Strengthening and weakening of arguments is a critical thinking skill that helps students analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of an argument. It involves identifying the premises and conclusions of an argument, and then assessing the evidence and reasoning used to support the conclusion.
Here are some tips on how to teach strengthening and weakening of arguments:
Understand the difference between strengthening and weakening: Strengthening an argument means providing additional evidence or reasons to support the conclusion, while weakening an argument involves undermining or refuting the evidence or reasons presented. This distinction is essential for students to understand.
Identify the premises and conclusion: Students should be able to identify the main claim or conclusion of an argument, as well as the evidence and reasons presented to support it. This helps them to understand the structure of the argument and how it is constructed.
Assess the evidence and reasoning: Students should evaluate the quality of the evidence and reasoning used in the argument. They should ask questions like "Is the evidence relevant and reliable?" and "Are the reasons logically consistent and persuasive?"
Use examples: Provide students with examples of arguments and ask them to identify the premises, conclusion, and evidence. Then, have them practice strengthening or weakening the argument by adding or refuting evidence.
For example, consider the following argument:
"Smoking should be banned in all public places because it is harmful to people's health."
Premises:
Smoking is harmful to people's health.
Smoking is allowed in public places.
Conclusion:
Smoking should be banned in all public places.
To strengthen this argument, additional evidence or reasons could be added, such as:
Second-hand smoke is harmful to non-smokers.
Children are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
To weaken this argument, evidence or reasons could be refuted or countered, such as:
Some public places, such as designated smoking areas, may not pose a significant health risk to non-smokers.
People have a right to choose whether or not to smoke, even in public places.
By practicing these skills, students can learn to analyze arguments more effectively, identify flaws in reasoning, and build stronger arguments of their own.