Here are some tasks to help you figure out what to do with your idea generation materials and early drafts. In your breakout rooms, use this number generator to determine which task you are randomly going to attempt. Then, take 10-15 minutes to attempt to do that task. Even if the task feels weird to you, or you don’t want to do it, at least give it a chance.
The number you roll is the number of the task. The parenthetical indicates about how many sentences to attempt and where to place them in the larger essay (although this isn’t set in stone, so use your discretion!).
1.) Specific Supporting Examples (Body: 1-2 Sentences @ Each). Do you support your abstract reasoning and/or reasoning from sources with specific examples from your observations and research? Do these examples reasonably fit the situation you’re exploring?
2.) Summary of Sources (Body: 1 Phrase/Sentence for Each). Examine where you first introduce each source you’re using. Do you summarize (2-3 sentences) the main gist of the author’s central argument and position? Do you then explain how the author’s piece “converses” with your essay?
3.) So What? Why Should We Care? (Conclusion: 2-3 Sentences). What’s the larger significance of your thoughts, research, findings?
4.) Specific Ideas in Sources (1-2 sentences per idea). What minor ideas and/or key terms are you using from each source? Are you summarizing and explaining them appropriately?
5.) Two Sources + You in the Same Paragraph (2-3 sentences each at least). Do both sources agree with or oppose each other? How can you reconcile their positions? How would they “talk” to each other? (Example: “According to Wolk, Batman is compelling because he’s not a superhero, while Eisner believes that Superman is compelling because of his motivation: that is, he has no real reason to use his powers to save the Earth but does so anyway. Batman on the other hand is motivated by the death of his parents, making his motivation selfish, not altruistic like Superman’s.”)
6.) Reorganize. Using a hard copy and a pair of scissors and tape, or a blank Word document, cut and paste your essay out of order. Then, ignoring topic sentences or other signposts, try to reorganize it in a way that makes sense based on the content of each paragraph, the evolution of the argument.
