UTILIZING FOUR CORNERS TO AMPLIFY CLAIMS, REFUTATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONSHeidi Jones MWP July 26, 2010

Context(s) Freshman Composition Required Course to graduate Small class sizes (25 or less) Varying abilities

AP-level students who did not test out “Typical” freshman student PSEO students Upper level or non-traditional students

Context(s)University Writing at U of M (3

credits) Course Overview

Through frequent practice and study of writing, WRIT 1301 introduces students to typical university writing practices, including an emphasis on developing well-researched, properly cited papers. WRIT 1301 fulfills the first-year composition requirement

University Writing OutcomesDevelop a Process of Writing

• control prewriting and planning strategies to arrive at a focused topic

• produce an outline or prospectus for a researched paper • craft thesis statements that indicate a clear position on a

topic and tie the paper together • develop a topic through clearly structured paragraphs and

the whole paper so that ideas are fully explained, assertions are backed up, supporting evidence is sufficient and claim sare credible

• through the sequence of assignments, develop a body of knowledge and growing perspective on a topic

Sequence of Modes (Example One)Mode Writing Assignment Length Due Dates

Observation

Topic: Place of ImportanceText: A River Runs Through It

3-4 pages

RD: February 1st FD: February 6th

Evaluation

Topic: Character Traits/HeroismText: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

4-5pages RD: February 27th FD: March 1st

CriticalAnalysis

Topic: Passage AnalysisText: Neither Wolf Nor Dog 5-7 pages

RD: March 29th FD: April 3rd

Research

withSources

Topic: TBAText: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

8-10 pagesRD: April 26th

FD: May 1st

Sequence of Modes (Example Two)

Mode Writing Assignment Length Due DatesSummar

yOf an article on a facet of globalization

1-2pages

WD: September 26th RD: September 29th

Analysis Synthesi

s

Of globalization in at least two articles from textbook

4-5pages WD: October 10thRD: October 15th

Researched

Position Paper

Assimilation: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down/ Research Prospectus and individual conference required

7-8 pagesWD: November 7th RD: November 10th

Reflective Essay

How your ideas about globalization have changed 4-5 pages

RWD: December 5th RD: December 12th

Practical Purpose In my experience, student papers often

lack a counterargument This activity will force them to VISUALIZE an

argument as it’s happening Class will debate a topic that is relevant to

college community Students will eventually write an Op Ed

piece for school newspaper As a reply to an Editor, a classmate or

another student’s piece

Lesson Set Up: The Day Before Students will brainstorm debatable local

issues (campus, MN, etc) and bring the list to class Criteria: topic should be of interest to

college community for possible publication in school newspaper

Class votes on topic Students contemplate the topic and their

position (strongly agree, agree, strongly disagree, disagree) before next class

Students arrive for 80 minute class period having thought of the topic and their position. Class begins with a freewrite.

The Big Day

FreewriteSmoking Should be Banned on Campus

Do you agree or disagree? How strongly do you feel about your position? What kind of evidence can you use to support your claim? What would you say to those who differ in opinion?

The Learning Curve After a 5-7 minute freewrite, students

randomly draw their assignment for the debate

Why not let them choose their corner? Arguing for “the other side” can help students

improve their thinking and writing skills (and help them establish a better of idea of the views of the counterargument)

Review of Vocabulary Claim: an assertion of something as a

fact

Acknowledging the Counterargument (responding to opposing views)

Accommodation: conceding; reconciliation

Refutation: finding error; proving to be false

Consider your Audience U of M Campus Community

Who does this include? What types of appeals can you use? Is your audience Supportive? Neutral?

Hostile?

Organization of Debate 12 of you will be debating

3 at each of the four corners

8 of you will be moderators/sign holders 2 Moderators 2 Claim sign holders 2 Refutation sign holders 2 Accommodation sign holders

Debaters Each of you needs to speak during the

debate This may mean that you have to split one

of the sections in half

In order to be effective, be sure to listen to the other side and take notes if applicable

Pay attention to the sign holders. They are providing you with key aspects of the debate.

Moderators Take turns keeping time Take notes about the strengths and

weaknesses of one side’s arguments (you decide which side)

Decide who “wins”

Sign Holders Each of you should pay close attention to

the debate and hold up your sign when what is on the sign is happening For example, if someone is making a claim

that smoking is bad for your health, the CLAIM person(s) would hold up his/her sign

Or, if someone is conceding that the other side has a point, the ACCOMMODATION person(s) would hold up his/her sign

Planning Time

Each corner will get 4- 5 minutes of planning time to organize a coherent opening statement

Moderators/Sign holders join groups to listen

Continuation of Planning Time Move to closely-linked corner (strongly

agree + agree) 4- 5 more minutes of planning time

You will be debating TOGETHER

Debate Outline Round One

Agree: Opening Statement (2 minutes) Rebuttal: (1 minute)

Round Two Disagree: (Opening Statement (2 minutes) Rebuttal: (1 minute)

Round Three Disagree (3 minutes) Rebuttal (3 minutes)

Round Four/Closing Statement Agree (3 minutes) Disagree (3 minutes)

Reflect on the Experience

Reflection Listen to moderators

Return to seat and reflect on your freewrite and on the activity How did the debate affect your opinion?

What did you learn about the organization of an effective argument? What can you take away from this activity that will help you as a thinker and writer?

Follow Up Students will begin to craft their OpEd

pieces

We will talk about how to state position and refute/accommodate in an OpEd piece

Students will eventually use their knowledge of argument formation to write a persuasive research essay