English lesson plan · 12th grade (Year 13 in England) · 30 minutes
Advanced fallacies: tu quoque, equivocation, false analogy, sunk cost…
Reading Comprehension
CCSS RI.11-12.8CCSS RI.11-12.6England: AP LanguageEngland: A-level Critical ThinkingEngland: GCSE English Language Paper 2
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Advanced fallacies: tu quoque, equivocation, false analogy, sunk cost….
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: More faulty reasoning: straw man, circular reasoning, red herring…
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (More faulty reasoning: straw man, circular reasoning, red herring…). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which fallacy matches this description? Trying to win an argument by making people feel sorry rather than giving reasons. (red herring / appeal to pity / circular reasoning / post hoc (false cause)) → appeal to pityPrompt: Think about what each faulty move does: twist, repeat, borrow fame, distract, confuse order with cause, or play on feelings.
- Which fallacy is used here? I wore my lucky socks and we won, so the socks made us win. (straw man / post hoc (false cause) / appeal to false authority / circular reasoning) → post hoc (false cause)Prompt: What is wrong with the reasoning, exactly?
- Type the fallacy (in English) that matches this description. Trying to win an argument by making people feel sorry rather than giving reasons. → appeal to pityPrompt: Think about what each faulty move does: twist, repeat, borrow fame, distract, confuse order with cause, or play on feelings.
Hook · 3 min
- Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
- Share the objective: Advanced fallacies: tu quoque, equivocation, false analogy, sunk cost…. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which fallacy matches this description? A question that contains an unproven assumption, so any direct answer seems to accept it.
- Step 1: Identifying fallacies precisely lets you evaluate arguments and avoid weak reasoning in your own writing.
- Step 2: loaded question: A question that contains an unproven assumption, so any direct answer seems to accept it.
- Step 3: So the answer is: loaded question
- Answer: loaded question
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which fallacy matches this description? Claiming something is right because it has always been done that way. (tu quoque / sunk cost fallacy / appeal to nature / appeal to tradition) → appeal to traditionPrompt: Focus on what the reasoning does wrong: deflect, shift meaning, compare unfairly, rely on habit or nature, shift the target, assume, or throw good after bad.
- Which fallacy is used here? Why is the council ignoring residents again? (appeal to nature / equivocation / loaded question / false analogy) → loaded questionPrompt: What exactly is wrong with the reasoning?
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Type the fallacy (in English) that matches this description. A question that contains an unproven assumption, so any direct answer seems to accept it. → loaded questionPrompt: Focus on what the reasoning does wrong: deflect, shift meaning, compare unfairly, rely on habit or nature, shift the target, assume, or throw good after bad.
- Which fallacy is used here? Why is the council ignoring residents again? (appeal to nature / equivocation / appeal to tradition / loaded question) → loaded questionPrompt: What exactly is wrong with the reasoning?
Watch out for
- Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
- Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: More faulty reasoning: straw man, circular reasoning, red herring….
- Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-12.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder