In this webinar, we will introduce participants to argument mapping - a research-backed method students can use to organize and evaluate claims using reasoning and evidence. Participants will see how argument mapping can help teachers facilitate discussions around controversial issues, such as whether communities should defund the police or abolish ICE.

This is the first presentation in the webinar series, How We Argue. Each webinar is structured to stand alone but also work together. You may sign up to attend one or all of the webinars during registration.

All Times Eastern

How We Argue Webinar Series

Educators often want to discuss current issues and empower students to engage as active citizens. Yet, when discussing controversial topics, some students rely on unsubstantiated facts or emotional appeals, rather than evidence and reasoning. How can we teach students to listen respectfully and defend their views courageously - to cultivate both empathy and logical rigor?

This webinar series will show participants how to use a simple, powerful tool called argument mapping to help students develop and support their own claims, as well as to better understand those with whom they disagree. Research from top universities shows that argument mapping significantly improves students’ critical thinking skills and may even decrease partisan polarization. In particular, we’ll discuss how argument mapping can help students develop the skill of intellectual charity - the ability to engage with controversial arguments with precision and care and interpret them in the best light.

• February 15: Teach Students to Argue with Reason and Empathy
• March 22: How to Disagree
• April 12: Arguing with and about Politics and Ethics
• May 10: What Makes an Argument Good?