11)
The creation of this material by Morley College has been financed by the Skills Funding Agency Equality and
Diversity Innovation Fund 2013/14.Copyright in this material is vested in the Crown but it is made freely available
through an Open Government Licence. This licence enables you to use and adapt the material but you must
attribute Morley College as the creator and include details of the licence. Full details of the licence are available
at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/
Lesson Plan 2013/14 - Garo Avakian
Course Title: Critical Thinking
Course Code: UPH004A
Subject of Lesson: Argument
Reconstruction
Timing
2hrs
Content: By the end of the lesson
students will be able to:
Tutor Activities and
Assessment Method
Student Activities
1. Demonstrate their ability to
identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument by
locating the conclusion and
premises of a sample argument.
Elicitation/exposition –
what is an argument, what
are the parts of an
argument, what is the
meaning of logical
strength, how to identify an
argument (argument
indicators), what is an
assumption
Listening and responding
Q and A
Learning activity –
argument identification
Learning activity –
identification of
assumptions
Group discussion
2. Demonstrate their ability to
reconstruct an argument by
putting premises and conclusion
of an argument in standard form.
3. Demonstrate their
understanding of what an
assumption is by identifying and
stating assumptions sample
argument relies on.
Week No: 15
Room: B21
Taking notes
Raising questions
No Present:
8
Resources:
Colour and A3
formatted sample
argument
Sample argument
Talking points list of questions
SMART board
Responding to question nomination
Completing learning activities
2
2 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument.
Completing register
Explaining and scribing
lesson aims on IWB
Listening and responding, scribing
lesson aims
Read sample argument
and initiate ten minute
discussion on comment
piece (passing of SSMB
caused the recent floods)
Listening and responding
How to reconstruct an argument
Assumptions: what are they and
how to locate them
10 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument
e.g. - passing of SSMB (Same Sex
Marriage Bill) caused the recent
floods
Colour and A3
formatted sample
argument
Sample argument
Talking points list of questions
SMART board
Group discussion
Checking familiarity and
responses of students to
comment piece.
Nominating quiet students
to respond.
30 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument
(passing of SSMB caused the
recent floods)
Elicitation/exposition –
How to reconstruct an argument




Listening and responding
Taking notes
What is an argument?
What are the parts of
an argument?
What is the meaning of
logical strength?
How to identify an
argument (argument
indicators).
3
10 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument
(passing of SSMB caused the
recent floods)
Nominating students to
answer questions to check
for understanding:


How to reconstruct an argument


Listening and responding
Responding to question nomination
What is an argument?
What are the parts of
an argument?
What is the meaning of
logical strength?
How to identify an
argument (argument
indicators).
10 min
BREAK
BREAK
BREAK
15 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument (passing
of SSMB caused the recent floods).
Listening and responding
How to reconstruct an argument.
1. Breaking up students
into pairs (less able
with able)
2. Instructing students on
how to complete
learning activity.
3. Supporting, monitoring
and observing students
during learning activity.
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument (passing
of SSMB caused the recent floods).
Checking on reconstruction
– nominating students to
respond to questions.
Listening and responding
How to reconstruct an argument.
Scribing answers from
groups on IWB – correcting
and giving praise on
answers
10 min
BREAK
Breaking up into pairs
Completing learning activity – students
work together to identify another one of
the premises of the SSMB-floods
argument and reconstruct the argument
in standard form
Modifying answers
4
10 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument.
Informal/seminar style
exposition - defining what
an assumption is.
Group discussion
Listening and responding
Taking notes
How to reconstruct an argument.
Assumptions: what are they and
how to locate them.
15 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument.
Then with students
identifying two
assumptions that SSMBfloods argument relies on
to get the conclusion to
follow from premises.
Group discussion – is this
is a valid or sound
argument?
Group discussion
Prompting students to
consider whether any of
the premises of the
argument could actually be
true.
Taking notes
Listening and responding
How to reconstruct an argument.
Assumptions: what are they and
how to locate them.
2 min
How to identify the conclusion and
premises of an argument.
How to reconstruct an argument.
Assumptions: what are they and
how to locate them?
Prompting students to
consider the extent to
which the argument uses
the concept of causality
legitimately.
Quick recap on learning
– Nominating students to
answer question to check
for understanding.
- Modifying questions for
less able learners.
Raising points/questions
Listening and responding
Responding to question nomination
5
EVALUATION OF LESSON (To what extent were the learning outcomes achieved? / What aspects of the lesson were successful? / Was there anything that
was unsatisfactory? / Would you make any changes next time you teach it? Is there anything that needs to be carried over to the next lesson?
