Unit 2 Project Draft Workshop

Begin by reading the first paragraph of the draft and locating the thesis statement. Answer these next two questions about the thesis statement before you read the rest of the draft.

1. Does the thesis statement, as the assignment asks, make a substantial claim about the relationship between the author’s family history and a particular place? Is the claim too broad? Too narrow? Does the thesis statement do the other two things a good thesis statement should do? Note any ways in which you think the thesis statement could be improved.

2. In order to prove the claim made in the thesis statement, what other claims will the author need to make (and, of course, convince you of)? What kinds of evidence will he or she need to convince you of this claim?

Now read the rest of the draft and answer these questions:

3. Are there any claims you  mentioned in your answer to question 2 that the author did not address? Is this a problem? Do you think the draft would be strengthened by making these claim(s)?

4. Has the author provided adequate evidence to convince you of all of the claims that he or she makes in the draft? If the author were to add more evidence, what kind of evidence would it be? Where would it go in the draft? 

5. Are the claims and the evidence organized in a clear and logical manner that makes sense given the draft’s over-arching claim? Note any potential problems or ways in which the draft’s organization could be improved.

Authors: add two more questions about your draft for your partner to anwer:

6. 

7. 

Unit 2 Project Pre-Writing

Begin by creating a new Google Doc titled [your name]’s Unit 2 Project. Create a table with 3 columns, much like you did for your Feeder 2.1 pre-writing.

The Unit 2 Project assignment asks you to make a claim about the relationship between your family’s history and the place you studied in Feeder 2.2. Think about this relationship and brainstorm 2 or more possible claims that might form the crux of your Unit 2 Project thesis statement. Place these ideas in the left column.

In the center column, make a list of things you already know that will help you to prove these claims to your reader. These might be facts you discovered in your research for Feeder 2.2, things you already know about your family, or information from other sources.

In the right-hand column, make a list of other information you will need to find in order to prove your claims. Some items in the list might involve secondary research (such as academic texts on the history of your town, prominent figures within the town, etc.), or might involve primary research (such as interviews with your family members, searching through old photographs, etc.). 

After you have completed the activity, share your work with one of your group members. Discuss which claim(s) seem(s) the most promising, how they might be revised, narrowed or expanded, and what other types of research might prove fruitful both in proving your claim and in making it relevant to your blog’s readership. Revise and add to your lists as you discuss.