A Spider or an Insect? Argumentation-Based Classification Activity for Fifth Graders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to enhance 5th grade students’ argumentation abilities on a classification activity. With this purpose, a 3-class session argumentation-based classification unit was developed. The pilot study was conducted with 20 fifth-grade students in a middle school in northeast Turkey as group activities. Analyzing the students’ posters it is found that these students not only used data to support their claims but also constructed arguments using at least one counter argument and synthesized rebuttals. However, none of the groups created Level 5 arguments.