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Using Argumentation Boards

Danni Stone

Year 7/8 Kaiako

Pt England School

http://bit.ly/argueboard

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What are argumentation boards?

Argumentation Boards use engaging topics to prompt critical thinking and debate.

A question is posed and students engage in a range of multi-modal texts to develop an understanding of the topic and identify their point of view.

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How are they used in the classroom?

A tool in your literacy/ inquiry toolbox

Great as a ‘hook’ at the start of a topic of inquiry/ new unit

A way to increase engagement or spice things up part way through a term/ unit

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What are argumentation boards?

Pose a question

2. Gather students initial response (PK) and what they need to investigate

3. Present students with a range of multi-modal texts

4. They gather information that supports their argument

5. They debate/ write an essay/ use screencastify to record their argument

Kids share and respond to each other in person or on the blogs.

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Why use argumentation boards?

They link reading, writing and oral language

They support T-shaped literacy. Students are reading a range of multi-modal texts around a topic

Engagement is high! The students love forming their opinions

Great to use for persuasive writing or Inquiry

Research behind it!

A good way to get used to using multi-modal text sets, you can follow the slide structure in reading.

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How to use argumentation boards?

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Resources!

In 2018, Rebecca Spies created a whole website about Argumentation Boards as part of the MIT programme. She has included a range of boards that you can use

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Create

Use this time to create your own argumentation board. It might be that you are adapting a preexisting one for your learners, or coming up with your own from scratch.

Some ideas include:

Should we ban Zoos?

Do we still need the olympics?

Do we need school uniforms?

Should junk food be sold in schools?