Workshop Worksheets

Here is a copy of the workshop worksheets that you can use if you want to re-do the exercise (if you change your topic, for example) and for use in your future courses if you like. Remember, I expect you to include workshop worksheets when you hand in your final papers on the last day of class. Have a great weekend, and as I said in class yesterday, please e-mail me and talk to me if you want to run a thesis statement by me, or you are worried about any aspect of your paper or writing process. See you for the Symposium next week! d

Final Paper: Close Reading and Research Paper Workshop Worksheet

Your Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________

The Assigned Text (or object) You Are Reading Closely in Your Argument: 

 

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BRAINSTORM! Take 15 mins. or so to write down 20-30 claims about your chosen text, topic, or question. Don't worry whether the claims are "deep," just write down claims you think are true and interesting. Be as clear and specific as you can.

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Continue on the back of the page if you like. The more claims you have to work with, the better.

 

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Final Paper/Close Argumentative Reading Workshop Worksheet (PART TWO: In Class)

Your Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________

The Text (and/or Object) You Are Reading Closely in Your Argument: ___________________________

I. In groups of three: Discuss your BRAINSTORM and then PICK THE THREE BEST THESIS CANDIDATE CLAIMS and write them down in their best, clearest form here (Twenty-Four Minutes):

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II. Now on your own, for each of your three thesis candidate claims COME UP WITH THE STRONGEST OR MOST OBVIOUS OPPOSITION TO EACH THESIS (Ten Minutes):

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III. In NEW groups of three: Discuss your thesis candidates and their OPPOSITIONS and write down the results, reconsiderations, and re-edits here (Twenty-Four Minutes):

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IV. On your own, pick the strongest thesis and its best opposition and write them down in the template below (Five Minutes):

V. In NEW groups of three discuss your text/topic, thesis, opposition, and quotes/data that may support the thesis or provide a means to circumvent its objection. Also, determine whether any key terms need definitions (Thirty Minutes):

Thesis:

1. (textual/data support)

2. (textual/data support)

3. (textual/data support)

Opposition:

(textual/argumentative circumvention)

Terms requiring definition?