ABSTRACT
There is a tendency to think of individuals who can discover new ideas or develop convincing arguments as having special “talent” or superior “intelligence.” This view of conjecturing and argumentation abilities as fixed traits suggests that instruction directed toward such abilities is pointless for all but the most gifted of students. In direct contrast to that view, this chapter argues that successful conjecturing and argumentation performances are the consequence of particular skills and knowledge. In an appropriately structured learning environment, such skills can be acquired by anyone.
