50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 5: Graphic organisers

Advantages and disadvantages: Teachers’ notes

Rationale This graphic organiser develops evaluation skills.

The diagram is useful because it requires students to consider views which may
be opposed to their own. It also helps reinforce the idea that conclusions should
be reached after consideration of more than one side of an argument. It may also
be helpful as a visual cue, in that the evaluation is likely to come down on the
side with the most (and best) points in its favour.

How to use Students are given an idea, concept or argument to evaluate. This could occur at
the start of teaching as part of initial idea generation or at the end as a summary
of evidence and final evaluation.

Students identify advantages and disadvantages (or points for and points
against) before reaching an overall conclusion or evaluation.

Teachers could give out partially completed forms to give students some initial
ideas or blank forms if the students are capable of generating their own ideas on
both sides. Alternatively the teacher might decide to provide partially completed
forms for some students and not for others in order to differentiate the activity.

In order to help weigh up the strength of arguments, students can rank their lists
(number them in order of importance) or give each point a score and add them
up to see which side ‘wins’.

Example

View/idea

Junk food should be banned from school dinners

Advantages/points in favour Disadvantages/points against

 There are healthier alternatives  School kids like junk food
 Children need to learn to eat healthy  School dinners are horrible
food
 Schools have a responsibility for their  Pupils will just go to the chip shop instead
pupils
 Junk food can cause bad behaviour  You need to educate parents about food
first
 Junk food makes kids fat and unhealthy  It will be more expensive and some
families can’t afford it

Evaluation

Overall I think junk food should be banned but the alternatives will have to be very good

© Connect Publications 2007

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 5: Graphic organisers

Advantages and disadvantages

Name(s) ...........................................................................................................................................

View/idea

Advantages /points in favour Disadvantages/points against

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation
Which is the strongest position? Where does the balance of the evidence lead?

© Connect Publications 2007