Before class on Monday, students will…

Brainstorm a list of three topics that really matter to you. Create a post that shares these topics, what your opinion is about each of them, what one of the opposing views is, and how you think you might argue for your side (considering ethos/pathos/logos). If you have some sources in mind for these topics, feel free to mention those a well.

  • Title it Full Name, U2 Brainstorm and save it under the category U2 Work by class time on Monday.

During class, we will…

Discuss

In small groups, share your topic ideas. Summarize what you’ve written or direct your group to your OpenLab post (which should be up on our website by now).

  • Look at your groupmates’ topics and discuss the following:
  • Is their topic and opinion clear?
  • Do they know what an opposing view is to their opinion?
  • Will they be able to share their opinion using ethos/pathos/logos?

Watch

Write

  • Your first draft of your thesis on a piece of paper or type it on your device.
    • For example: “Student debt should be forgiven by the federal government.”
  • Once you’ve written your first draft, think back on what Purdue OWL told us about having a thesis that is specific and logical (can be proven by sources other than you).
    • Think: “Why should it be forgiven?” and “Should student debt be forgiven for all students or just certain students?”
    • An example of a rewrite: “The forgiveness of student debt for students who’ve taken government loans because of economic status will allow them to invest their earnings into the broader economy. They’ll be more able to buy homes, cars, and other large-ticket items.”
  • Once you’ve written a draft of your thesis (and being aware that you will have to revise it), you need to go about proving your thesis. (Also known as research!)
  • For this assignment, you need to use at least two reliable sources that support your opinion/thesis such as:
    • The New York Times
    • Academic journals or books that come from City Tech’s library.
    • Sources that are credited on the NYT articles you’ve found, or sources cited in the sources you’ve found in the City Tech library.
  • You need to find sources that give you credibility and provide logical arguments for your opinion, not just quotes from a famous person or document that agrees with you!

Homework

  • Don’t forget about Full Name, Dissection of [author’s name], posted under U2 Work, which is due by next class!
  • Next class, have a draft of your thesis AND at least one possible source that will support your thesis ready to share with your classmates!
  • Review the following documents for assistance with writing, citing, and developing your U2 Writing Assignment:

During class on Wednesday, we will…

Discuss

In your small group, share your draft of your thesis statement. Small group, give honest but kind feedback to each person.

  • Is it clear?
    • Can you quickly understand what the writer is talking about? Why or why not?
  • Is it specific?
    • Can you identify the people/places/things the writer is discussing?
  • Is it provable via research, not just personal bias?
    • Can you think of sources that will support this opinion? For example: “Chocolate chip cookies are always the best” is probably not easily proven. However, “Chocolate chip cookies are the most popular cookie in the US” might be able to be supported.

Explore & Discuss

  • We’re not actually going to the library, but as you should know, we can do pretty much the same things via computer that we can do in the library itself!
  • Again in your small group, share your possible source. Small group, you don’t have to read it, but ask these questions about the source:
    • Is it from a reliable source? How do you know?
    • Is it going to show ethos, pathos, or logos? Can the student identify which one? (It doesn’t have to show all three, but at least one should be obvious.)
    • Might this source lead the student to other sources? (Hint: Are there hyperlinks and/or a Works Cited page?)

Write or Research

  • For the rest of class, do what you need to do in order to have the first draft complete a week from today.
  • If you need to research, do that!
  • If you need to write, do that!
  • If you need to ask me a question, do that! I assume you know what to do.

Homework

  • Write a post with your first draft of your thesis statement and a properly formatted citation of one source in MLA format by 11:59PM Wednesday night! Title it Full Name, U2 Thesis and Source and save it under the category Unit 2 Work.
    • This is a low-stakes assignment worth 30% of your overall grade!
  • Continue writing and researching. The first draft will be peer reviewed a week from today! Be sure to consult the U2 Writing Assignment Guidelines on OpenLab to ensure you’re following all requirements for this assignment. Want me to look at a draft? Come to an office hour!