Te Kete Ipurangi Navigation:

Te Kete Ipurangi
Communities
Schools

Te Kete Ipurangi user options:

ESOL Online. Every child literate - a shared responsibility.
Ministry of Education.

Learning task 2

Deconstruction

The main object is to study the features of an argument using a copy of an exemplar ( Exemplar A Achieved (RTF 13KB) , Exemplar B Credit (RTF 13KB) , or Exemplar C No Credit (RTF 14KB) ) so that students develop familiarity with the exemplar as well.

  1. Either working individually or in pairs, depending on student ability, students highlight the different structural parts of the argument using the argument construction squares as a prompt. Jointly complete the activity one step at a time or cut up the sheet and let students do the same activity one paragraph at a time.
  2. Argument Construction Squares (Word 40KB) .
    If students are unfamiliar with this activity then it may be best to use another approach , such as cutting up the text into paragraphs and students reconstruct the essay.
  3. Encourage students to look for possible improvements; they may find none.
  4. Advanced students may use the text to look for the language features of an argument, for example, quotes, modals etc.

See DeconstructionStudentWorksheet (Word 30KB) .

Speaking activity

  1. The object is to direct students to the issue of free trade within the wider topic of globalisation. Secondly, if it arises, allow student discussion to focus on positive and negative points of free trade as this will be the basis of the argument for the summative task.
  2. Cut up the cards (Word 38KB) and give one to each pair or group. Allow time to prepare an answer. One student reads out the card and the other gives an example and explains. It is a good idea to display the statements so that other students can visually see the statement under discussion.

What globalisation means

Instructions: In groups of two or three discuss the statement on the card or cards given to you. Think of examples that will clearly explain each point of your statement. Be prepared to explain these to the rest of the class.

Independent research assignment

Teacher information

The aim is to provide students with enough information to write an argument either for or against globalisation. Guide students towards discussing the issue in relation to free trade. The note taking will be used to produce arguments for an academic controversy or debate.

Student information

Your task is to make notes for an academic controversy which is a type of debate. In this debate you will be arguing both for and against so you need to make notes for both sides of the argument. The topic is globalisation and you should focus on the issues involved in free trade.

To make a good argument you need to read as much as you can about the topic, but you only want to read useful information. To find out if a text is going to help you skim read it. Your teacher will have shown you how to do this.

Skimming

  1. Read the title
  2. Look at any pictures
  3. Read any headings
  4. Read the first sentence of each paragraph.
  5. If the article looks interesting then read the whole text.

You need to be able to take notes in a way that will be helpful when you come to debate and also plan your essay. Remember, anything that you copy from the text must be in quotation marks. Thus it is a skill to take really good notes that are in your own words. You must make notes in your own words. The dot and jot technique is useful for this or use any technique your teacher has shown you.

Note taking

  1. As you read use a pencil to lightly mark the margin.
  2. Re-read all the pieces that you marked as helpful.
  3. Make notes in your own words.
  4. Dot and jot is a good technique.
  5. This is dot and jot. Note the use of a heading.

What are the costs and the benefits of free trade? is a really good site which discusses the arguments for and against globalisation and contains many links to other sites. Remember to focus on free trade. If you print out a copy, you can practise skimming and note taking. However, if you copy pieces into a word document then you must still make notes in your own words otherwise it is plagiarism. Plagiarism is copying another student's work or copying information from a text or the internet. Any sentence that is not your own must be quoted using speech marks. Plagiarism is cheating and results in a zero mark.

To do: make your own notes both for and against globalisation focusing on the issues of free trade.

Published on: 25 Jun 2009

Footer:

New Zealand Government

© Crown copyright.