GCC/RCC 11/9

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

Counter-stories can expose, analyze, and thus challenge commonly held beliefs, stereotypes, and characterizations of marginalized groups. Through counter-stories marginalized groups can explore their voices and contribute to the narrative of humanity.

Form a group with 1-2 people that you have not yet talked to about Grande. Then, discuss the following question (you can take your rough draft with you):

To what extent is Grande's memoir a counter-story?

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

Thesis Statement Review

• Arguable. Supportable. Specific.
• Uses language from the prompt
• Addresses a single-story from Grande's memoir
• Addresses the extent to which Grande's memoir is a counter-story

In your group discuss the following examples. How can you strengthen these thesis statements?

Grande's memoir shows the stereotype that people from Mexico are just here in the U.S. to take advantage.

Grande's memoir is a counter-story because it significantly challenges stereotypes of immigrants.

Grande's memoir tells the story of a young immigrant woman who makes a better life for herself.

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

Thesis Statement Review

• Arguable. Supportable. Specific.
• Uses language from the prompt
• Addresses a single-story from Grande's memoir
• Addresses the extent to which Grande's memoir is a counter-story

Swap outlines in your group; read through each thesis statement as a group and asess how you can strengthen the thesis statement to meet the requirements above.

If you did not bring a thesis statement or rough draft, begin crafting one now.

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

What we're looking for in claims/topic sentences:

• First sentence of each body paragraph
• Defines the scope (topic + main idea) of the paragraph
• Connects the paragraph to the thesis
• Is arguable
• Helps transition from the idea before.
• NOT a question. NOT a quotation. NOT an announcement.

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

Consider the following example:

Online reading negatively affects a person's ability to practice deep, reflective thinking.

Because online readers are constantly distracted by pop-up messages, emails, links, and other multimedia on the web, they are constantly shifting their attention from one piece of information to another. This lack of focus does not allow the readers to take a few moments to think critically about the information they are receiving.

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

Consider the following example:

Online reading negatively affects a person's ability to practice deep, reflective thinking.

The constant barrage of information on the internet can lead a reader to easily become distracted. A reader is unable to focus and is almost forced to multitask, thinking about more than one idea at a time. Important homework assignments may be left undone because the reader is distracted by the entertaining internet.

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

What we're looking for in claims/topic sentences:

• First sentence of each body paragraph
• Defines the scope (topic + main idea) of the paragraph
• Connects the paragraph to the thesis
• Is arguable
• Helps transition from the idea before.
• NOT a question. NOT a quotation. NOT an announcement.

Swap outlines in your group; read through each group member's claims as a group and asess how you can strengthen them to meet the requirements above.

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

Working on Paragraph Unity

Step 1: Highlight or underline each topic sentence in your rough draft -- wherever it appears in the paragraph.

Step 2: As a group isolate one body paragraph to work with at a time (the whole group works on 1 person's body paragraph at a time)

Step 3: Read the topic sentence to determine if it is arguable. Does it need proving? Revise, if needed.

Step 4: Then, read through the paragraph one sentence at a time. After each sentence discuss how/why that sentence belongs in that paragraph:

• What is the purpose of each sentence in the paragraph?
• How does each sentence help to support the topic sentence?

Step 5: Repeat these steps with another group member's paragraph. If time, circle back around to the first essay and review another paragraph using this method.

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

Transitions are a great way to also create paragraph unity.

TRANSITION

IDEA

Using Transitions Wisely

Identify the relationship between the ideas (find the "thread")

Choose an appropriate transition

Consult a dictionary, if needed

Do not overuse transitions...

Paragraph-level transitions:

See Hacker p.55

Public speaking is difficult for me because I often judge myself in the moment. For example, when I was in high school, I gave a presentation about baking. In fact, I was so self-conscious about the way I speak, in particular, how I say the word "cinnamon," for example, that I was constantly pausing to make sure I said the word correctly. As a result, due to the fact that I was pausing all the time, consequently, I started to stumble over more of my words. With this in mind, I was even more self-conscious about my speech and for this reason, I ended up pausing even more and forgetting what I wanted to say. Therefore, public speaking is and always will be, above all, difficult for me.

Public speaking is difficult for me because I often judge myself in the moment. For example, when I was in high school, I gave a presentation about baking. I was so self-conscious about the way I pronounced the word "cinnamon" that I was constantly pausing to review whether I said the word correctly. Since I was pausing all the time, I started to stumble over more of my words. Then, I was even more self-conscious about my speech and I ended up pausing frequently and forgetting what I wanted to say. Because of experiences like this, public speaking is, and always will be, difficult for me.

Evaluating Transitions

1. As a group, pick one body paragraph and identify if the author has used transistion words.

2. Are there too many transitions? Are there not enough transitions? Brainstorm together how to incorporate transition words to help the paragraphs flow better.

3. Repeat these steps until at least each author's essay has been examined for transitions.

Apple - ication

In your groups...

