Unit 2: The Purpose of Education

Unit Goal:

After examining and evaluating multiple perspectives on the purpose of education, students will identify ARGUMENT and LINE OF REASONING in an ARGUMENTATIVE article and apply Q.U.E.S.T. framework to write an annotated bibliography, literature review, and present an argument in a FORMAL DEBATE.

Essential Questions:

What is the purpose of education?

Unit Terms: Argument, Purpose, Evidence, Tone, Reliability, Credibility, Bias, Context, Line of Reasoning, Analysis, Commentary, Counterargument, Call to Action

Objective 1: Comparing Views on Education 

I.  Pre-Reading:

a. Poll Everywhere: What do you think is the purpose of Education?

b. Quote Analysis

c.  Education Peer-Interviews (Lines of Communication)

II.   Reading: “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters” by Goya Argument Analysis

III.  Post-Reading Product: Analytical Summary

Objective 2: Identify Arguments of Education

I.  Pre-Reading:

A. “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato (Philosophy)

B. Gallery Walk: “How classrooms look around the world” by Valerie Strauss (Photo Essay)

II.  Reading: 

A.  “Dropping out of College” by Rainford Stauffer (newspaper editorial)

B.  “Encouraging Learning” by Hsun Tzu (Philosophy)

C. “Education for Profit, Education for Democracy” Martha Nussbaum

D.  “Dropping out of College and Paying the Price” by Eduardo Porter

III.  Post-Reading:

a. Speaking & Listening: Purpose of Education Socratic Seminar

b.  Writing: Analytical Summaries

Objective 3: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives on Educational Inequality

I.  Pre-Reading:

A.  Poll Everywhere: Should Education be Equal?

B.  “Read Between the Lines” by David Botello Quick Analysis

II.  Reading: Use Background to evaluate author’s BIAS and CREDIBILITY and implement SOAPS to contextualize an argument.  

A.“Two Connecticut School Systems” by Lincoln Caplan for The New Yorker

B. “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

C.  “Shakespeare’s Sister” by Virginia Woolf in Reading the World Ideas that Matter, pp. 46-51: Use Says Does Because to Analyze Line of Reasoning. 

E.  from Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Friere

F.  Mendez v. Westminster a Legal Case Study: Background Video, “Tale of Two Cities,” Legal Briefs

G.  “Racial and Ethnic Achievement Gaps” from Stanford Center for Educational Policy Analysis

III.  Post-Reading

A.  Group Research: Find Video, Interview, Newspaper Article, Journal Article

B.  Debate Directions & Debate Rubrics

C. Write Annotated Bibliography:

  1. What is an Annotated Bibliography: How to video and Annotated Bibliography Guide (PDF) and Sample Annotated Bibliography