Return to Unit One:MWF

Class Plan -- Unit One, Day 8

• Analyze responses to Tannen
• Discuss focusing and developing a response

Activities:
Daily - Work in groups of 3 or 4. Have one group member record your answers to the following questions. (Have half the class work on one of the responses to Tannen and the other half on the other.) How many paragraphs of the response are devoted to summarizing Tannen? Rewrite the summary into a one-paragraph introduction. What is the thesis of the response? What type of response is this (agree/disagree, interpretive/reflective, text analysis)? What are the main reasons given to support the thesis, i.e., that explain why the thesis is true? What kind(s) of evidence are used to support the reasons? Give one example of evidence.

"Eavesdrop" on groups to check understanding. Collect their work, if you wish.

Discussion - These responses to Tannen are both examples of text analysis. What are some possible theses for agree/disagree and interpretive/reflective responses?

• Agree/disagree: While I agree with Tannen that a variety of discussion techniques should be used in the classroom, I think she over generalizes about gender differences.
• Interpret/reflect: Reading Tannen's essay made me realize why I have always been reluctant to participate in whole class discussions.

If time, have students discuss which essay they intend to respond to and offer possible thesis statements for their response. Put some of these on the board and discuss what kinds of development these statements would lead to.

Remind students to do one of the collecting assignments (either answer the handout questions in the Appendix or do the re-reading double-entry log in the PHG) before they begin writing as a way to guide rereading and to think about the article they are writing about.