Climate Change Argumentation

1. Climate Change Argumentation From the Center of Global Studies in collaboration with Peter Buckland

2. Overview of climate change argumentation Goal: to co-construct evidence-based explanations using the CER (claims, evidence, reasoning) argumentation framework Source: pixabay Source: flickr – WWF Climate Change Program

3. Introduction to climate change:Let’s explore what we already know • What are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect? • What is the difference between weather and climate? Source: flickr – Gerald Simmons Source: flickr – johndal

4. Representation of the greenhouse effect • as individuals or in pairs, look up the greenhouse effect • draw your own diagram to represent it • share out with the class Source: flickr – Guudmorning!

5. Yale Six Americas Survey Take the quiz • Were you surprised by the category you were assigned? • What concerns you about the future? Source: flickr – therapysessions

6. Searching for and evaluating evidence • Your teacher will provide you with one set of climate change data • Your task will be to research other data sources Compare the sources you find and assess their credibilityask yourself: Who conducted the study? Who funded the research? Where was it published or presented?

7. Searching for evidence Your table group will be assigned one of the following areas to search for evidence: • Temperature • Precipitation • Sea-level • Albedo • Storm surge Source: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov

8. Once you found your evidence What types of claims can you make about climate change using the data you found? A claim is a statement or an answer to a question example: human activity is causing global warming Source: Wikimedia Commons - Zanaq

9. Writing an argument using evidence Write an argument draft using CER: • Claim - an inference or a statement that answers a question • Evidence- an outside source of information that supports the claim, often drawn from selected data • Reasoning-  the justification for the claim; what connects the evidence with the claim Source: pexels.com

10. Extend your argument • exchange papers with members of your table group and notice the strengths of the other arguments you are reading (can do multiple cycles of reading) • go back to your original argument and expand it with more evidence and/or more justification for why the evidence supports the claim Source: pixabay

11. Anticipate Rebuttals • A rebuttal is a response to an argument; it can target any portion of the argument such as the reliability of the evidence source • Think and write about any weakness in your argument Source: flickr – Wade M

12. Argumentation discussion A volunteer shares out an example argument • Can you come up with a possible rebuttal? • What about a counterargument? A counterargument is a whole new argument that challenges the original argument. Source: pixabay

13. Argumentation discussion In table groups share your arguments; practice rebuttals and counterarguments Rules for discussion: • respect group members and their ideas • wait for group members to finish their turns before speaking • be mindful of your own contributions to the discussion (try not to take over the whole discussion so others can contribute too; conversely, if you didn’t already talk, find a way to bring in a new argument, expand on an existing argument, or challenge another argument)  

14. Whole-group reflection share key points from your discussion • Is it easier to construct an argument or respond to someone else’s argument? • How has your argument evolved from your first draft? How did you make it stronger? Source: Wikimedia Commons

15. Mumbai, India case study Rishi is a thirteen year old boy who attends the Gayak Rafi Nagar Urdu Municipal school in Mumbai. There is a massive landfill called Deonar right across from his school. Every day 4,000 tons of waste are piled on top of the existing garbage spanning 132 hectares (roughly half a square mile). Source: Wikimedia Commons

16. Mumbai, India case study continued Rishi ventures out to the landfill after school to look for materials that he can later trade for a little bit of extra money to help his family. He feels lucky that he gets to go to school during the day; others are not so lucky. One of his friends, Aamir, had to stop going to school and work full time after his dad got injured. They often meet to chat while they dig through the garbage with sticks. Occasionally, they find books in okay shape, which aren’t worth anything in trade, but to them they are valuable. Source: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tall-claims-short-tempers/220642

17. Mumbai, India case study continued One day Rishi was out to the market with his mom and saw the sky darken with a heavy smoke that blocked out the sun. They both hurried home and found out there was a state of emergency and the schools closed for two days. It took many days to put out the fire at Deonar. He heard his dad say that the fire was so bad that it could be seen from space. He wonders what it would be like to see Mumbai from up there. Some days he wishes the government would close down Deonar and clean it up. Other days he wonders what would happen to all the people that depend on it to live if the city shuts down Deonar.

18. Mumbai, India case study writing prompt Mumbai is one of the coastal cities that are considered vulnerable with increasing global temperature and sea levels. The urban poor are most affected by climate change. Their shelter could be wiped out by a tropical storm and rebuilding would be very difficult. Write a letter to a public official who may be able to influence policy in Mumbai. What would you recommend they do? Should they close Deonar? What can they do to reduce air pollution in the city and prepare for possible storms? Remember to use evidence in your argument.