Lesson 18: Braiding Sweetgrass, Debate

Think-Pair-Share

Have students take out their Journals from Lesson 17 and their copies of Braiding Sweetgrass.

• Say: For the previous lesson’s homework, you outlined claims, evidence, and reasoning from “Burning Cascade Head” and “Putting Down Roots” in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 209–234) to build an argument in response to this prompt:

  • Kimmerer follows the Original Instructions in her reflections and actions. Which of the actions that Kimmerer takes has the largest impact? Use evidence from “Burning Cascade Head” and “Putting Down Roots” in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 209–234) to support your claim.

• Say: Today, you will turn the evidence you annotated into a live debate in response to the prompt.

Transition students into partners to engage in a Think-Pair-Share.

Say these Directions: Consider the following question and then discuss with your partner.

• Ask: What claim are you planning to argue, and what is one piece of evidence you can use to support your position?

  • I plan to argue that the largest impact is Kimmerer's helping the Mohawk tribe plant sweetgrass and reclaim the land. She claims, “Plants are also integral to reweaving the connection between land and people. . . . To re-create a home, the plants must also return” (p. 225). She did just that for Tom and his people.

• Say: Record your claim and at least one piece of evidence in your Journal. You will use this to build your argument during the debate.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: Now that you have chosen a claim, you will rehearse the exact moves of today’s debate to prepare for the debate.

Teach: Review the Debate Protocol

• Say: Today, you will use a debate protocol. In this routine, two students with differing opinions will present arguments. The first speaker will share a claim, provide evidence, and explain their reasoning. The second speaker will respond to that argument and present their own claim, evidence, and reasoning. As you listen, you will take notes to delineate, or identify, each speaker’s argument.

Provide students with the 3-Column Chart graphic organizer and have them include the headings Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning.

Say these Directions: Use the 3-Column Chart to take notes as you listen. Record each speaker’s claim, evidence, and reasoning, and evaluate whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient and whether the reasoning is sound.

Review the debate prompt:

• Kimmerer follows the Original Instructions in her reflections and actions. Which of the actions that Kimmerer takes has the largest impact? Use evidence from “Burning Cascade Head” and “Putting Down Roots” in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 209–234) to support your argument.

• Say: When I enter a debate, I begin with a clear claim that answers the prompt. Then I present evidence that directly supports that claim. Finally, I explain how that evidence proves my point. As a listener, I track those same parts and decide whether the evidence supports the claim and whether it is strong enough to be convincing.

• Say: Listen to my model argument. Notice the claim, the evidence, and the reasoning. Practice using your 3-Column Chart to delineate my argument.

Model Argument:

• Kimmerer makes a strong impact when she brings sweetgrass back to the Mohawk Valley. She explains that Tom Porter and the Bear clan had the vision “to create a new community on old lands” (p. 223). She also explains that “to re-create a home, the plants must also return” (p. 225). By helping restore sweetgrass, Kimmerer supports the return of both the land and the people’s connection to it. This shows that her actions helped rebuild community, culture, and place.

Invite students to share the delineation of the model argument they recorded in the 3-Column Chart. If needed, support students in the identification of the claim.

Sample 3-Column Graphic Organizer

Next, transition students into practicing briefly for the debate.

For this practice, students will work with their debate opponents, and each student will practice saying their claim and a single piece of evidence. If students haven’t already recorded their claim, allow them a couple of minutes to jot it down and refine it.

Say these Directions: Now you will practice stating your claim to begin your argument and providing one piece of evidence from the text. With a partner, say your claim sentence aloud and follow it with support from the text. If you have questions about the speaker’s claim, ask them now. In the next part of the lesson, you will engage in a live debate.

If time allows, encourage students to outline their arguments to show up to the debate prepared.

Check for Understanding

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: You have practiced delivering the first part of your argument with your debate partner. Now you will build on that argument, engage in debate, and receive feedback from other group members.

