Get into groups of at least two people. Make sure there is at least one laptop per group. For each group member, open up their Response 4 on Canvas and complete the following three tasks as a group. Your group’s response should be written in complete sentences. Designate one group member as the typer, who will be in charge of writing answers (in complete sentences) into a Microsoft Word or Google Docs document. You will email your answers to me at the end of class, as well as to each group member so that they can consult your group’s ideas as they begin writing their Project 3. When you’re done, call me over so that you can summarize each group member’s topic at this stage and ask me any questions you may have about your topics. After that, you may leave.
- Based on this group member’s topic proposal and outline, as a group, come up with a working thesis statement for that group member’s paper. By “working,” I mean a work in progress–sort of like a “rough draft” version of the thesis statement, one that you can work with and improve later on. This working thesis statement could be anywhere from one to five sentences. (It’s also possible that you might go back and revise this prospective thesis statement after answering questions two and three below.)
- Come up with at least one possible counterargument against any of the major claims this group member plans to make in their paper. Make sure that this is an intelligent counterargument, not an obviously false or ridiculous one. It would be great if I actually heard you all debating during this stage, but even if everyone agrees with this group member’s thesis, it’s still possible to come up with a well-thought-out disagreement, one you can imagine an intelligent reader of opposing views having. This should take at least one paragraph to answer sufficiently.
- Who is(are) the target audience(s) for this group member’s paper? To whom does this topic matter? Who would disagree with the paper’s major claims? Who would be in a position to fix the problems that the paper identifies? In answering these questions, you may find that this paper has more than one potential target audience. Whatever you do, however, avoid the temptation to say that this person’s paper simply targets “everyone” or “people in general.” That’s too vague and probably not true! This should take at least one paragraph to answer sufficiently.
Rhetoric & Writing I 