This is the worksheet we followed for our Final Project workshop last week. If you would like to do the Workshop again on your own -- for another paper in another course, or because you have changed your mind about the paper you are writing for this course, whatever -- you are always welcome to do so. Good luck and I hope you are all having a good break!
Final Paper/Close
Argumentative Reading Workshop Worksheet
Your Name:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Text You Are Reading Closely in Your
Argument: _______________________________________________________
BRAINSTORM! Take 20 mins. or so to write
down 20-30 claims about your chosen text. Don't worry whether these claims are
"deep," just write down claims you think are true and interesting about
the text and be as clear and specific as you can.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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21.
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23.
24.
Continue on the back of the page if you
like. The more claims you have to work with, the better.
Final Paper/Close
Argumentative Reading Workshop Worksheet (PART TWO: In Class)
Your Name:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Text You Are Reading Closely in Your
Argument: _______________________________________________________
I. In groups of three: Discuss your BRAINSTORM
and then PICK THE THREE BEST THESIS CANDIDATE CLAIMS and write them down in
their best, clearest form here (Twenty-Four Minutes):
1.
2.
3.
II. Now on your own, for each of your
three thesis candidate claims COME UP WITH THE STRONGEST OR MOST OBVIOUS
OPPOSITION TO EACH THESIS (Ten Minutes):
1.
2.
3.
III. In NEW groups of three: Discuss your thesis candidates and their OPPOSITIONS and write down the results, reconsiderations, and re-edits here (Twenty-Four Minutes):
2.
3.
III. In NEW groups of three: Discuss your thesis candidates and their OPPOSITIONS and write down the results, reconsiderations, and re-edits here (Twenty-Four Minutes):
1.
2.
3.
IV. On your own, pick the strongest thesis
and its best opposition and write them down in the template below (Five
Minutes):
V. In NEW groups of three discuss your
text, thesis, opposition, and textual moments that may support the thesis or
provide a means to circumvent its objection. Also, determine whether any key
terms need definitions (Thirty-Six Minutes):
Thesis:
1. (textual support)
2. (textual support)
3. (textual support)
Opposition:
(textual circumvention)
Terms requiring definition?
