1) Content and structure of the learning unit (1/4)
The contents of this OER were created by Alexandra Budke, Diana Gebele, Pia Königs, Rica Maßmann, Laura Nieß, Ines Plunien,
Sarah Schwerdtfeger, Lena Wulf and Alexandra L. Zepter
Sarah Schwerdtfeger, Lena Wulf and Alexandra L. Zepter
The technical implementation of this OER was carried out by Kimberley Hindmarsh, Lena Romeijn and Pascal Muschik.
Ballonfahrt über Köln - Deutz, Rhein, Kölner Dom, Altstadt. Raimond Spekking. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Rheinenergie-Stadion im Sportpark Müngersdorf. Raimond Spekking. CC BY-SA 4.0.
This unit is about strengthening students' written argumentation skills in geography lessons. The ability to argue is a fundamental prerequisite for participation in society. In social debates, there are different actors who support their different views and positions on an issue through arguments. The teaching of such argumentation skills is part of geography lessons and is anchored in the core curriculum for this subject. Many topics that are dealt with in public debates are likely to come to the fore more in the coming period, such as climate change, resource or land use conflicts. In terms of content, this learning unit is about a real conflict over the use of space that has been taking place in Cologne's green belt for several years. The 1st FC Cologne wants to expand its training ground in a part of this park in order to have more space for the training of its players. However, this section of the green belt is used by other people for their leisure activities and also serves as a habitat for various animals.
This learning unit is designed for an 8th grade geography class. The students receive different materials (photos, tables, texts, maps, etc.) and are supposed to inform themselves about the conflict and form their own opinion. Afterwards, they are to write a letter to the mayor of Cologne and convince her of their own opinion by means of arguments. To support them, they are provided with various supporting materials.
TOPICS OF THIS LEARNING UNIT
Material-based written argumentation, developing argumentation skills, conflict of spatial use, geography lessons
LEARNING GOALS
- In this OER, the students should first acquire knowledge about the conflict over the use of space.
- By working with different materials, methodological competence should also be strengthened.
- The aim of this learning unit is furthermore to strengthen the students' competence to form their own opinion.
- In addition, the writing of an argumentative text should promote the written argumentation competence.
STRUCTURE OF THIS LEARNING UNIT
In the first chapter there are download links for the support materials that the students can use to work on the materials/tasks and write the argumentative text. In addition, these support materials are explained to them.
The second chapter contains the materials in which the students can find information about the conflict over the use of space. Here the students are presented with the actors involved, their position on the planned expansion, their perspectives and their arguments. For each material there are tasks to help the students understand the content of the material.
In the third chapter, the students position the actors involved in the conflict and themselves on a sliding scale.
The application task follows in the fourth chapter. There the students write their argumentative text.
The fifth chapter contains the source references and information on the current status of the land use conflict.
DIDACTICAL COMMENT
Didactical comment
LITERATURE
Budke, A., Gebele, D., Königs, P., Schwerdtfeger, S., & Zepter, A. L. (2020). Student texts produced in the context of material-based argumentative writing: Interdisciplinary research-related conception of an evaluation tool. Res. Subj. Matter Teach. Learn, 3, 108-125.
Budke, A., Gebele, D., Konigs, P., Schwerdtfeger, S., & Zepter, A. L. (2021). Materialgestütztes argumentierendes Schreiben im Geographieunterricht von Schüler* innen mit und ohne besonderem Förderbedarf. Argumentieren und Vergleichen: Beiträge aus der Perspektive verschiedener Fachdidaktiken, 15, 173.
Schwerdtfeger, S., & Budke, A. (2021). Reference to Materials in Written Argumentations of Students in Geography Lessons. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 10(3), 20-35.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Alexandra Budke is a professor at the Institute for Didactics of Geography at the University of Cologne.
Dr Alexandra Zepter is a professor at the Institute for German Language and Literature II at the University of Cologne.
Dr Diana Gebele is an academic councillor at the Institute for German Language and Literature II at the University of Cologne.
Pia Königs is a researcher and Ph. D. student at the Institute for German Language and Literature II at the University of Cologne.
Sarah Schwerdtfeger was a researcher and Ph. D. student at the Institute for Didactics of Geography at the University of Cologne.
Rica Maßmann, Laura Nieß, Ines Plunien and Lena Wulf were student assistants at the Institute for German Language and Literature II at the University of Cologne.
LICENSE NOTE
Licence note: Further use as OER explicitly permitted: This work and its contents are - unless otherwise stated - licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Please cite according to TULLU rule as follows: "Developing material-based argumentation" Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0