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| 1. To understand the key
terms and skills and to identify the structure of an argument a) The nature of an argument – that it is a reasoned case and not a quarrel or a list of statements b) The individual elements of an argument – reasons, counter reasons and conclusions c) The use of indicator words to recognise these – because, as, therefore, so d) Reasons can support conclusions either separately or together, and intermediate conclusions ie the structure of arguments. e) The meaning of an assumption – an unstated reason required for the conclusion to work f) The areas of weakness and range of flaws – circular arguments, restricting the options g) The nature of analogy – to what extent the comparison is relevant and adequate h) How to assess evidence given to support an argument – relevance, significance, selectiveness |
i) Explanations j) How to assess the credibility of evidence given where there is a dispute – eg ability to see, motive k) Use of words ie clarify the definition l) Conclusions m) Summarising arguments 2. To evaluate the reasoning: a) General approach 3. Exam technique practice a) Multiple choice questions – selecting an answer relating to a paragraph b) Stepped appraisal questions – short questions relating to an argument c) Credibility questions – assessing evidence d) Appraisal questions – assessing arguments
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