If I were asked to guest lecture this English 181 class to incoming freshman, I would feel most confident teaching them how to incorporate quotations into their writing. I feel that I have had a lot of practice integrating quotations this semester, through blog posts, in class and our research paper and that I could successfully demonstrate this skill and help them practice doing it themselves. I think that coming into this class I had a lot of experience using this skill, but now I am much more aware of how to integrate quotations successfully and how to better use the “sandwich” structure. I think that I could explain how to successfully integrate quotations to help them support their argument, like I have learned to do this semester. This skill is very important to use in papers because it gives support and validation to an argument. While this skill is very important, not many people come into college very skilled in it and I think everyone can work on this skill to do it more successfully.

In order to teach quotation integration, I would first explain why integrating quotations is important and then show them different examples, some that are done well and some that are done unsuccessfully. For each example I would ask if they thought it worked well or didn’t and why. What qualities did the well done ones have? What is missing from the ones that aren’t done as well? I would explain how to best structure the integration with an introduction and an explanation- the “sandwich” and explain how the well done ones have a structure that resembled this. I would then have them practice this skill by giving them a theme from whatever we were reading during that time and ask them to create a thesis, find a quotation that supports it and use the sandwich structure to integrate the quotation to support the thesis. I would then ask them to write it on the board and have the class discuss what makes each one successful and how to better improve each one.

Hello class. My name is Favour Nwachukwu and today we will be discussing the ‘So What?’

If I was to guest lecture, I would probably feel most confident talking about how to construct a ‘so what’ statement and convey the ‘bigger picture’ through your writing. I think it is the most vital concept I have learned in this class all semester; it made me realize the importance of connecting what you are saying to the reader so that they can relate and actually care to continue reading. It is an integral aspect that should be present in all writing, no matter what the subject, so it is best to learn it sooner rather than later if you wish to be an effective writer. ***

To go about my guest lecture I would first, of course, explain what the ‘so what’ statement is and the different ways that it can be formatted. I would provide the students with various articles from magazines, newspapers, scholarly sources, etc. and have them see if they can locate the ‘so what’ statement and determine whether or not it was effective. Then to ensure that they are not just following a script (“This is important because…”), I would give them very obscure topics that not many people could ever possibly care about and see if they can devise a unique ‘so what’ structure that would make the reader interested though it seems it is completely unrelated to their life. And then we would end the class with an ice cream party because you’ve gotta end with a bang.

*** I made a so what statement without even realizing it. It really comes in handy everywhere.

If I were approached to guest lecture in the next section of this 181 course, I’d feel confident teaching incoming freshmen what I know about integrating quotes into writing. This particular topic is one that I have always thought myself to be good at, whether it be introducing quotes for analysis or using quotes to support my arguments. The latter of the two is a method that not many incoming freshmen are familiar with, but it’s always been my default method of quote integration. Personally, I feel there are times and places for quote analysis, and times where quotes can speak for themselves and help build an argument. Where scientific evidence is concerned, it must be interpreted before it can be used as a building block for argumentative purposes. When a point has been made and a quote is simply a clear example of the argument in the text under question, I think it is plausible that the quote can be used to build an argument without being restated and analyzed as thoroughly.

To teach this lesson to incoming freshmen, I’d plan a group activity. First, I’d introduce the different methods of quote integration that we learned in class. Then, I’d assign each group a thesis statement regarding a text that the class has read (assuming the syllabus would be the same as this semester, I’d likely choose Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story). I’d ask each group to write multiple paragraphs supporting the thesis using direct quotes from the novel, in each paragraph integrating the quotes differently. One paragraph should introduce quotes then analyze their meaning in order to support the thesis, while another paragraph should integrate quotes in the writing in order to build the argument of the thesis. I would then ask all the groups to pick their favorite paragraph to read to the class, explain which method of quote integration they used, and why they preferred it to other methods.