Part A: Debate Protocol (SL.8.3, SL.8.4) (20 minutes)

Debate Protocol

Divide the class into small groups of four or six students (two or three debate pairs in each group) in preparation for the live debate. Assign one debate partner, Speaker A, and the other Speaker B.

Provide students with extra copies of the 3-Column Chart graphic organizers to delineate their peers’ arguments.

Say these Directions: Two members of your group will now debate. The remaining members will listen and use their 3-Column Charts to delineate the speakers’ arguments. Be sure to label each chart with the speaker’s name so you can keep their arguments separate.

Explain that the debate protocol will follow these steps. Display the debate protocol for students to follow along as you explain.

Debate Protocol

1. Speaker A presents a claim, two pieces of evidence, and reasoning.

2. Speaker B presents a claim, two pieces of evidence, and reasoning.

3. Speaker A responds to Speaker B’s argument by using a counterclaim to explain why his or her own argument is stronger and ending with a closing statement.

4. Speaker B responds to Speaker A’s argument by using a counterclaim and explaining why his or her argument is stronger and ending with a closing statement.

Next, display the norms for the debate and review them with the students.

Look at the debate norms and review them.

The norms you are expected to follow as you engage in the debate are the following:

• One speaker talks at a time.

• The listeners take notes while the speaker is talking.

• Speakers should use eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Remind students that when all the speakers are done with the debate, in the next part of the lesson, the students will have the chance to provide feedback to their peers about their oral arguments. They will:

• ask clarifying questions as needed.

• share one strength and one suggestion for improvement for each argument.

• share their opinion about which argument was more convincing and why.

• Say: Begin the debate protocol. After the first pair finishes, the next pair will begin. Refer back to the prompt as needed.

  • Kimmerer follows the Original Instructions in her reflections and actions. Which of the actions that Kimmerer takes has the largest impact? Use evidence from “Burning Cascade Head” and “Putting Down Roots” in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 209–234) to support your argument.

    • My claim is that helping the Mohawk community bring sweetgrass back to the valley has the largest impact. In the section where Kimmerer describes Tom Porter and the Bear clan’s vision, she explains that they wanted “to create a new community on old lands” (p. 223). She also explains that “to re-create a home, the plants must also return” (p. 225). This evidence is relevant because it shows that bringing back sweetgrass helped restore both the land and the people’s connection to it. I understand why someone might argue that restoring salmon had the biggest impact, but I think replanting sweetgrass had the stronger effect because it rebuilt community, culture, and place.

Part B: Feedback on the Argument (SL.8.3) (10 minutes)

Turn and Talk

Students remain in the same small groups from the previous activity. Students will use their completed 3-Column Chart graphic organizers to provide feedback to their peers about their oral arguments.

Say these Directions: Presenting an argument aloud can feel different from writing one as you did for your Performance Task in Unit 8.2. You will now give your peers in your group feedback on three areas of their argument: the strength of their claim, the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence they use, and the soundness of their reasoning. Be respectful and specific. Your job is to help your partner improve their oral argumentation skills, not just to praise or criticize.

Instruct students to select one student to go first to receive feedback. Depending on the size of the group, each student should receive feedback from two to four peers.

Display the feedback protocol. Instruct the students to take turns giving feedback using this protocol. Remind them to explain their thinking and refer to specific parts of their peers’ arguments.

Feedback Protocol

• How strong and clear was the peer’s claim?

• How was their evidence sufficient and relevant?

• How was their reasoning logical and sound?

• What was one strength in the argument?

• What is an area of growth in the argument?

Quick Write

Say these Directions: In one to two sentences, reflect on your oral argument from today’s lesson. How was it similar or different from writing an argument?

• (Student responses may vary.) My oral argument was similar because we had to have the same components, like claim, evidence, and argument. Still, it was different because I was able to add more to each component, whereas in writing, I felt like I had to be more succinct.

Instruct students to read chapters “Old-Growth Children” and “Windigo Footprints” in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 235–256). Instruct students to take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

• Annotate one or two moments where Kimmerer describes a challenge or problem in the relationship between humans and nature. Jot down notes to identify the problem and what Kimmerer suggests about it.