Hi all,
Great job this week with your peer review sessions! Now, we're moving on to a second, more complete draft of the Long Essay.
First, a note on the deadline:
The second draft is due to be uploaded to the Google drive folders on Monday, Nov. 23, at midnight. I set this deadline to allow you to complete the draft prior to the Thanksgiving week break if you want, so that you don't have to worry about it over travel/holidays/decompressing time. However, I'm also not a stickler for this deadline. As long as you request it from me by email in advance of the assigned deadline, you can schedule an extra few days into your timeline. Saturday would be the latest day acceptable, to allow time for peer review work.
Second, a note on this coming Monday's "class" session:
We will not meet officially this Monday, the day the paper is due. Instead, I'll offer drop-in office hours at this Zoom link. (Passcode if requested: 111155)
This meeting has been set up with a Waiting Room function, which means I can let you in one at a time. If I'm already chatting with someone, please be patient and I'll let you in as soon as possible (I'll limit meetings to 10 minutes if needed).
What Draft 2 should look like:
This 5+ page draft should be very, very precise in terms of the following:
what the community is - one that you are part of
a key problem facing the community today
worst possible solution to that problem (this needs to be one that other people are actually suggesting but you disagree with)
reasons that this solution is inadequate and/or better alternatives, in your view
Each paragraph should have "They say / I say" elements integrated into it. The idea is to put your own ideas ("I say") in juxtaposition with the other viewpoints ("they say").
Imagine this paper's objective as refuting the opposition. Someone comes at you with a viewpoint you strongly disagree with, and you want to take them down point by point. That's your aim here.
As you write, also construct your essay using these elements:
Sandwich your paragraphs - Topic sentences and closing sentences should establish how the paragraph relates to the main claim, but be a subset of that claim. Your own voice needs to come across strongly in these "bread" sections especially.
Cohesion between sentences - Move seamlessly from one sentence to the next by integrating old, familiar information first before moving on to new ideas. Also move from simple information and syntax (sentence structure) to more complex syntax in each sentence.
Characters and actions - Don't forget this lesson! "This" and "It" do not make for strong subjects. Abstract nouns that are really verbs don't make strong subjects either.
Perhaps most importantly, review the They Say, I Say materials:
Readings:
Introductions using they say / I say moves
They say: how to frame what others argue
I say: how to position your ideas in response to others
Feedback:
Make sure that your draft addresses all of the feedback provided to you in our discussion session, in my notes sent to you by email, and in the annotations made on your papers in the Google documents. Your final grade for the assignment will reflect your ability to incorporate and respond to peer feedback.
Submission:
Please upload your second draft to the Google folder as a separate document from draft 1. Title it with your first and/or last name and "Draft 2" in the title.
Group A Google folder (Alex S., David, Julian, Nico)
Group B Google folder (Bridget, Lucy, Mateus, Tim)
Group C Google folder (Alex T., Michael, Rayan, Satwik)
And Finally - A Break!
After you complete this draft, you're free! (Until the following week, of course.) We start on Monday, Nov. 30 with more peer review meetings. If you're in Group A, be sure to set aside time on Sunday to complete the Workshop Worksheet that I will post next weekend. You'll be meeting bright and early on Monday! Everyone else can complete the worksheets prior to meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.
Best of luck to you all with the drafting process! Take a well-deserved break after that and step away from your academic obligations for a few days.
Best,
Dr. V