Are We Fooling Ourselves? Grade 11
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english language arts Are We Fooling Ourselves? Grade 11 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH 3 Unit Licensing Copyright © 2015 University of Pittsburgh All rights reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of these materials without the permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. To contact the Institute for Learning (IFL), write to: Institute for Learning, University of Pittsburgh, 3939 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The IFL MATERIALS are provided “as is.” The UNIVERSITY does not warrant the IFL MATERIALS will meet Your requirements, operate without interruption, or be error free. 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Table of Contents 5 Table of Contents Introduction Overview What is this unit about? .......................................................................................................................... 9 What content and concepts will students learn? ............................................................................... 9 What practices will students use? ........................................................................................................ 9 How long will it take to engage students in the unit? ........................................................................ 9 Unit Outline ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Materials by Task ............................................................................................................................... 11 TEXT 1: Excerpt from Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman TASK 1.1: Conceptual Vocabulary ............................................................................................. 15 TASK 1.2: Comprehension ............................................................................................................ 20 TASK 1.3: Furthering Comprehension .................................................................................... 28 TASK 1.4: Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 33 TASK 1.5: Application ..................................................................................................................... 42 TEXT 2: “The Backfire Effect” by David McRaney TASK 2.1: Comprehension ........................................................................................................... 51 TASK 2.2: Interpretation Across Texts ..................................................................................... 57 TASK 2.3: Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 62 TASK 2.4: Application ..................................................................................................................... 67 Writing Across Texts Lesson ...................................................................................................................................................... 75 Student Sample ...................................................................................................................................... 81 Decision Tree Scoring Guide ................................................................................................................ 84 Annotated Student Sample .................................................................................................................. 85 Scored Student Sample ........................................................................................................................ 88 Appendix What is our approach to vocabulary instruction? ............................................................................ 91 How does the unit provide support for English learners? ............................................................... 93 Obtaining Copyright Permission .......................................................................................................... 94 © 2015 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 11: Are We Fooling Ourselves? 6 Table of Contents Instructional Resources Reader/Writer Notebook....................................................................................................................... 95 Reader/Writer Notebook Suggested Feedback System ................................................................. 96 Pedagogical Rituals and Routines ...................................................................................................... 97 ® Accountable Talk Moves and Functions in ELA .............................................................................. 98 Inquiry-Based Discussion .................................................................................................................... 99 © 2015 University of Pittsburgh – English Language Arts Unit, Grade 11: Are We Fooling Ourselves? Introduction: Are We Fooling Ourselves? Introduction 9 Overview What is this unit about? In this unit, students read two texts: an excerpt from Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman1 and “The Backfire Effect” by David McRaney2. Both Kahneman and McRaney explore the concept of rationality and the ways in which our cognitive functioning can impair our ability to reason. The first text is comprised of sections from two chapters of Thinking, Fast and Slow. In this text Kahneman—a psychologist, researcher, and Nobel prize winner—explores the two thinking systems used by our brains and delves into one cognitive fallacy: the illusion of validity. The second text, a blog post by David McRaney, who is a journalist and self- described psychology nerd, examines another kind of cognitive bias: the backfire effect. Framed by Aristotle’s assertion that “man is the rational animal,” this unit asks students to study these texts for what they reveal about our capacity to be rational beings. Additionally, students view these texts from a writer’s perspective to analyze the ways these writers work with language and construct their texts for their audiences. Students also explore additional biases through independent research. The concluding unit task asks students to conduct their own “sidewalk neuroscience” to collect observations about their own or other’s reasoning to confirm, challenge, or extend what Kahneman and McRaney offer about rationality. What content and concepts will students learn? Students will learn about: • what it means to be rational. • the science supporting different perspectives on how humans think. • the impact of the cognitive biases on our thinking. • how these writers use language and construct their texts for their purposes and audiences. What practices will students use? Students are supported to develop practices and habits such as how to: • comprehend, analyze, and interpret complex informational texts with assistance and independently. • read, reread, annotate, and take notes on sections of texts and texts in their entirety as a means to enhance comprehension. • examine writing at both global and local levels to analyze how these writers use language to meet their purposes for their audience. • participate in routines such as maintaining a Reader/Writer Notebook, completing quick writes, sharing in pairs/trios, and participating in whole group discussions. How long will it take to engage students in the unit? This unit spans approximately 12-15 instructional days, assuming a 45- to 60-minute class session. The tasks in the unit are designed to be implemented sequentially in order to support students to achieve the instructional goals. As such, the pacing of the lessons will depend on the time students need to achieve these goals. 1 Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. (pp. 19-26, 209-212). New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. 2