To have individual student conferences about the Inquiry Essay
Drafts.
To have one set of mandatory conferences to familiarize your
students will the benefits of conferences.
Assignment:
Revise your Inquiry Essay Draft to submit for a workshop next
time.
Setup Needs:
No real setup required--just have your conference structure
set up by the day that you hand around your conference sign-up
sheet in class.
Sequence:
Individual conferences.
The conferences should primarily be conceptual check-ups at
this point. Make sure you ask each of your students about the
primary focus they've chosen, how they're going to connect each
of the authors to that focus, and how they're going to connect
their own ideas as well. As they talk, note any potential problems
(broad foci and lack of development are the most common) and suggest
alternatives.
Be sure to note frequently occurring problems and/or misconceptions
with the Inquiry Essays in the conferences so you can address
them in the next class if necessary.