Lesson was moderately successful. Students need more time to develop argument identification skills but more so developing reconstruction
skills. Some students could also benefit from having one more class where there is a focus on working out what assumptions arguments
sometimes rely on.
As the argument we looked at made no explicit use of argument indicators, perhaps in the next session we could do more work on how to
identify the conclusion and some premises of an argument by relying on textual hints or clues in sample text. Otherwise, all of the students did
well in identifying the conclusion of the SSM bill-floods piece we looked at.
One thing that was really good about the session is the discussion that followed reconstruction of the argument. The 15 min group discussion
was useful as it brought out some really interesting ideas and opinions. One student in particular raised a fascinating question: why could it
not be true that the passing of the same sex marriage bill caused the floods. This resulted in a group discussion of why it could not be the case
that the SSMB caused floods as well as a discussion about the nature of truth, and how methods of argument in CT work with a very specific
and narrow idealisation of what counts as true or false.
Discussion also focussed on the extent to which it would be wrong to say that the SSMB caused the floods based on the requirements that are
made on making a causal claim. Even though discussion was the most rewarding and interesting part of the lesson – evidence of this being
students’ participation – the group still needs to do more work on reconstructing arguments as well as identifying arguments. This will be one of
the aims of the next session.
The creation of this material by Morley College has been financed by the Skills Funding Agency Equality and Diversity Innovation Fund 2013/14.Copyright in this material
is vested in the Crown but it is made freely available through an Open Government Licence. This licence enables you to use and adapt the material but you must attribute
Morley College as the creator and include details of the licence. Full details of the licence are available at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/
6
Group Profile
Course Title: Critical Thinking
Level:
2/3
Tutor:
Garo Avakian
Start Date:
8/1/14
Department
Humanities
Mode
Attendance
of Prt Time Day 
Type of Student
16-18 
Number on register
8
Teacher Status
Full time 
19+ 
Prt Time Eve 
Accredited 
Full Time 
Non-Accredited 
Numbers by gender: M
Fractional 
2 F 6
Hourly Paid 
Comments on the group (issues which impact on the way you organise the group or
plan your teaching, e.g. size, range of ability, mixture of beginners/experienced, range
of ages, learning styles of students etc.):
This is a fairly small group of learners with varying support needs and abilities. There are
some students who, even though they have never studied critical thinking before, are adept
in recognising arguments and others factors that are relevant to argument analysis and
evaluation, e.g. hidden assumptions, fallacies. There are others however who are less able
and therefore require more reinforcement and learning.
It will therefore be necessary to ensure that learning takes place in stages and also that
students have opportunity to re-visit some prior learning in order to review and connect
topics covered earlier in the course to topics covered later. The aim, in effect, will be to
demonstrate to both range of students the connectedness and systematic nature of critical
science (i.e., that critical thinking is a kind of science). For those who are less able,
explanations need to be developed slowly, concepts explained using examples, and
accompanied by practical application of skills so that through application they are able to
consolidate some of their learning.
There are currently two students in the class who have support needs. The first of these
students is dyslexic. In addition to this, her first language is not English. For this reason,
additional time is normally given to her in completing learning activities. As well as additional
time she will be encouraged to ask questions or be nominated, if she is comfortable, to
answer questions. About two weeks into the course she seems to be comfortable and at
ease in raising questions fairly regularly and has the tendency to address points which are
quite poignant and sharp (e.g. what is truth). I will aim to encourage her to do this because
these questions have a tendency to generate discussion and more questions which other
students have participated in.
7
So far, these methods of support and encouragement have worked well and will therefore
continue to be used. Checks on her understanding will also be extremely useful when more
complex concepts are explained. This will be done in the form of question/nomination and
reinforcement of learning through question/answer following learning activities. In addition to
this, in group work, she will be paired with someone more able and maybe at times less able
students if she demonstrates ability consistently. I have also formatted some of the
resources that are used in class so that they are pastel coloured and in A3 so that she, along
with other students, are able to annotate parts of resources or take notes directly on
resources.
There is another student in the class who has a disability affecting mobility. During breaks
(10min) she does not seem to leave to class nor has she made any requests in terms of
requiring a chair with back support. Occasionally she has a bottle of water with her or a hot
beverage but on those instances where she doesn’t I have offered to bring her water while
on break so that she is not inconvenienced by having to leave the class in case it is very
difficult for her to move. While in class, she appears to be sit in a position where she can
rest her leg on a chair next to her and so I have encouraged her to continue to do this if she
is comfortable. Apart from this she seems to get on well in class and participates/initiates
discussion between her tutor and her peers. She too appears to be able and demonstrates
good understanding of some of the concepts we have already covered and makes relevant
and poignant contributions.
