Online Syllabus Collection
    View Collection
    Post a Syllabus

"What Works"
    View Postings
    Post an Article

Discussion Boards
    View/Join Discussions

APA Member Survey
    Complete a Survey
        (APA Members Only)

Other Resources
    APA Teaching Committee
        Newsletters
    Journal of Teaching
        Philosophy
    Announcements

Navigation
    Resource Center Home Page
    Teaching Committee
        Home Page
    apaOnline Home Page

APA Committee on the
Teaching of Philosophy
Online Resource Center

"What Works" Article

In-Class Activities

Article

Objective: to familiarize beginning students with the form of arguments.

Assign: library research, both sides of some current issue, e.g. capital punishment. Organize notes matching arguments and counter-arguments.

In-class: Students line up into 2 rows, facing each other, one row affirmative, one row negative. Each student speaks in turn: 1st student gives affirmative argument, 2nd must give counter-argument, and so on.

Instructor: Remind everyone to give complete sets of premises and conclusion.