Description/Aim

Making sense of what we see and hear in the media is increasingly difficult! Making our point in a heated discussion can be difficult too! The logical soundness of arguments takes time to ascertain, but doing so helps us to get to the bottom of issues. This activity asks you to consider, by answering an essay question, the logical aspects of arguments and the notion of logical fallacies!

Please find below the essay question and some source links

Time 2- 3hours Age 16+

Why we like this activity ….

The context is relevant for all of us. We have all had debates and we have all made strong and weak
arguments! The BBC article is somehow more appealing than a page in a textbook and acts as a good
hook for conversation and debate! Essay writing has a place in mathematics - using words to reason
and the subject matter could not be more mathematically relevant! For IB students this activity is very
good support for the ToK course.

How this activity be used ….

This is an individual activity, but the contents of the original article will prompt debate and this
discussion heps the activity.

What to expect when using this activity – from our experience

Depending on your class, your students and their experience, expect a little unfamiliarity with
mathematical writing, but some rich results.

Extra Notes

See also - 'Dopey Logic'

Written by Jim Noble - 30/03/09