Inquiry-Based Argument in English 102

Mini-Assignments

1.      Argue the Opposing View: Require your students to brainstorm, argue, or develop fully in their final paper at least one view that opposes their own.

-          Brainstorm all the arguments supporting the opposing view, then pass this sheet around in groups to develop it further

-          Divide into small groups, each group spends 10 minutes developing out arguments that oppose one member's view, then move to the next member for 10 minutes.

-          Require that their final paper presents both their view and the opposition's, and demonstrates which one is more valid. You may even require a particular number of sources for each side of the issue.

2.      Developing Multiple Views: Using the same methods listed above, require your students to develop 3-4 different stances on their issue. This is beneficial since most students tend to think in black and white, either/or, for and against, and fail to recognize the complexity of the issues they write about.

3.      Develop Research Questions: Have your students develop general and specific questions for research in class. Have them add to these questions with group work. This is particularly good for doing early on, once they have a topic selected but have not done much research, pre-writing or writing on it.

4.      Experiment with standpoint/perspective: Assign your students questions to respond to that will encourage them to explore critically their own stance on their issue. Have them share these in small groups or as a class. Examples:

-          How does your race, class, gender, nationality, affect your view of the issue?

-          How might this issue be viewed differently in another culture, time, context?

-          How do your parents, grandparents, peers, teachers feel about this issue?

-          How has the popular media contributed to your stance on this issue?

-          What sources have influenced how you think on this issue? Which ones have led to your stance and which ones have you resisted in order to develop your stance?

5.      Unfolding vs. Self-announcing Structure: While they will still have problems with it, your students will be most familiar with self-announcing structure. Use the following exercise to help them outline their paper according to both a self-announcing and an unfolding structure.

-          Teach self-announcing structure and require them to bring an outline to class

modeled on it. (i.e. it has a clear thesis statement, a preview of main points, clear topic sentences/statements for each main point, review of main points, re-statement of thesis).

-          Introduce them to the Socratic method, inquiry-based argumentation and the unfolding structure.

-          Have them create an outline in class that follows an unfolding structure (i.e. it has a clear thesis question, a preview of the main questions that must be answered, clear topic questions for each main point, review of main points, statement of thesis/answer to thesis question).

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