CO150 Common Syllabus, 2008-2009

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Day 23 (Friday, October 17)

Lesson Objectives
Students will

• read group members’ annotations
  begin drafting collaborative explanations

Connection to Course Goals. Sharing research emphasizes the importance of community when pursuing academic investigation and the exposure of individual students to their group’s research helps them form a more comprehensive perspective of their issue.

Activities

Attendance and introduction (2-3 minutes)

Share research (12-15 minutes)

Since students have brought all of their sources and their annotations to class today, they have everything they need to draft the explanation.  Since each group member needs to be familiar with the whole body of research, they should read each others’ annotations. 

Review explanation assignment and example (10-12 minutes)

Especially if you will not be meeting your class on Friday, revisit the assignment sheet.  You might read and discuss a sample explanation with the class as a whole.

Begin drafting (12-15 minutes)

Once you have answered lingering questions about the explanation, groups should begin drafting.  Some groups may have begun already and some groups may need to begin now.  Therefore, this activity may appear chaotic. 

Tip. It’s important to let groups negotiate how to write their Critical Intros, as many students have not worked collaboratively in this manner before.

Conclude class and assign homework (3-5 minutes)

Wrap up class as usual, emphasizing the importance of sharing research so that everyone in each group can complete a thorough Critical Introduction.  Allow groups a few minutes to arrange a meeting if necessary.

Homework

Arrange to meet with your group as necessary (in person or online) to share information so that you can finish your Critical Introduction.  Post your Critical Introduction and (non-annotated) bibliography to your group’s discussion Forum by the beginning of class on Monday (October 20), and bring your sources, your annotations, and your Critical Introduction in a folder to turn in.