Equality and Diversity
Various themes will be covered during this ten week course in order to demonstrate to
students that critical thinking is used pervasively in a variety of situations. Themes will
include arguments in media, (e.g. news stories), arguments about rights (e.g. animals),
arguments about causation and use of statistical information to support causal inferences,
same sex marriage (e.g. the bill and its causal properties), etc. The aim will be to keep the
context in which skills are developed topical and current so that students’ current interests
are catered for. This, however, will mean that occasionally students will have to do some
research and reading outside of class by following developments and reactions to
controversies in the news. However, to cater for the more sophisticated thinkers or those
with a taste for the abstract, sometimes dry, logical/philosophical arguments will be used so
that students can appreciate the relevance of logic to critical thinking. This is to ensure that
some of learning that takes place on the course demonstrates to students that there is also
some depth and intellectual history to critical thinking.
As always, throughout the classes and the course, all students will be encouraged to
participate. Students have been informed that there will be a variety of learning strategies
that the course will embrace, and that some of this will be through discussion, group work
and, at times, 30min expositions/explanations of ideas and concepts. However, students
have also been informed that the class will be run more an informal seminar model than
formal lectures so that they can raise a range of questions after demonstrations or during
discussions of ideas. Two weeks into the course this model has worked well so far and all
students have been keen to participate so the aim will be to use it and adapt as situations
require.
8
Embedding LGBT – Critical Thinking: Resources.
1.
Source 1 – Telegraph Article (pp.10-11)
Online Source: Marzal, A (2014) Ukip councillor who blamed floods on gay
marriage expelled from party, [Online], Available:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10619383/Ukip-councillor-who-
blamed-floods-on-gay-marriage-expelled-from-party.html [20 June 2014].
The creation of this material by Morley College has been financed by the Skills Funding Agency Equality and
Diversity Innovation Fund 2013/14.Copyright in this material is vested in the Crown but it is made freely available
through an Open Government Licence. This licence enables you to use and adapt the material but you must
attribute Morley College as the creator and include details of the licence. Full details of the licence are available
at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/
9
Ukip councillor who blamed floods on gay
marriage expelled from party
David Silvester, Ukip councillor in Henley-on-Thames,
thrown out of party after calling for gay people to "repent"
"I wrote to David Cameron in April 2012 to warn him that disasters would accompany the
passage of his same-sex marriage bill", said Mr Silvester Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Andrew Marszal, and agencies
11:50AM GMT 05 Feb 2014
The Ukip councillor who blamed Britain's storms and floods on same-sex marriage has been
expelled from the party after calling for gay people to "repent".
David Silvester, 73, who defected from the Conservatives in protest at David Cameron's
support for same-sex unions, was initally suspended by Ukip on January 19 after claiming he
had warned the Prime Minister that the legislation would result in "disasters".
But at an extraordinary meeting called last night to discuss whether he should resign, Mr
Silvester deepened the rift over homosexual marriage and floods by calling on gays "to
repent".
Ukip issued a statement today saying his comments were "unacceptable", and that it had
"no choice" but to drop him from the party.
10
The move also followed an online petition calling for Mr Silvester to go which had attracted
more than 24,000 signatures. He had previously refused to quit as a town councillor in
Henley-on-Thames, Oxon.
The outcry triggered by Mr Silvester began last month when, in a letter to the Henley
Standard, he blamed the storms on God's fury at the Conservatives' same-sex marriage act.
Mr Silvester wrote: "The scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that
abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel (and in naked breach of a coronation
oath) will be beset by natural disasters such as storms, disease, pestilence and war."
Blaming David Cameron for the bad weather, he added: "It is his fault that large swathes of
the nation have been afflicted by storms and floods."
Henley Town Council held an extraordinary meeting yesterday evening to discuss the row
over his remarks.
Members voted unanimously to distance themselves from their councillor colleague's views.
Bizarrely Mr Silvester, who attended the meeting to explain he would not be withdrawing his
comments, also voted for the motion.
Mr Silvester then deepened the rift over homosexual marriage and floods by calling on gays
"to repent".
Refusing to resign, Mr Silvester called for gay people to seek repentance from God, adding
that he stood by his earlier comments in the Henley Standard.
Mr Silvester said: "Never was it my intention to insult the gay community and I certainly
apologise to them if personal insult has been their perception."
"I have read that I am barmy to connect this to the weather – if that is the case then I am in
good company," he said, citing senior bishops blaming floods on "abandonment" of bible
teachings.
Mr Silvester said he was exercising his right to free speech by writing to the newspaper,
which he claims held back his letter for three weeks and added his political and town council
affiliations.
"I have had endless support from all over the country and the world and have the confidence
to stand by every word I wrote," he said.
However, he conceded he will be "more circumspect" in his views in future.
11