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Class Plan -- Unit One, Day 9
Goals

Assignment for Day 10
Reading - "Friendly Critiquing" handout (see Appendix 9);

Writing

  1. Complete "Response Shaping" handout (see Appendix 8) as a way of further collecting for and organizing your response;
  2. Two-page (minimum) draft of Response Essay for workshop. Bring two copies of your draft to class, so that it can be workshopped by two different readers. [REMIND STUDENTS THAT THIS CAN BE A REVISION OF ONE OF THEIR EARLIER RESPONSES, OR THEY CAN ALSO START FROM SCRATCH WITH A NEW RESPONSE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO SO.]
Related Handouts

Activities
General Discussion of Tannen Responses - Spend some time discussing Tannen's thesis and main ideas. Then turn to the two responses to Tannen (Koester and Browe). Ask students: What type of response was each? What was the thesis of each? Record these two theses on the board, then move on to the small group activity below.

Small Group Work with Tannen Responses - Put students in six groups, three of which will be working with the Koester response and three of which will be working with the Browe response. They should be divided up in the following way: Koester--Summary Group (Group 1), Reasons Group (Group 2), Evidence Group (Group 3); Browe--Summary Group (Group 4), Reasons Group (Group 5), Evidence Group (Group 6). Put questions for group work on OH:

"Eavesdrop" on groups to check understanding.

Discussion - Discuss the structure of both responses to Tannen, by way of group reports. Move this conversation into a general discussion of the ways in which response is like formal written "argument." Response is different from straight summary because the writer must take a position in response to the essay (whether that position be agreement, disagreement, interpretation, or analysis). This position is conveyed in the form of a thesis, which is then supported by reasons and evidence.

Go Over the "Response Shaping" Handout - Students will be using this handout as a way of ensuring that their Response Essays really do have some specific substance and logical structure. [Indicate to students that they don't, by any means, have to "stay inside the lines" with this worksheet. They are welcome to do this on a separate sheet of paper, since the purpose is really to construct some sort of informal outline to use in restructuring their early drafts.]

In discussion of the handout, you might go over the three sample theses (each for a different type of response) in the thesis section, then ask students what type of reasons and evidence might be offered in support of each thesis. I sometimes also note that occasionally (as in the sample Agree/Disagree thesis listed there), the reasons are included in the thesis, and therefore the support for the thesis will consist of specific evidence from the text (skipping over the formal "reasons" level of the argument). Point out the places in the handout where students are expected to provide their own thesis, then support for the thesis. (In other words, walk them quickly through the process of constructing their arguments.)

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 require.

HAND BACK ANALYTICAL RESPONSES WITH YOUR COMMENTS. If time, mention any common problems you saw in these responses.