Your Task:

• To argue how/why your red card is the best match for the green card.
• Use specific evidence to support your point. Explain how/why your evidence supports your claim (why is your card is the best match? Prove it!)
• The Judge of the round may pose follow up questions or challenges about your card and argument (How? Why? So What?)
• The Judge of the round will decide who wins based on who made the best ARGUMENT, not necessarily who had the best card.

Take note of the BEST or MOST CREATIVE ARGUMENTS

Grande & Counter-Stories Workshop

As a group, DISCUSS the following:

1. Has the writer included relevant evidence (and enough of it)?

• What other evidence could the writer include?

2. Has the writer included clear explanations and descriptions of that evidence?

• Do you understand the evidence?
• What else do you want to know about the evidence?

3. Has the writer sufficiently analyzed that evidence and connected it back to the claim (addressing the "so what?")

• What does this evidence prove?
• How / Why does it prove that?

Fair & Appropriate Use of Sources

Tips for Success:

• No matter how small the phrase---always cite!
• Copy and pasting material is plagiarism--even if you list the entry in the Works Cited page. You must direct quote or paraphrase.
• When talking about an author's idea---still cite!
• When paraphrasing use an in-text citation
• A quote is 3 or more words from source
• Sources in the essay must match sources on the Works Cited

Fair & Appropriate Use of Sources

You try

• Pick one direct quote from your essay.
• On the back of your essay or on a separate sheet, write that quote in your own words (try not to use more than 3 consecutive words from the original).
• Cite the paraphrase

Fair & Appropriate Use of Sources

In your groups, examine the body paragraphs and answer the following questions:

• Does the author use in-text citations to note direct quotes and/or indirect quotes?
• Are there too many quotes per paragraph? If so, can the paragraph be broken up into 2 paragraphs?
• Does the author vary the presentation of source material? (i.e. do they only use direct quotes? Do they paraphrase or summarize?)
• Suggest 1-2 revisions to their quoting style

Proposal Workshops

Problem/Solution Thesis Statements:

• What is the specific problem you're going to solve?
• Who is the organizing body that is going to solve your problem?
• How is your problem going to be solved?
• Why should your problem be solved?

Proposal Workshops

Often, this takes the form of:

A should do B because of C

A - the who

B - the what

C - the why

Proposal Workshops

Often, this takes the form of:

Our student government should endorse the Academic Bill of rights because students should not be punished in their courses for their personal political views.

A - the who

B - the what

C - the why

Proposal Workshops

Example:

Congress should repeal the Copyright Extension Act, since it disrupts the balance between incentives for creators and the right of the public to information as set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

A - the who

B - the what

C - the why

Proposal Workshops

Example:

Congress should repeal the Copyright Extension Act, since it disrupts the balance between incentives for creators and the right of the public to information as set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

A - the who - Congress

B - the what - repeal the Copyright Extension Act

C - the why - because it disrupts the balance between

• incentives for creators
• right of the public to information

Proposal Workshops

Your turn:

Every home should be equipped with a well-stocked emergency kit that can sustain inhabitants for at least three days in a natural disaster.

A - the who

B - the what

C - the why

Proposal Workshops

Your turn:

To simplify the lives of consumers and eliminate redundant products, industries that manufacture rechargeable batteries should agree on a design for a universal power adapter.

A - the who

B - the what

C - the why

Proposals

Workshop

• Work with a partner to review one another's project proposals
• Consider their thesis:
• Does it have an A, B, and C? (who, what and why)
• Is their thesis feasible (i.e. practical and probable)?
• Examine their rationale for how they are going to tackle the project. Do they answer all of the questions posed?
• What questions do you have about their project?

Outlining

Outling requires 3 things

• Working Thesis
• Working Claims
• Working Evidence

Outlining

Working Thesis

Review your “working thesis” statement or if needed re-write it on a piece of paper. It doesn't need to be exact wording as in your proposal, but it should come close.

Outlining

Working Claims

Create a list of supporting claims (topic sentences) in list format.

These should answer the question: How will you support your thesis?

Outlining

Working Evidence

Next, consider the type of evidence you would need to prove these claims.

Under each supporting claim, list a piece of evidence you would like to find: statistics about ___ , news story about ___ , first-hand account of someone who has _____ , etc.

Outlining

Begin your research!

Search for relevant sources from journals, news sources, periodicals, and books. Look for credible sources rather than opinion-based sources.

Now take those elements and create an outline using either numbered or bulleted formatting.

Using Evidence to Prove a Point!

Use the questions to help guide your search for supporting evidence.

What are the most significant & useful quotations from this source? Find them and circle/highlight/underline ALL of them.

Which of these significant quotations can I use to support my ideas? Write out a select few on a separate sheet of paper.

Using Evidence to Prove a Point!

Write out (or discuss) the justification for that evidence:

Why am I using each quotation? What will each quotation help to prove? How? Write your response under each piece of evidence you chose.

How / Why will that evidence help to prove your CLAIM?

How / Why will that evidence help to prove your THESIS?