Conquest of Mexico, Writing Workshop

1. We watched the FOD video, "Conquest of Mexico"
2. Students wrote a paragraph in class (20 minute exersize). 
3. Established groups of 4 or 5.
4. Each student passed her paragraph to the student at her left.
5. This student evaluated the paragraph, using the star method.
6. The evaluator then reflected back to the writer what the paragraph said (5 minutes).
7. The evaluator explained his evaluation, using the sandwich approach (10 minutes).

The students responded well to the exercise, and I believe it will become a helpful component of the course. It is my hope that, beyond improving their writing, this assignment will help students learn to read, explain, listen to, and evaluate the ideas of others as well as their own. This should elevate their professionalism and help make them more valuable members of any team, in the public or private sector. "Yes" men and women are a dime a dozen. A professional who can offer effective evaluation and feedback is invaluable.