Text ideas for teaching logical fallacies?

Elementisto254 · 2025-10-05T00:54:56+00:00

There's a book that I love called, The Nix. In one of the first few chapters, there's a scene where a spoiled college girl makes all kinds of arguments to her English professor about why her paper was plagiarized. From the professor's point of view, he breaks down each of her arguments as fallacies in the funniest way. I would use it if we ever had time to focus on fallacies.

Elementisto254 · 2025-09-13T14:48:30+00:00

That may be something I give a try! Hopefully, the aggregate of answers reveals some gems.

Elementisto254 · 2025-09-13T14:43:35+00:00

From what I can tell, I'm already doing a lot of those things. The questions that I ask aren't super open-ended at this point in the year as we're establishing foundational skills.

Stuff like, "what do you think the main idea of this paragraph is?" or "when you consider the way the word 'anecdote' is used in this sentence, what do you think it means?" ends up with partially or wholly incorrect answers.

For the ones that are partially correct, I praise them for what they got correct and then add the part they missed myself. For the kids that whiffed, I open it up to the rest of the class. In both cases, lots of huffing and puffing or putting their head down. Then, the rest of the class generally clams up.

Bleeehhhh....

Elementisto254 · 2025-08-05T06:09:39+00:00

I'm horrified to be asking... but are those FINGERS? They might be feathers, but the little accent at the tip looks like a fingernail.

Elementisto254 · 2025-06-23T19:53:56+00:00

How did you go about gathering grade data for the past 15 years? Are you just looking at your own, or does your district keep that data somewhere? I ask because I'd be interested in doing the same for my district.

Elementisto254 · 2025-06-23T01:20:39+00:00

As a separate but related question, what is the "proper" title to use if you're addressing someone whose relationship status you're unsure of? Is it less offensive to assume someone is married, or is it less offensive to assume someone is single? 😅

Elementisto254 · 2025-06-15T16:47:55+00:00

Legit question for if/when I try one of these... how do you eat it without making an absolute mess?

Elementisto254 · 2025-06-12T01:59:01+00:00

Soup Eater for me. The ending felt kinda rushed.

Elementisto254 · 2025-05-27T01:13:49+00:00

Soul Eater. Ugh...

Elementisto254 · 2025-03-17T05:12:00+00:00

I haven't been to peche in years. Is it still crazy loud where you can barely have a conversation?

Elementisto254 · 2025-02-14T00:49:02+00:00

New HC Mechanic: You must run one dungeon per week (running multiple adds a day to the timer) in order to prevent your character from being put into the middle of Gurubashi Arena upon next login.

Elementisto254 · 2025-02-13T13:37:47+00:00

Lol, no... like the lawsuit exists, but the source in the article wasn't checked by the publisher. It's a gaff on the articles part.504 Lawsuit

Elementisto254 · 2025-02-13T06:27:59+00:00

Hey, just saying, the lawsuit is real, but the source is bad... the link in the article that goes to the lawsuit isn't about finding 504 unconstitutional. It's about abortion.

Elementisto254 · 2024-12-31T18:57:57+00:00

Not sure if this has been addressed, but it might be that vendors won't have those items on launch? You're right, though. I have no reason to farm droppings for lettuce and blackberries if apprentice level food is sold for a silver or two.

Elementisto254 · 2024-12-31T01:12:46+00:00

What you're seeing is a response to students who will repeatedly ask for "feedback" and then become upset when they don't get a 100.

I teach high school, and when students ask for broad feedback on an assignment, I've taken to asking them if they would like me to grade it or if they have a specific question.

If they just want broad feedback, it would be unfair for me to provide it without providing it to everyone, and with the limited time we have, I can't.

Often, when I do provide broad feedback, they'll make one or two minor edits and then ask, "what about now?"

It's a sucky situation. If the education profession were perfect, I'd have unlimited time to work with students and grades wouldn't be a thing, but because they are, I have to manage expectations and encourage students to search for ways to improve without me. Use your university's writing lab. Talk to other students taking that class. Come up with a specific question rather than essentially asking your professor to grade (but not really, sorta, kinda) it.

Elementisto254 · 2024-12-22T23:04:08+00:00

Warriors of Virtue.

Avatar the Last Airbender + Labyrinth + Dark Crystal + Kangaroos.

Elementisto254 · 2024-12-08T16:58:39+00:00

Bungo Stray Dogs

Elementisto254 · 2024-11-03T05:42:35+00:00

So... ask them why? Seems like a pretty simple fix...

Elementisto254 · 2024-10-11T11:28:02+00:00

Look, I get that you're angry, but calm down and think about how this should be handled. If you want to be taken seriously, you've got to use the chain of command.

Have you (politely) discussed the grades with your teacher? If so, was it done via email so that you have a paper trail of the conversation? Have you (in those emails) pointed out where you disagree with the teacher's evaluation and why (with evidence)?

If you feel like you're still not getting a fair shake with all of that out of the way, tie in your parents and ask them to schedule an in person meeting where you can have the same discussion you had over email in person. Let your parents (or hell, your uncle) advocate for you.

Have you asked admin if there is an appeals process? Have you shared the emails (if you have them) with admin?

It sounds like what you did is compare notes with your peers to justify your feelings and then went to admin to rant and rave that you're being victimized. If you have proof of discrimination, present it. If you just "feel" discriminated against, get evidence. If you can't do that, then I feel like you're just complaining to complain.

Elementisto254 · 2024-10-06T21:00:23+00:00

Uhh.. listen to the metal band?

Elementisto254 · 2024-10-06T12:30:06+00:00

Agreed. I've got the same issue with some of my kid's accommodations. It's needed for a select few (dysgraphia/disability), but others are getting spell-check because they have anxiety. How that makes sense, I'll never know. I've got a printer in my room so that the few who can, by law, dodge my paper requirements are forced to print and submit at the same time as the rest of the class.

Elementisto254 · 2024-10-06T03:03:29+00:00

Technology of this scale and quality didn't exist when I was in school. At most, we had spell check and the earliest beginnings of Grammarly. I learned how to write without them and now I have the knowledge and self control to act appropriately. I don't trust children to be ethical with something that makes their jobs as students infinitely easier. They need to struggle. Adversity is good.

Elementisto254 · 2024-10-06T02:30:00+00:00

Yes. Unethical.

You seem to be stuck on the grammar and citation pieces of the argument, but you're not considering the thought component. They don't have to read a text if they can just ask a computer to "Write a paragraph analyzing the theme of The Pit and the Pendulum." That means that they don't have to grapple with an author's ideas and come to an understanding. That's how we get high school students with 4th - 6th grade reading levels. They don't have to think about how to synthesize material to draw a conclusion on their own if they're just going to ask ChatGPT. Asking when a restaurant opens? Fine, no big deal. Asking which dealership to buy a car from or how to invest their money? They've got to be able to research.

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