To discuss P2B issues; to identify questions about students’ issues by conducting the Issue Interview.
Conducting the Issue Interview in class will help students focus and shape their essays by asking them to think carefully about their own contexts as writers and by providing peer feedback about their inquiry process.
You might begin today’s class by asking a few students how Reading Days went and whether they accomplished everything in their work plan. Students could also report back to their partners from the work plan activity about what they accomplished.
Transition: Develop a transition here.
The issue interview is designed to get students to articulate their thinking about their P2B issues at this point in time and to give them some preliminary feedback. Divide the class into pairs, hand out copies of the questions listed below, and let the students know that they'll have about ten minutes each to find out as much as they possibly can about their partner's context and current thinking on their issue. Tell them to make sure to take notes as they're conducting the interview.
Issue Interview Questions:
Part 1
Part 2
Note: "Umbrella topics" are those large-scale topics that are too big to tackle in this class. For instance, "the war in Iraq" is an umbrella topic because it is impossible to effectively research and write about all aspects of the war in Iraq in time we have in this class. A specific issue in public discourse might be to look why there have been difficulties implementing a new Iraqi government, or how recent events have influenced presidential approval ratings.
Part 3
Consider why you take the position you do-not so much your logic or reasoning but the contextual influences that may have shaped your position.
Transition: Develop a transition here.
Have students conduct a WTL that addresses the following prompt (or one that you write):
Now, on a separate piece of paper, draft a paragraph that describes your partner's issue, research focus, and contextual reasons for choosing that issue. The point here is articulate back to your partner their current thinking on their issue as fully as possible so that they can see where they might need to continue thinking about/exploring that issue. You can use your interview notes, but no fair cheating back to that person. Remember to be polite and respectful, and always to give as good as you want to get back. You might consider including a few comments at the end of your paragraph regarding suggestions for further research, or questions the writer will need to consider.
Finally, have students give the paragraphs they've just written to their partners. Tell the class that they should use the feedback they just received to help them draft their Inquiry Essay in preparation for workshop on Thursday.