title: Negotiating Science: The Critical Role of Argument in Student Inquiry, Grades 5-10
author: Brian Hand
description: Brian Hand is the coauthor of the Heinemann titles Negotiating Science and Questions, Claims, and Evidence. He is a science educator at the University of Iowa who is involved in research on student learning and how we use language in science classrooms to help the learning process. Brian was a school teacher for eleven years before moving into the university system, where he has published in a wide range of journals. Lori Norton-Meier is the coauthor of the Heinemann titles Negotiating Science and Questions, Claims, and Evidence. She has been intrigued by children's stories since her time as a kindergarten teacher. She is currently an assistant professor at Iowa State University in Literacy Education. Her areas of interest include early childhood literacy, science literacy, family literacy, and media literacy.
zlib_text: ## Chapter 1. Golden Rule 1: Be prepared
  
  
  Those Boy Scouts are on to something. Being prepared for an argument is key to
  success. Sometimes arguments come out of the blue. But not always. It may be
  that you realize a difficult business meeting or conversation is going to take
  place, in which case being prepared is a real advantage.
  
  
  ### What do you want?
  
  
  Before starting an argument think carefully about what it is you are arguing
  about and what it is you want. This may sound obvious. But it’s crucially
  important. What do you really want from this argument? Do you want the other
  person just to understand your point of view? Or are you seeking a tangible
  result? If it’s a tangible result, you must ask yourself whether the result
  you have in mind is realistic and whether it’s obtainable. If it’s not
  realistic or obtainable, then a verbal battle might damage a valuable
  relationship.
  
  
  Imagine you would like a pay raise. You have arranged a meeting to discuss
  this with your manager. Thi