Summary
PDF file of detailed lesson plan summary, including time stamps, learning/teaching objectives, and a reflection.
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Supplemental Materials
YouTube video to open the topic at hand: The Thesis Statement (to be used in Section I).
In-class PowerPoint (to be used in Section II). Lecture supplement.
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Implementation
I did this activity in my ENGL101 class the week after the Lesson Plan #1 assignment was due for 388V. My students definitely enjoyed the activity as a whole; I would consider it to be one of the most successful lesson plans I delivered in the entire semester. The opening video was of proper length that it did not distract, confuse, or bore students. The following activity with the matching of argument pairs had a positive reaction; my students definitely enjoyed talking amongst each other, trying to find their pairs, and then discussing what kind of argument they could make to what audience. The laid-back attitude of the themes allowed students to feel comfortable with the topic; I feel that creating matched pairs from controversial arguments would have a different, less comforting effect. Humor, wit, and playfulness should not be avoided in the classroom, especially in the beginning of the semester -- fostering a bond between not only classmates but the TA/instructor and students is crucial to determining the climate of the classroom in the future. With this being said, the opening activity definitely set the scene for the rest of the class tempo-wise; the students were engaged for the remainder of the class period, even during the lecture and individual work. While group work was resoundingly favored, individual work did not suffer. I was asked numerous questions about crafting a thesis statement that went deeper than the basics covered in the video and PowerPoint, which I considered a sign of understanding and thematic expansion. My instructor was impressed with how smoothly the lesson was carried out and I mainly attribute my success to the time stamps and detailed, guided instructions. Delivering a lesson is easy when you know exactly what and when to say and do. Overall, I will most definitely be keeping this lessonplan handy for any writing course, as it covers the basics of constructing an argument and developing a successful, argumentative thesis statement: something that all scholars must attempt and master.