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.

Evaluate a Paragraph

Evaluate your peers' writing by referring specifically to the following criteria:


Structure (Strong topic sentence, Strong conclusion).

Good use of evidence. Present evidence from all the assigned sources. Tell where your evidence came from.

Analysis (explain your evidence carefully. Be sure to identify all terms).


Proofreading (is it free of grammatical and spelling errors)?


Use the Sandwich Approach


1. Mention the paragraph's strong points (this is the first slice of bread on the sandwich).

2. Mention the elements that need more attention (this is the middle of the sandwich)

3. Mention something positive you got from the paragraph. Did you learn something new? Did it offer you a valuable perspective? There is something good to say about every effort. This is the top of the sandwich.

What is a Paragraph?

You probably already know what a paragraph is. However, you still need to know what are my expectations of your discussion posts. Below, I clearly lay out these expectations along with the rubric under which your work will be evaluated. I look forward to reading your posts.

A paragraph is, first and foremost, a unit of thought. You are telling me what you think about a particular topic. In this case you are responding to a question prompt. Therefore, the first sentence should introduce your thought as clearly as possible. I should be able to tell by the first sentence what that paragraph will express to me. Ideally, your first sentence should state a claim. The following sentences should draw evidence from the book to support your claim. They should convince me that what you say is supported by the book. The concluding sentence should answer the question, “So what?” How has this paragraph answered the question that you selected? How has it added depth or breadth to our understanding of the topic? How am I a smarter or better-informed person for having read this paragraph? Very few paragraphs answer all these questions, but you should try to accomplish at least one of them. That is the ideal and the basic structure. Remember, I want to know what you really think; not what you think I want you to think. Have fun, and speak your mind! It’s easy when you actually believe what you are writing.

Grading—paragraphs will be graded on the following:
1. Structure/organization, does the paragraph function as a unit of thought?
2. Evidence, does the paragraph draw specific references from the book as evidence to support the claim(s) made in your paragraph?
3. Analysis, does the paragraph explain logically how the evidence presented supports the claims made?
4. Proofreading, the paragraph should be free of grammatical errors and misspellings.