A concept in class that I feel most confident teaching to an incoming freshman is teaching them about asking closed and open questions because of how it helps out with making discussion times really productive. Since open and closed questions are easy to discuss, I would how open questions lead to a broader and wide range of answers while closed questions have a definite answer. I would also ask the class why each question type would be used in class discussion, and then I would sum up all of their answers and include the right response to it. For instance, open questions are important in order to get an opinion or respond to a difficult and controversial question. Closed questions are important for getting correct facts or simple responses right away. I would have a source that the class would have already read the night before to be the topic of our discussions. Then after describing the two types of questions, I would have the class each write two open and two closed questions independently, have them share their responses to the class and have some volunteers demonstrate some of their answers. Then, I would lead the class into discussion, and the students would be used open and long questions according to the topic for the class that day. Since open and closed questions are pretty simple to understand, I will include some entering class discussion ideas in the lesson in order to make their discussion more productive as well. I would mention how that when you are responding to another person, you should briefly summarize what the last person mentioned or whoever you are responding to and then bring in what else you want to mention in the discussion. Overall, these techniques will all be great for making class discussions more successful and informative.

Of all the key concepts and skills that we have learned this semester, one that I would like to teach to freshmen classes would be the skills involved in discussion. In many classes, discussions are an indispensable part of learning that engages students and compels them to think. The nature of a discussion requires participants to make arguments against one another and this can be difficult to achieve in a classroom setting as people can disregard what others are saying and just talk about what they want to talk about or outright denounce their points.

One particular skill that I have learned about entering group discussion is acknowledging and recapitulating the former person’s argument and using that as a starting point for your own argument. By implementing the template “XXX I hear you think that ooo. I go further to say that YYY” or “XXX I hear you think that OOO. However, I think YYY” within discussions, the discussion is elevated to another level. Not only are you applying the “They say I say” structure and thus making your own argument stronger but you are also showing how you are paying attention to other’s argument and have considered their points. This makes speakers feel comfortable as they know their arguments are being heard and the speakers themselves will attentively tune into other’s contributions to discussion so that may rebut against those who disagree with their point. Furthermore, this prevents the discussion from going off tangent. Because you are making your point in relation to what the previous person had said, it is very difficult to go off topic and whatever is said will always be relevant to the topic.

In terms of teaching this to the class, I think the only way is to actually practice using it in discussion. So whenever a class discussion comes up, I would require the students to recapitulate what the previous speaker had said and then make their point based on what he/she said.

If I were to be a guest lecturer in the next section of this course, I would feel most comfortable explaining how to enter class discussions. This would include leading discussions, as well participating in discussions in a way that is persuasive and supports your arguments while still having a conversational tone. One thing that I think I’ve really become more comfortable with is incorporating other people’s arguments into discussions. The discussions each class have made me realize how important it is to address what other people say and either use it to support your argument or refute it.

In order to explain this topic, I would probably first discuss the methods in They Say I Say. They Say I Say stresses how incorporating what other people say strengthens discussions, as it can bolster your argument and can give a platform to lead into what you want to say. For example, instead of ignoring what someone said before you and jumping right into what you want to say, it is more effective to say, “I agree with what Tom said, and in addition…” or “Although Sam thinks this, I believe… because…” It can also be helpful to restate what the person before you said to clarify that you understand their argument. For example, you could say, “Frank, by this you meant … Am I understanding that correctly?” This helps avoid confusion and can lead to more in depth discussion about the topic as well.

After explaining the methods you can use in discussion, it would be beneficial to then choose a topic on which people have different opinions and have a discussion about it. The students should use the methods described above. After concluding the discussion, I think it would be helpful for the students to think about things they did differently in this discussion compared to class discussions they have had in the past. They should think about if these methods promoted effective discussion and what they could do to continue to build on this.

Taking this class has opened my eyes about the meticulous process that is writing. Especially, I have been introduced to the art of deconstructing someone else’s argument in order to incorporate it in my own writing. This reflects the underlying theme of the course, which is “They Say, I say”. This is the theme that I would feel the most comfortable to teach because throughout my writing, I have always been able to effectively use someone’s else argument or statement to support my own. In my Research Paper Draft, for example, I write: “In the New York times, John Mcworther argues that languages provide “variations on a worldwide, cross-cultural perception of this thing called life.”, allowing us to each have different opinions and different ways to express them. (Mcworther, 2014). It can be seen that here I incorporate his own words into my writing in order to validate my point that languages offer different perspectives.

If I were to teach this concept to others, I would first come up with a thesis statement of my own that backs up a particular argument. I would write it on the board giving an idea of what I am to write about. Then, I would ask everyone to find one other classmate to work with and distribute different articles/research papers to each pair of students. I would give them 15 minutes to read the article and find anything that the author says that could support or refute the original thesis statement written on the board. Finally, I would ask them to write a They Say, I Say statement in a paragraph that incorporates how the thoughts of the author they read about are able to either support or contradict the thesis. As a class, we would discuss how effective the article mention is and how it contributes to the development of a well structured argument.
This exercise would be able to make others understand how to incorporate someone else’s argument into one’s writing so to craft an argument or idea that is coherent and original.

