How does logical reasoning enable researchers to identify shared themes?
Focus: How does logical reasoning enable researchers to identify shared themes?
Suggested Length: 1 hour
Learning Objectives:
- Use critical thinking to identify themes that connect different real-life scenarios
- Apply the observe–explore–thematize–generalize framework to analyze a new, self-selected real-life scenario
| Approaches to Learning | Vocabulary | Reflection Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking Skills Analyze the differences between knowledge and subject-specific questions. Analyze different perspectives within a real-life situation. Construct knowledge questions based on a real-life situation. | scenario theme perspective ethics generalize | Which theme connects the scenarios most strongly? Did any of the other groups’ theme choices surprise you? How might recognising shared themes in scenarios help policymakers or community leaders respond more effectively? |
Introduction
Share the following scenarios with students:
- A person retaliates violently against someone who has verbally disrespected their family.
- Someone close to the victim of a crime names the suspected perpetrator online before their trial.
- A teenager posts a classmate’s home address on social media after hearing the classmate insult their sibling.
Show students a list of different themes.
Which themes connect all three situations?
Main Activity
Introduce the observe, explore, thematize, generalize framework to students with a modelled example.
Share the scenario: A single parent who has lost their job steals food to feed their children.
Observe the facts of the scenario:
- The parent is supporting the children on their own.
- The parent has lost their job and therefore may not be able to afford food.
- The parent has a responsibility to feed their children.
Interpret the scenario by adding pros and cons that reflect the different ethics and perspectives involved.
Example claims:
- PRO – The parent has a duty to feed their children.
- PRO – Some jurisdictions allow necessity defences.
- CON – The shopkeeper may fear copy-cat thefts.
- CON – The costs of theft are often passed on to other customers through higher prices.
Identify the themes represented by the scenario, e.g., survival, the law, duty, sacrifice, resource scarcity.
Divide students into groups and allocate each group one of the following scenarios.
Groups will apply the above steps to their allocated scenario.
- During a natural disaster, a person steals supplies from their neighbor.
- A homeless person trespasses in a closed building during a blizzard.
- A civilian in a war zone steals medicine to help a sick child.
Each group should then present a summary of their exploration to the class and explain the themes they’ve chosen.
As a class, list any themes that apply to all of the scenarios.
Students should then generalize by thinking of a further scenario that would also relate to the identified themes.
Reflection Activity
Ask each group to reflect on the following questions:
- Which theme connects the scenarios most strongly?
- Did any of the other groups’ theme choices surprise you?
- How might recognising shared themes in scenarios help policymakers or community leaders respond more effectively?
- How did your group ensure your fifth scenario was relevant to the identified themes?
