Lesson Topic: Academic Writing – Structuring Complex Arguments
Target Audience: PhD learners in English language
Objective: To enhance students’ ability to structure and present complex arguments in academic writing.
Lesson Plan:
1. Introduction (10 minutes):
- Discuss the importance of clear structure in academic writing
- Present the tree diagram image and explain its metaphorical representation of argument structure
2. Analysis of the Image (20 minutes):
- Guide students through each part of the tree, relating it to elements of academic writing
- Discuss how the visual representation can help in organizing thoughts and arguments
3. Practice Activity (30 minutes):
- Have students create their own “argument trees” based on their current research topics
- Students should identify their main thesis, major supporting points, sub-points, and evidence
4. Peer Review (20 minutes):
- Students exchange their argument trees with a partner
- Partners provide feedback on the clarity and logic of the structure
5. Discussion and Reflection (20 minutes):
- Class discussion on the challenges and benefits of using this structuring method
- Reflection on how this approach can be applied to their own writing projects
6. Conclusion and Assignment (10 minutes):
- Recap the key points of the lesson
- Assign students to write an outline for a section of their thesis using the tree structure method
This lesson plan uses the image of a tree to help PhD students visualize and structure complex arguments, which is a crucial skill in academic writing at the doctoral level.
- Teacher: Salah BENAISSA