If I were given the chance to teach Freshmen about writing in Sci-Fi field, I would like to teach them how to make a “They Say I Say” structure. I personally feel that being able to respond to  another idea is extremely important and essential for writing, especially in Sci-Fi field. Sci-Fi works are naturally bonded with real life sciences and imagination. However, neither of these two elements can work without the other. As authors, we have to learn to balance between realistic values and our own perspectives. By using a “They Say I Say” structure, authors can effectively show readers their thesises and the reason they write. In addition, referring to others’ works can also increase the credibility of our own papers much as Sci-Fi authors implement real-life technologies to make audiences feel that their stories are based on real life.

I have designed several activities so that students will get engaged in class. First of all, I will let students make a Pecha Kucha presentation since I really love the one we did this year. I did not do perfectly on my presentation since I failed to apply close reading skills. Based on my mistake, I will ask my students to focus on close reading. I would not necessarily ask them to pick a physical object, but I will ask them to pick a critic who they are interested in. I will ask them to pick 20 quotes from the critics’ works and comment on those quotes. They can either support or refute those quotes but within 20 seconds. In this way, students need to figure out what is the most important part of their quotes and thus respond to it. Furthermore, I will let them write a formal research paper based on this presentation. They can have different topics, but they have to include at least two quotes they used in their presentation. In this way, students need to think how they can build their essay around evidences and thus learn to use “They Say I Say” structure.

The skill that I really want to teach to incoming freshman is how to use the structure of “quotation sandwich” to integrate citation into a paper and let it better serve the thesis.

In order to let students fully understand the usefulness of this structure and remember to use it whenever they have a citation, I will design a small game. At first, I will show my students a piece of meat, such as toasted beef. I will ask them to think about what this meat is, where it might come from and why it shows up in the classroom. I hope that they might have many wrong answers because only after they make mistakes can this game and the structure that I want to tell them leave a great and indelible impression. When all the students have their guesses, I will tell them that actually this is just a piece of meat I take out from a sandwich. And then I will put the meat back into the two pieces of bread with lettuce. Within a second, the existence of this piece of meat makes more sense. In the end, I will tell my students that if one puts a citation in his paper without any introduction or summary, this citation will be just like this piece of meat; readers will be confused about why the writer puts such a citation here. However, if one introduces the author, and source of the citation and then give a short summary after the citation with a beginning like “in other words…”, “what this means is that…” or “this author is trying to convey that…”, the whole citation will make the paper more consistent and convincing.

During my study of Eng181, I am very impressed of the use of “quotation sandwich” which I believe lightens my logic in my paper. So I wish that other students can also understand the great advantages a successful “quotation sandwich” can give to the paper.

If I had to guest lecture in the next section of this course, the skill I would be most confident teaching would be using ethos, logos, and pathos as rhetorical appeals. These three methods of persuasion involve credibility, logic, and emotion, respectively. They are used in order to draw the audience’s different interests and gain their attention towards the importance of an argument. Throughout the course, we have spent a lot of time understanding how to utilize these appeals effectively and how to use key quotes and information to portray them.

In order to teach this method, I would begin by providing a simple triangle diagram that separates and explain the three distinct strategies. The explanation would involve a word or two that defines the word such as “emotion/values” for “Pathos” and then the main techniques used in order to address said characteristics. In this case, possibly the use of “stories, inspiration, vivid language, etc.”

In order to reaffirm their understanding, I would go through an activity where the class would be separated into thirds and each group would receive one of the rhetorical strategies. Then, the group would discuss a manner to demonstrate their specific appeal through a short work of writing. For example, with pathos, they can write a short story that reflects a traumatic, excessively happy, heartfelt theme; something that captures the hearts and passions of an audience. In terms of logos, they could write a statement and then provide clear evidence or statistics using a made up source as way to prove their argument. For ethos, they can discuss a main point using a historical figure as a source or a famous quote from a specific leader that demonstrates the importance of their argument. Then, they would all present their work to the class, really focusing in on how they crafted their work and the steps they took in their respective categories to create the appeal.