Argument Mapping
📋 What it is
An argument map lays out the conclusion at the top and the premises beneath, so you can see what supports what.
🗣️ Coach says
Mapping an argument is like drawing its skeleton. Put the main claim on top, then the reasons under it, then the reasons for those reasons. Once it’s drawn, a weak or missing support is easy to spot.
🧠 Memory hook
Claim on top. Reasons underneath. Draw the skeleton, then poke it.
😂 Giggle
Why did AND and OR go to couples therapy?
Because AND was too demanding — it needed BOTH things to be true!
😲 Whoa!
Lawyers, scientists, and debate champions all map arguments — a clearly-mapped case is far harder to knock down because every support is visible.
✅ Quick check: In “We should recycle because it saves resources and resources are limited,” what supports the claim?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Two linked premises: “recycling saves resources” and “resources are limited” — together they hold up “we should recycle”.
Both reasons work jointly to support the conclusion; mapping shows they’re linked, not separate.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Pick any opinion you hold and draw it: claim in a box on top, each reason in a box below with an arrow up.