Term 2 / Week 8 - 9: East West Tunnel - Arguments FOR the Tunnel

You will need to research both sides of the issue.

Here are some useful resources for understanding the arguments FOR the Tunnel.

Video: East West Link Project Overview animation

More videos are available at the Youtube channel linkingmelb.

The Benefits of the East West Tunnel Link

From the Linking Melbourne Authority website, the eastern section of the East West Link would:

• Complete the missing link between the Eastern and Tullamarine Freeways to relieve pressure on the Monash-West Gate corridor and transform travel around Melbourne

• Improve freight efficiency and connections for major industries in Melbourne’s north, east and south east to the Port of Melbourne and international airports

• Cater for the large volume of traffic already using disconnected roads along the east west corridor north of the CBD between the Eastern and Tullamarine Freeways

• Ease the major congestion bottlenecks on the Eastern Freeway at Hoddle Street

• Help to improve community amenity and on-road public transport (buses and trams) by taking cars and trucks off congested inner-city surface roads. North south tram and bus services currently compete for road space with east west traffic on Alexandra Parade. This severely limits the frequency and reliability of tram and bus services and on-road cycling due to the time given to east west traffic flows.

 What do you think about these arguments FOR the Tunnel?

Week 4: Powers of persuasion - it's OK to change your mind.

Are you a stubborn person? Or, are you easily influenced? 

 

Can you easily influence others to change their minds?

Sometimes you don't want to change your mind even if you have discussed the situation with others and you have heard the arguments against your view. Every person is allowed to have their own opinion.

We change our minds all the time. We are influenced by people we trust, like friends and family. And they often persuade us to do things we weren't going to do OR to form a view that is quite the opposite of what we first thought.

So, how does this process work to change our minds?

 

This picture is called 'influence'.

When you change your mind, it's good to know how and why. What were the strongest arguments that persuaded you into changing your mind?

Over the semester, we will learn the language of opinion and the language of persuasion by reading and watching persuasive texts and working out what the key features are. We will write texts that discuss both sides of an issue and we will try to persuade the reader to accept our argument.

And from Simple Wikipedia: 

Persuasion is a form of influence. It is the way to get people to agree with an idea, attitude, or action by rational and emotional means. It is a problem-solving strategy and relies on "appeals" rather than force.

Dissuasion is the process of convincing someone not to believe or act on something.

Persuasion is often confused with manipulation, which is the way to get people to agree with something that is not in their best interest. Persuasion is meant to benefit one or more parties in the end.

More useful information

From About.com Homework and study tips:
Persuasive Writing - For and Against 
50 Argument topics
How to write an argument essay

Week 2 - 3: Arguments FOR and AGAINST

Dictation: should we ban mobiles from class?

Listen to the recording three times. You can pause it at any time to write as much as you can of what you hear. Leave a space for any word that you don't understand and try to spell words as well as you can.

Here is the text for the dictation - but don't look until you're absolutely sure you can't do any more!

Issue: should mobile phones be banned from the classroom?

• Use the WORKSHEET to list the arguments FOR and AGAINST young people taking mobile phones to class?
• Write sentences about each argument or point using the Plan your Discussion WORKSHEET.

Issue: should parents STOP driving their kids to school?

Have you noticed how much quieter the roads are during the school holidays?

Watch the video below and think about the arguments for and against driving you kids to school.

Steps in Planning your Discussion text

• Use the WORKSHEET to list the arguments FOR driving the kids and AGAINST driving the kids.
• Answer the QUESTION ITEMS about the video.
• Write sentences about each argument or point using the Plan your Discussion WORKSHEET.