Final Paper Workshop Worksheet

Final Paper: Close Reading and Research Paper Workshop Worksheet

Your Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________

The Assigned Text (or object) You Are Reading Closely in Your Argument: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

BRAINSTORM! Take 15 mins. or so to write down 20-30 claims about your chosen text, topic, or question. Don't worry whether the claims are "deep," just write down claims you think are true and interesting. Be as clear and specific as you can.

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Continue on the back of the page if you like. The more claims you have to work with, the better.

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Final Paper/Close Argumentative Reading Workshop Worksheet (PART TWO: In Class)

Your Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________

The Text (and/or Object) You Are Reading Closely in Your Argument: ___________________________

I. In groups of three: Discuss your BRAINSTORM and then PICK THE THREE BEST THESIS CANDIDATE CLAIMS and write them down in their best, clearest form here (Twenty-Four Minutes):

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II. Now on your own, for each of your three thesis candidate claims COME UP WITH THE STRONGEST OR MOST OBVIOUS OPPOSITION TO EACH THESIS (Ten Minutes):

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III. In NEW groups of three: Discuss your thesis candidates and their OPPOSITIONS and write down the results, reconsiderations, and re-edits here (Twenty-Four Minutes):

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IV. On your own, pick the strongest thesis and its best opposition and write them down in the template below (Five Minutes):

V. In NEW groups of three discuss your text/topic, thesis, opposition, and quotes/data that may support the thesis or provide a means to circumvent its objection. Also, determine whether any key terms need definitions (Thirty Minutes):

Thesis:

1. (textual/data support)

2. (textual/data support)

3. (textual/data support)

Opposition:

(textual/argumentative circumvention)

Terms requiring definition?