Teaching Scenario

                 Claire Whitby is teaching a 7th grade English class and wants to teach her students how to write in different genres while still having fun with it. Papers that she must teach her students how to write for the state tests are argumentative, persuasive, and analytical. She believes she can accomplish teaching those three genres in a fun and interactive way so as the students will be encouraged to write them. For example, for the argumentative paper, she gives the students a topic in which they must choose a side for. This topic would be something the students could relate to such as texting while doing homework. She lets each student pick a side they agree with and she divides the room in half for the ensuing debate. The first day, the classroom has the debate. She believes that if she lets her students talk openly about their opinions it will make them realize their true beliefs about the topic by hearing both sides.
               Later in the class day, she has them sit at their own desks and write a pre-write about how the debate went, what arguments were presented, and if their mind was changed because of the debate and their peers’ opinions. Their homework is to write a rough draft on a topic they feel passionate about like bullying/cyber bullying. The next day, she has them get into peer editing groups of two or three. Each group member gives a little background on their topic as well as their own opinion and side they are taking for the argumentative paper. The other group members are encouraged to suggest different points of view that the student might not have thought about previously. This, she believes, will strengthen the student’s paper because it makes sure they see all sides possible.
             Claire wants her students to analyze all sides of an argument so as they begin to write their papers they have given all sides of the argument a fair change. However, they must pick one side to be on. They must not waiver and say, “I think it can be both good and bad because…” That is one of her only rules for their papers; they must pick a definite side to argue.