Daily Activity: Starting Your Argument Map by Sofia Khan

Main Argument: COVID having a mass effect on education!

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:44:37 UTC

The main argument is that the author explains the aspects of how of younger generations were affected by COVID-19.

Claim 1: Emotional and cognitive affects

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:45:00 UTC

During the COVID-19 pandemic, school shutdowns made it difficult for children to socialize and excel, and for adults to support their children.

Claim 2: Horace Mann's vision for public schools

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:45:09 UTC

Horace Mann's vision for schools was that they should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. However, with public school doors closed due to COVID, others were forced to seek alternative options, such as private schools, or were left with no other choice. "Mann’s vision was that public schools should be for everyone and that
children of different class backgrounds should learn together." (Pg. 1)

Claim 3: Consequences without having education

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:45:17 UTC

COVID-19 really highlighted the consequences of what happens when children do not receive education, but this can also be applied to the broader implications for children and adults who may not have access to education.

Evidence 1: Children motivation struggling

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:45:51 UTC

Due to the lockdown, many were forced to turn to online learning, which caused numerous problems with learning and staying focused. Osvaldo Rigas Santiago, who is a 15-year-old, said that, "It impacts your motivation... You tend to not really care about school at all." (pg. 8)

Evidence 2: Children learning regressed

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:46:02 UTC

Alexis is a 10-year-old who was born with a genetic condition and has autism. When school closed, she was faced with having difficulties such as, "Alexis regressed from walking to crawling, went back to wearing diapers and stopped using a communication device." (pg. 7)

Evidence 1: Private & Religious schools

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:46:28 UTC

Because of COVID, many public school doors remained closed. And due to this, parents decided that they'd either "hire tutors for their children; others opted for private and religious schools." (Pg. 2)

Evidence 2: Leaving children home.

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:46:44 UTC

Some parents weren't able to afford private tutoring or sending their children to religious schools. So instead they would have "no choice but to leave their children alone in the house all day or send them to work for wages while the schoolhouse doors were closed." (Pg. 2)

Evidence 1: Delay in education

snk111 — 2025-09-25 16:47:23 UTC

A delay in education can have dire consequences, and missing out on it, in fact, can affect a growing mind. “Without public education delivered as a public good, the asylum seeker in detention, the teenager in jail, not to mention millions of children growing up in poverty, will have no realistic way to get the instruction they need to participate in democracy or support themselves.” (Pg. 3)

My interpretation on evidence 1

snk111 — 2025-09-25 17:16:36 UTC

Regardless of whether or not COVID-19 education is provided, it is extremely important. Without education, the prospects of being in poverty can become a high risk, working lower wage jobs can be difficult to make up for rent, groceries, and other bills,

Evidence 2: National Assessment

snk111 — 2025-09-25 17:19:08 UTC

Many children's IQs, especially on standardized tests, decreased due to their lack of regular school education and having to resort to online schooling on Zoom. “On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (known as the Nation’s Report Card) dropped significantly” (Pg. 2)

My interpretation on evidence 1 & 2

snk111 — 2025-09-25 17:21:36 UTC

I was lucky that my school was able to quickly, within a week, scrounge up remote learning through Zoom. Other school districts were still closed, while my school continued to learn from where we left off.

My interpretation on evidence 2

snk111 — 2025-09-25 17:23:28 UTC

I feel that, as a parent, you're also responsible for your child's learning. I feel like the parents had let their child do this to themselves and weren't able to support her enough to regulate rules and to try to help her with difficulties.

The connection between these two...

snk111 — 2025-09-29 16:57:45 UTC

There's a stark similarity between these two boxes; they both share the commonality that socialization plays a significant role in the school community, and in general. Through socializing, we learn from others, grasp concepts, and expand our minds. However, with COVID-19 and the restrictions on meeting other people, socializing became a rare occurrence. Instead of face-to-face interactions, we were severed from being able to hold real conversations, causing difficulties with speech, as our attention span decreased due to the technology, and struggling to talk and connect with one another.

The connection between these two...

snk111 — 2025-09-29 17:04:01 UTC

I feel that, rather, it must've been difficult for children so young to be taken out of school or to be in a new environment due to COVID. Not only did learning become difficult, but socializing at school also became challenging. Some of these young children were torn away from their friends and teachers, with whom they had formed connections over the years, adding to their already considerable struggle and complications.