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“Good writing is clear thinking made visible.” This oft-repeated statement haunts me every day as I try to organize my ideas in outlines and writing. It focuses all of us on the necessity of teaching students how to organize their thoughts for communication. In this blog, I share another way you can use the PRISM Framework to support writing and critical thinking for persuasive communication.
What is the PRISM Framework?
The PRISM Framework offers a structured approach to critical thinking and problem-solving. It guides students through five essential stages:
- Patterns: Identifying recurring themes or structures.
- Reasoning: Connecting ideas logically.
- Ideas: Generating innovative perspectives.
- Situation: Exploring broader contexts.
- Methods: Testing and refining conclusions.
Use PRISM to scaffold students as they move from surface-level understanding to deeper critical analysis. Having a framework like PRISM can assist students in moving beyond beginning stages of writing.
Key Concepts to Using PRISM for Persuasive Writing Instruction
Let’s take a look at persuasive writing through the lens of PRISM stages. Let’s work through the PRISM acronym.
Patterns: Recognizing Effective Structures in Writing
The first is Patterns. It involves identifying patterns to uncover effective writing structures. I think of these as the bones of writing, which determine its function and format. One way to do that is to have student analyze mentor texts to uncover patterns in persuasive writing.
“The best way to learn to write is to read good writing and then try to imitate it.”
— William Zinsser, paraphrased from On Writing WellThis quote reminds me of writers who learned to write copying the work of other writers. In this way, they learned how to structure their own writing, using elements from the work of others. “All artists are influenced. They take pieces of everything they’ve ever read, heard, seen, and felt, and they blend it into something that becomes their own,” says Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist.
Students start by analyzing mentor texts to uncover patterns in persuasive writing.
- Activity: Highlight recurring elements such as thesis statements, emotional appeals, or evidence in sample essays.
- Sentence Stem: “I noticed that strong arguments often include…”
This stage builds awareness of effective techniques. Let’s move on to the next stage, Reasoning.
Reasoning: Building Logical Connections
“A foundation of critical thinking is that claims require evidence, and claims without evidence can be dismissed without evidence,” says Melanie Trecek-King, Thinking Is Power. In the Reasoning stage, students use graphic organizers to map out how claims can lead to conclusions. This ensures that they back up their claims with evidence and reasoning.
- Activity: Use graphic organizers to map out how claims lead to conclusions.
- Sentence Stem: “This connects to my argument because…”
This ensures coherence and logical flow in their writing.
Ideas: Generating Unique Perspectives
“Creativity thrives on diversity for it is in the collision of perspectives that new solutions are born,” an unknown person said. When you develop a solution to a complex problem, considering diverse perspectives ensures you don’t end up with a single solution that falls short of real life. The same can be true in writing, when persuasive arguments must align to a variety of stakeholders. You can assist students in brainstorming diverse viewpoints or solutions related to their topic.
- Activity: Conduct group discussions where students share alternative perspectives.
- Sentence Stem: “Another way to think about this is…”
This can support student originality and depth in their arguments, especially when they have taken advantage of high-effect strategies like Argumentation (d=0.86). Let’s expand a little on the use of this strategy with a definition from the Visible Learning Meta X database. Argumentation is:
A form of instruction in which students are invited to speak about the topic at hand. It involves much more than a teacher asking a class a question, then another, etc., but involves students discussing with each other, often prompted from an open and not closed set of questions. Provides a classroom environment that gives all students the opportunity to speak and learn from each other.
There are a variety of approaches you can rely on for Argumentation, such as Socratic Seminar, among others.
Situation: Exploring the Bigger Picture
“To see the world in a grain of sand is the essence of deeper thinking. Every issue lives within a larger story,” suggests William Blake. It’s critical to critical thinking that students consider how their arguments relate to broader societal or global contexts. It’s tempting to take the narrow path to thinking, but without the real life connections, critical thinking fails.
- Activity: Ask students to connect their topic to current events or historical examples.
- Sentence Stem: “The bigger picture shows that this issue affects…”
This stage can add relevance and impact to student writing.
Methods: Testing and Refining Arguments
“Writing without revising is like building without a blueprint,” says William Zinsser. When students revise their work, it involves seeking feedback to assess their writing’s persuasiveness and validity.
- Activity: Peer review sessions where classmates evaluate clarity and persuasiveness.
- Sentence Stem: “One way I can improve my argument is by…”
This step can ensure polished, effective writing. Let’s take a moment to revisit why the PRISM Framework works due to its dependence on evidence-based taxonomies.
Why PRISM Works for Writing Instruction
The PRISM Framework aligns with educational models like SOLO Taxonomy. It guides students from foundational knowledge (Unistructural) to deep reasoning (Relational) and ultimately transfer learning (Extended Abstract). This progression ensures that students not only learn how to write in a persuasive manner. It helps them see why their arguments matter. Give the PRISM Framework a try in your classroom.
