Compelling Arguments: aMap
I just stumbled across aMap. It’s a resource that maps out complex debates in a simple visual format. The site also offers advice about the what and why of argument mapping–information that’s sure to help teachers and students refine their thinking. By helping people see how arguments are generated, this resource helps them understand the underlying structure of their arguments. This resource would be an excellent vehicle for really delving into ideas surrounding essential questions (as described by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their book Understanding by Design). Essential questions are the “big ideas” wrapped up in questions that humans continue to ponder over the course of a lifetime. Such questions lack easy answers. They can be used to engage students and encourage them to seriously ponder the core or the essence of a topic being studied. Essential questions are extremely useful in revealing what pupils think about a topic. Essential questions are perfect for arguing viewpoints. Who’d argue with that? 
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