As a social studies teacher, I teach both content and skills. One skill I am focusing on with my Grade 7 students this term is on the use of supporting evidence in constructing persuasive arguments. Mastering the art of backing up claims with solid evidence is an important skill. In an increasingly interconnected world where information is readily available at our fingertips, the ability to discern credible sources and effectively utilize evidence is crucial for informed decision-making and active citizenship. By honing this skill early on, students not only enhance their academic prowess but also cultivate a habit of critical thinking that empowers them to navigate complex issues with confidence and clarity.
Students find justifying an idea to be more challenging than describing or explaining it. This is natural. If you consider Bloom’s taxonomy, you can see why this progression poses a greater cognitive demand. Describing and explaining typically fall within the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomy, focusing on recalling information and understanding concepts. However, justifying requires students to operate at higher levels such as analyzing, evaluating, and creating.
I noticed this quite evidently last week when I had my students write a response to solutions to climate change. I asked them to justify their points. I made sure they understood what I meant by “justify”, reiterating that it meant to “give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer or conclusion”. When I looked at the responses, an overwhelming number of my students were not justifying. They were only describing and explaining. So, I decided to create a lesson on the use of supporting evidence to justify a claim. It worked out quite well so I wanted to share it here. The lesson uses the topic of climate change but can be tweaked with examples from any other topic.
1. Discussion and Cloze Activity on “What is supporting evidence?”
2. Discussion and Cloze Activity on “Why is supporting evidence important?”
3. Types of Supporting Evidence – Explain and match with given examples
4. Show a set of claims with supporting evidence
5. Match Claims to Supporting Evidence
6. Main Activity – Write three claims about climate change and provide supporting evidence for each.
7. Debrief